31 Jul Why Flea Prevention For Your Pets Is Critical in Late Summer

Pet owners typically think of spring as the season to ramp up parasite prevention, and are tempted to think that the end of summer is the time to slack off worrying about flea prevention. However, in East Tennessee fleas are at their peak in the late summer and early fall.

Between the humidity and temperatures, the season’s build up of mulch or leaf litter provides ample breeding grounds. Plus, squirrels, possums and raccoons are more active as they prepare for the coming cooler weather, and can easily drop thousands of flea eggs while passing through your yard.

It’s crucial to stay vigilant with your pet’s preventative medications this time of year—not just to keep your pet flea-free, but your home as well. Fleas that hitch a ride on your pet are easily brought inside, laying larvae that burrows into carpet or fabric fibers until conditions are right for the adult fleas to emerge.

Dr. Sam Meisler, founder of PetWellClinic® in Knoxville and Alcoa, says, “The flea population surges in August, and we have had numerous examples of families who have let their flea population sneak up and overwhelm them in late summer and early fall. When that happens, they have to hire professional help to treat their environment as well as their pets— which can get very expensive. It’s always better to be ahead of the wave then in it by using the flea preventives that we have available all year long.”

In addition to being a nuisance, fleas can cause skin irritations or infections, hair loss, and sores, and can carry tapeworms and strains of bacteria, as we discussed in How To Keep Fleas Off Of Your Pet, And Out Of Your Home.

The best course of action to keep your pet and your home flea-free is to ward them off before they have a chance to choose your pet as a host, and to treat your pets year round. Our relatively mild East Tennessee winters aren’t typically cold or long enough to kill off all flea infestations. Plus, In the fall, pets begin getting their thicker winter coats, which make ideal homes for fleas to feed and breed.

PetWellClinic® offers a variety of affordable, high quality chewable and topical flea prevention products, and we can help you determine which one is best for your pet’s lifestyle and which will repel and kill fleas during all stages of their life cycle.

By operating convenient hours for non-surgical care, PetWellClinic® is able to offer substantially discounted prices for preventative products, vaccinations, wellness exams, and treatment of minor conditions. Think of us as a “minute clinic” for your pet—no appointment necessary, with quick in and out service. You can save even more time by pre-registering and pre-paying online for our walk-in clinics.

PetWellClinic® has three locations: 10549 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922; 7329 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919; and 228 S. Calderwood Street, Alcoa,TN 37701. Learn more about how PetWellClinic® can exceed your expectations for affordable, top quality pet care by visiting our website at www.petwellclinic.com.