Your pets are often an extension of your family; and equally as spoiled. As they come inside and outside your home, they could be bringing in unannounced guests with them. There are several pests that are attracted to your pet that every pet owner should be more aware of. With that in mind, we at A Five Star Termite & Pest Control would like to advise you on the more common pests that are attracted to your pet.
Pests that Threaten Your Pet
1) Botflies: Botflies, also known as the Cuterebra fly; larvae are often infesting your grass without your knowledge. There, they will find their warm-blooded hosts, such as your dog, to latch onto as your pup passes through. If you suspect botflies on your dog, look for these symptoms that include seizures, aggression, blindness, and warbles (lumps) in the skin, which is where the larvae reside. The VCA Animal Hospital recommends that the best prevention is to deter your dog from tracking down rodents. To minimize the risk of permanent or serious damage to your dog, get the warbles removed as quickly as possible.
2) Fleas: Fleas, being tiny brown insects are hard to spot, especially when they are not attached on a host and hiding out in cool, shady areas within your shrubs, leaves, and tress. When your dog passes by, they will attach themselves onto them. Fleas, according to the American Animal Hospital Association, can multiply to 1,000 fleas in your home in just 21 days once Fido has unknowingly brought them inside. Fleas will not only attach to dogs, but cats and other pets, as well as yourself, which will bring the barrage of the excessive itching, leading to scratching and picking at scabs. Additionally, fleas can give their hosts tapeworms and other serious diseases and ailments.
3) Kissing Bugs: Kissing bugs are another blood sucking insect that is attracted to dogs and other warm-blooded hosts. They also are the cause for a deadly disease known as Chagas disease, which can be given to both dogs and people. Be aware for folks that live in a region with kissing bugs, as there is not currently an effective treatment for dogs with Chagas disease; take precautions and monitor your dog to ensure they do not come into contact with the kissing bug.
4) Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are no stranger to annoying habits, and this outdoor nuisance can quickly become an indoor problem. Heartworms, which are spread through mosquitoes that carry the infective larvae, are a fatal problem for dogs. Heartworm larvae work their way from the bite wound to the dog’s body and settle at the heart and blood vessels of the lungs. Adult heartworms can grow up to 12” long and cause insufficient blood flow due to the significant mechanical. In severe cases of the disease, it can be fatal.
5) Ticks: Ticks, very much like fleas, inhabit shady and wooded areas, waiting for a host, often your pooch, to get close enough to crawl up the body and attach itself. Ticks feed on the host’s blood of any mammal, including people. Ticks have the potential to transmit deadly diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and other such diseases and ailments derived a single bite.
Pest Inspections, Exclusion, Control, Removal, Management & More in Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Timberwood Park, Leon Valley, Alamo Heights, New Braunfels, Selma, Live Oak, Converse, Universal City, Cibolo, Seguin, New Berlin, St Hedwig, Adkins, La Vernia, Elmendorf, Losoya, Von Ormy, Macdona & San Antonio, Texas
Considering the above mentioned examples, the other pests that are attracted to causing trouble for your pets, getting your home and property treated and maintained, as well as preventative aids, can significantly minimize the risk. To get your home and yard efficiently treated, contact A Five Star Termite & Pest Control today!
