Spring is Here! Protect Your Pets from Ticks
You know that at Pandosy Village Veterinary Hospital, we are careful never to recommend treatments that your cats and dogs don’t need. That’s why we ask you a bunch of lifestyle questions during your pet’s annual exam each year, to determine what they do and don’t need for pest protection. For example, most pets staying in the Okanagan don’t need heartworm or flea protection... they just aren’t issues in our valley.
Your cats and dogs need to be protected against ticks
Unfortunately, outdoor pets in the Okanagan Valley DO need tick protection. Ticks are everywhere! From your neighbourhood park, to back alleys, to hiking trails, the little bitty bugs are ready to drop onto your pet and have a blood feast. According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, a couple of different species of ticks in BC carry Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and more blood-Bourne illnesses. (Read some of our FAQsabout Ticks in the Okanagan.)
We used to say that cats don’t really need tick protection, but after a few kitties came in with ticks last year... we’ve changed our mind!
Pets that get bit by ticks can also be temporarily paralyzed, which we saw a couple of times in our hospital last season, irregardless of there was disease in the bite or not.
How to protect your pet from ticks: the natural way
Every year we sell hundreds of bottles of Pandosy Vet Pandosy Vet Tick Repellant to pet parents across BC and Canada. Why? Because our botanical tick relevant is a very effective solution to keep ticks at bay.
Fueled with the power of rose geranium, our tick spray is designed to smell atrocious to ticks (ironically, it’s quite a nice smell to us!)
Like any repellant, you need to spray your pet down so that they smell (of rose geranium) and reapply if they go swimming or the smell wears off. As long as you apply it before your pet goes outside, it works amazingly well to keep hungry ticks off your pet.
This year you can order your tick repellant online, to pick up or have delivered to your door!
Protect your pets with tick-killing RX
If your pet does get bit by a tick, the only way to protect them from disease transfer is with a prescription pharmaceutical, like Bravecto. Lots of pets parents chose to give their cats and dogs a one-every-three-months dose. Bravecto kills ticks if they bite your pet (before they have a chance to spread a disease.)
The downside of Bravecto and other pharmaceutical solutions is that the tick has to land and bite your pet for it to work... so lots of pet parents chose to combo up: tick spray to keep ticks away, and Bravecto in case they forget to apply the spray.
It really is up to you... if you chose the RX or the natural solution (or like most pet parents, both!) we will help you out.
Our Pandosy Vet tick spray is sold over the counter, but you do need a prescription to get a pharmaceutical product. In other words, your pet needs an up-to-date annual exam to get Bravecto, and then Dr. Jason can prescribe it for your pet. Just send us a message frontdesk@pandosyvet.com or give us a shout if you would like Bravecto for your pet. For the tick spray, you can order online or just stop by and pick some up.
If Your Pet Does Get a Tick
If your pet does get a tick, don’t panic. If you can get it off yourself, our nurses can do it for you. We also test ticks and pet’s blood for disease, so we can always follow up if ticks do get to your best buddy. Of course, the best medicine is prevention! So please consider the natural tick spray, or Bravecto, or both, to protect your fur baby.
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Tick Season is here! 🕷🌷
