Flea and tick prevention must be given year-round in South Carolina. During the hot summer months fleas are prevalent here, while the cooler winter months usher in the perfect weather for ticks.  Without the deep winter frosts, our natural populations of these pests aren’t killed off as they are in colder climates. Therefore, keeping your pets on flea and tick prevention is a must, year-round!  Protecting your dog from tick infestations might be an important step to take in reducing your risk of exposure to Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, (RMSF).  Also, in cats, ticks might transmit a rapidly fatal disease that few veterinarians keep in stock the resources needed to treat effectively.  Oftentimes, the disease progresses so rapidly, proper drug therapy cannot be delivered before the cat dies.
But what happens if your pet already has fleas or ticks?  Immediately starting the correct prevention is key. You might need to reduce the immature forms of fleas in the house by vacuuming every three days and removing the contents of the vacuum cleaner to the outside trash, immediately.

Ticks embedded in the skin of an animal should be removed carefully. To make removal even easier, use specially designed “tick tweezers”.