Summer means more time outside with your pet, and it also means fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes are more active. These pests can make your pet uncomfortable and even spread serious diseases.
The good news? A few simple steps can help keep your pet healthy all season long.
Fleas: Tiny Pests That Cause Big Problems
Fleas thrive in warm weather. While they do best in temperatures between 70–85°F, they can survive in a wide range of conditions. A single flea can quickly turn into an infestation.
Fleas can cause:
- Constant itching and scratching for your cat or dog
- Skin irritation and allergies
- Hair loss and sores
- Tapeworms in dogs and cats
What you can do:
- Keep your pet on a monthly flea preventative; available at Emancipet
- Wash your pet’s bedding regularly
- Vacuum carpets and furniture often
- Check your pet for fleas after spending time outdoors
How Emancipet can help:
We offer affordable flea prevention for dogs and cats. If your pet is scratching more than usual, visit us for a Healthy Pet Services appointment. Our veterinary teams can diagnose and treat many skin and ear conditions, including fleas, and recommend a preventative medication for fleas and ticks for your pet.
Ticks: Small Bites, Serious Risks
Ticks are common during the summer and can be found in tall grass, wooded areas, parks, and even your own backyard. They can spread diseases like Lyme disease to both pets and people.
What you can do:
- Use a monthly tick preventative; available at Emancipet
- Check your pet after walks, hikes, or time outside. Look closely around the ears, neck, under the collar, between the toes, and under the tail.
How Emancipet can help:
We carry affordable tick prevention products and can help you choose the right option to keep your pet protected.
Heartworms: Carried by Mosquitos
Mosquitoes aren’t just annoying for people, they can spread heartworm disease to cats and dogs. Heartworms live in the heart and lungs of infected pets and can cause serious illness. Dogs and cats are both at risk, even if they spend most of their time indoors.
The best protection is monthly heartworm prevention medication.
What you can do:
- Give heartworm prevention every month, year-round to both cats and dogs; available at Emancipet
- Have your dog tested regularly as recommended by your veterinarian
- Don’t skip doses, even if your pet mostly stays inside
How Emancipet can help:
We offer affordable heartworm testing for dogs and heartworm prevention for both dogs and cats.
If your dog tests positive for heartworm disease, we’re here to help. Emancipet provides affordable, life-saving heartworm treatment for dogs at our Austin Dental & Surgical Center in Austin and at our Wayside Drive and Monroe Plaza clinic locations in Houston.
We’re Here to Help
At Emancipet, we’re committed to making veterinary care affordable and accessible for every family.
We offer affordable vaccinations, as well as microchipping to help keep pets protected.
A little preparation can go a long way. By planning ahead for fireworks, and preparing for summer travel, you can help keep your pet safe, healthy, and close to home all season long.
Screwworms: An Emerging Threat in Texas
New World screwworm is the larval stage of a fly that lays eggs in open wounds, surgical sites, or natural body openings. After the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on living tissue rather than dead tissue, which makes these infestations especially dangerous. Without fast treatment, they can cause severe pain, deep tissue damage, secondary infection, and in some cases become life-threatening. (for more specifics, see our blog post about Screwworms [link])
What you can do:
- Keep your pet on flea and tick preventives- some of these are also effective at treating screwworms!
- Don’t leave your pet outside for long periods, especially if they have open wounds
- Monitor any wounds, scrapes or scratches on your pet for weird smells, swelling, or failure to heal
How Emancipet can help:
We offer affordable flea and tick prevention for dogs that is conditionally approved to treat New World Screwworm.
Keep Your Pet Protected All Summer Long
Preventing fleas, ticks, and heartworms is easier, and much less expensive, than treating the problems they cause. By keeping your pet on year-round preventatives and watching for signs of pests, you can help them enjoy a happy, healthy summer.
Need flea, tick, or heartworm prevention? Visit your nearest Emancipet clinic. We’re here to provide affordable veterinary care that helps pets stay healthy all year long.
