What you may not realize is just how dangerous that infestation can be, both to your pet's health and to your family. For example, ticks are known to transmit Lyme disease, while fleas can transmit tapeworms, a dangerous parasite.

As their hosts brush past grasses and leaves, fleas and ticks can fall off and cling to the tips of plants, waiting to jump onto an animal as it walks by. As a result, by the time they enter your home, these tiny pests have become powerful "disease factories."

There are several different types of flea and tick medications including oral and topical.

• Oral medications are pills that your pet can chew and swallow. Some of these medications last for a few days and others are monthly treatments. Oral medications such as this will often kill larvae or attack the nervous systems of the pests.
• Topical medications are applied to the fur and skin in between the pet's shoulders. Many of these kinds of topical medications will last for a month and repel fleas and ticks in addition to killing them.

Cimarron Animal Hospital can help you find the best flea and tick treatment for your pet, whether oral or topical. Contact us to learn more.