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PARASITE PREVENTION
Year-round Heartworm Prevention is crucial in Georgia! Heartworms
are easy to prevent in dogs and cats by a simple monthly pill or
topical, however, very dangerous and costly to treat once the pet
gets heartworms. Year-round Flea and Tick Prevention is also
necessary to prevent transmission of disease.
 Did
you know?
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The flea you see today came from an
egg 3-8 weeks ago.
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Every flea lays an average of
20-30 eggs PER DAY. These
fall off your pet into the
environment, therefore you must
treat the environment for at least
3-8 weeks.
Two steps to effective
flea prevention:
 Treat
your environment:
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VACUUM slowly!!!. Each pass of the
vacuum picks up 50% of the eggs, 20%
of the larva, & 0% of the pupae.
Since larva are smaller than a thin
piece of thread vacuum over the
cracks in the hardwood and edges of
the floors along walls. Vacuum
under & between the couch
cushions including the bottom
surface of the cushions where the
pupae grab on. Vacuum rugs, cat
post, top of the couch ledge where
cats like to sit, pet bed if not
able to wash, and the car. Throw
out the vacuum bag or wash canister
with detergent. Hint: Steam
cleaning kills all life stages of
the flea. Vacuuming does not. Hint:
Detergent on hard floor surfaces
(linoleum/tile/hardwood/etc.) will
kill all life stages of the flea.
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WASH pet beds, pet fabric toys,
blankets on beds regularly.
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TREAT YOUR HOUSE AND CAR WITH ANTI
FLEA PRODUCTS: Treat your home
with aerosol spray using Zodiac area
spray from pet stores or Knockout
from vet hospitals. Takes 10
minutes to spray carpets, couches,
cat posts, Also spray your pet beds
and car. Repeat every 10-14 days
and thereafter, at least every 3-8
weeks.
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Use powders from pet stores that are
scrubbed into the carpet. For
example, Flea Busters guarantees no
fleas for 1 year. Not safe for use
in homes where people or pets have
asthma.
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DO NOT BOMB. Bombs will not go
under any furniture. They will not
go around corners. If you choose to
do this, all pets have to leave the
house. You have to follow it up
with sprays everywhere the bomb
missed. This needs to be repeated
every 10-14 days for at least 3-8
weeks. You need to clean the
surfaces of the counters prior to
usage.
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TREAT OUTSIDE WHEN OVER 60 F:
Focus on the shady areas such as
under decks, under bushes or trees.
Fleas don't like where the sun burns
directly such as the center of the
grass. Many products exist that
hook to a hose & are sprayed.
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