Mosquito Squad of the North Shore protects your dogs, cats and horses from Lyme Disease and other tick borne illnesses

There is no denying the adoration we feel for our pets. Pet owners may differ in the kind of animals they choose, but the bonds are the same. Maybe you are one of the masses that agree a dog is a man’s best friend. Studies even indicate that stroking a dog can relieve stress and lower blood pressure. Maybe you like the independent nature of a cat, or maybe

Our tick control programs enable your dog to enjoy being a dog. Loving the outdoors, by your side, safe from tick diseases.

you even find solace in grooming your horse every day and enjoy trail riding on the weekends as an escape from the everyday. No matter what kind of pet you have, as a pet owner, you want to keep them healthy and happy.

Dogs, cats and all breeds of equine are unfortunately susceptible to contracting Lyme Disease and the symptoms can be easily overlooked. This is why it is so important to control ticks in our environment and learn the symptoms of Lyme Disease in our pets. The only way we can efficiently have the disease diagnosed and treated promptly is to watch for signs that something may be wrong.

While Lyme Disease is more prevalent in dogs than in felines, it is possible for your cat to contract Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.  Mosquito Squad of the North Shore

Keep your pooch tick-free an happy with Mosquito Squad of the North Shore.

consulted with our resident veterinary expert for signs of Lyme Disease in our animals.  Heidi Soffron at Putnam Veterinary Clinic in Topsfield, MA said “Things we typically look for with Lyme Disease are sudden lameness that alters from one leg to the other or comes and goes, fever, lethargy, inappetance and painful joints all over.  We usually run a test for Heartworm/Lyme/Anaplasmosis/Ehrlichia; all but heartworm are tick borne diseases.  The drug of choice to treat Lyme disease, and other tick borne illnesses is in major shortage from the drug companies so other antibiotics may need to be used until this medication becomes available again.”

All classes of equine including donkeys, mules, miniature horses and ponies are susceptible to Lyme Disease as well.  This is particularly relevant for Essex County residents with the large population of horses in many of our towns.  It’s important to recognize signs of lameness, joint pain and/or stiffness, shifting from limb to limb, and weight loss as possible signs of Lyme Disease. Horses may exhibit behavioral changes,

Keep your family, including your four-legged family safe from Lyme Disease this season with a little help from Mosquito Squad of the North Shore.

poor performance, personality changes, anterior uveitis (ERU/moon blindness-like eye changes) and varying degrees of insulin resistance especially in laminitis Lyme horses.

Frequent tick checks, particularly behind the ears, lower legs and mane, and prompt removal are imperative to reduce the risk of infection for your pets.  While there are several tick removal devices on the market, a set of fine-tipped tweezers work very effectively.   With any device, you want to firmly grasp the tick as close to the skins surface as is possible and pull upward applying steady pressure. Twisting, jerking or manipulating the tick in any way can break the tick, leaving its mouthparts intact in your pet’s skin. If this should happen, carefully remove the mouth parts with tweezers as well and clean the bite area with iodine, alcohol or soap and water.

Prevention is the best way to keep your animals free from ticks and the diseases they carry.  Mosquito Squad of the North Shore has a safe and effective intensive tick control program that includes a double layer of protection with proven results.  We begin by applying our safe and highly effective barrier spray to your property to eliminate any existing ticks as well as mosquitoes that can carry the Eastern Equine Encephalitis, another serious viral disease that affects horses.  The second tier includes strategically placed tick tubes around your property.  Tick tubes work by disrupting the life cycle of ticks and reduce your chances, and your pet’s chances of coming into contact with a potentially infected tick by up to 97%.

Anthony Pascetta Mosquito Squad North Shore

If you’d like to learn more about making your property safer for yourself, your family and your beloved pets, give us a call.  We’d be happy to discuss any concerns you have for your pets and give you a free quote • (978) 887 – 1177 • email: northshore@mosquitosquad.com

About these ads

Mosquito Borne Disease

This is the first post in a series of posts on Mosquito Borne Diseases.  Today’s topic is on heartworm disease, online sources that I used can be found at the bottom of todays post.  Please email if you have any questions on today’s topic.

Heartworms

So what is Heartworm Disease? Heartworm Disease is a potentially fatal disease in dogs that is contracted from mosquitoes (Heartwormdisease is not just a dog disease, other animals are susceptible as well; cats, wolves, coyotes, ferrets, foxes, sea lions and in rare instances humans. Although humans can contract the disease they do not make a good hosts, also there have been no documented cases of death from heartworms in humans.) The heartworm’s scientific name is Dirofilaria immitis,they live in the heart and pulmonary circuit of the circulatory system between the heart and lungs. Heartworms are classified as, thread like, round worms, they range in size and are generally about and 1/8^th inch wide and between 3 inches and 14 inches long.

The life cycle of a heartworm begins when an adult female releases larva into the host’s bloodstream, the young larva are called microfilariae. The second stage of the life cycle begins when a mosquito feeds on an infected animal, this mosquito then becomes a vector for the microfilariae.  The microffilariae then mature inside the mosquito over the next couple of weeks.   Once an infected mosquito feeds on a new host, the now mature microfilariae, are transferred during the females mosquito’s blood meal.  The microfilariae then grow into adult heartworms over the next 6 months and the cycle is then completed.  The adult heartworms can live in dogs for 5 or 6 years and cats for 2 to 3, this covers numorous mosquito seasons.  One can easily see that with a large mosquito populaiton and a large host population the spread of heartworms  can easily occur.  Espessially when we remember that a female mosquito lives for about 100 days and looks for a blood meal daily.   This is why it is important to take preventative steps to protect your pets from the dangers of heartworms.

Signs of Heartworms develop over time, a recent infection may show no signs of the disease in your dog, but left untreated for a long period, you may see signs such as a mild persistent cough, weight loss, no desire to exercise and fatigue after mild exertion. Signs in cats differ from dogs in that you may see vomiting, gagging, rapid breathing and weight loss. It is best to consult your veterinarian if you suspect your pet is exhibiting signs of a heartworm infection.

Heartworms are found in pets all over the country, usually anywhere a high mosquito populations exist. To help reduce the mosquito population in your yard, Mosquito Squad offers seasonal Mosquito Squad Barrier Spray contracts and misting systems. Call or email us for details on how Mosquito Squad can assist you in reducing mosquito populations in your yard.

For more information on heartworms and to visit sources used for the post, please visit the following links.

Mosquito Squad of Greater DC

The Eastern North Carolina University Online Mosquito Library

http://core.ecu.edu/hhp/andersonal/Mosquito_Library/Heartworm.htm

All About Worms

http://www.allaboutworms.com/heartworms-in-humans

Heartworm Society

http://www.heartwormsociety.org/article_1141.html