Seattle’s mild, wet climate is good for parasites. Our winters don’t get cold enough for long enough to break a flea cycle, which is why “my pet only goes in the yard” and “it’s winter” are the two things we hear most often from owners whose pets have fleas.
Fleas
A single flea on your pet means a great many more in your home. The adults you can see are the visible end of a population that is mostly eggs, larvae, and pupae in carpet and bedding. That’s why treating your pet for a single month rarely works, and why we recommend year-round prevention here rather than seasonal.
Fleas also carry tapeworm. A pet who has had fleas usually needs deworming too.
Ticks
Ticks are less common in western Washington than back east, but they’re not rare, especially east of the Cascades and in tall grass. Check your dog after hikes: behind the ears, in the armpits, between the toes. Bring us any tick you aren’t sure how to remove.
Heartworm
Mosquitoes carry it. Western Washington is low-risk, not no-risk, and cases turn up in dogs that have never left the state. Prevention is a monthly chewable and costs very little. Treatment is expensive, hard on the dog, and takes months.
Prevention and refills can be ordered through our online pharmacy and shipped to your door. Prescription products need an exam with us in the past year.
Intestinal Parasites
Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. Some of them are transmissible to people, particularly children. We recommend an annual fecal test, and more often for puppies, kittens, and dogs who visit dog parks.