Q: Dear Gentle Doctor Animal Hospitals,

WHY should I have my pets on monthly flea preventative? 

A: Dear Client,

You should have your dogs and cats on monthly flea preventatives because fleas are gross.

Also, many dogs and cats are allergic to fleas, and preventing flea bites will COMPLETELY control their flea allergies!

Even in our pets without flea allergies, flea bites are uncomfortable and itchy!  Though fleas do not live on humans, they CAN bite us, and then we will be itching right along with our pets!

Fleas can cause flea bite anemia, a condition that is dangerous to very young, very small or debilitated cats and kittens and dogs and cats.  Since the use of flea preventatives has become so widespread and flea preventatives available are so effective, we see flea bite anemia much less commonly.

Fleas carry tapeworms, which, as we previously discussed in our opening statement about fleas, are gross.

Another Question:

What about the plague?

Answer:

You are correct that fleas carry the plaque, but the fleas that carry the plaque are the RAT fleas, and the common flea that infects our dog and cat friends is the CAT flea.  This is the flea species that we are preventing when we treat our pets with flea prevenatitve medication.

What products are recommended?

We recommend Frontline, Revolution or NexGard for flea prevention for dogs.  Frontline also protects dogs against ticks!

We recommend Revolution for flea prevention for cats, which also prevents heartworm disease.