Not really. It's just easier for us to identify them if they get on a short-haired dog, but they're not necessarily going to be more susceptible, especially when it comes to ticks. Fleas, on the other hand, in my many years of experience doing this, I tend to see the shorter hair dogs being more likely to be infested than a long, thick-coated dog, like a chow or a Husky or something of that nature. A hair coat can make a difference, but I wouldn't buy a dog based on that information.

Fleas and ticks lead to different diseases. With fleas, our primary concerns are anemia, which puppies can get. Puppies can get so many fleas on them that they can actually die from blood loss because the fleas suck so much blood from them. We can see what we call tapeworms, which is not a true disease, but can create a debilitating condition. These tapeworms can get to be about two feet long inside the intestinal tract, and they get those primarily from ingesting fleas. As far as ticks go, we're concerned about Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. We see Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease in people as well. Your dog can get those two diseases just as people can.

There are some. There is the Diatomaceous Earth that people use or have even heard of apple cider vinegar combinations, garlic oil, and clove oil. It helps in some cases, and in most cases, it does not, based on what people have reported, because fleas and ticks are so sturdy, and it's not easy to kill them. It works better when you use something stronger.

Unfortunately, they won't because they're opportunistic and they like to stay. If they like the host, they will stick around for a long time. Imagine every flea lays about 50 eggs a day. Those eggs will hatch, more eggs are laid, and more fleas are created. So unless we actively seek to prevent them or get rid of the ones that are there, then, unfortunately, they will stick around for a long time.

The one vaccine that I know of is the Lyme vaccine for tick-borne diseases. That's the one that is used, but I believe that's the only vaccine available right now for tick-borne diseases.

The fact that you're using the flea preventative on a regular basis will help after two or three cycles. Regular use will control the environment, but because we take our dogs in and out all the time, there may be fleas that get on them when they come back from their walk, and they can be deposited back into the environment. So we recommend you treat the house. Sometimes there are sprays and powders that you can apply that can help you with controlling the environment and control those hitchhiker fleas. That's what we were talking about.

Yes, unfortunately, because we have such beautiful weather here and we have a warmer climate, and that's why most people like to come and visit us and stay here. We do have fleas and ticks all year round. So yes, the preventatives are needed.

Some people claim that the topical preventatives don't work as well anymore because they've been on the market for so many years that the fleas may have become resistant to them. People love the oral ones because it's really easy to give with food. You give them a chewable tablet, so you give them like a treat, and dogs do really well with them. The side effects are less too.

Things within the environment that will cause allergies can be smoke. So if you're a smoker, you might want to consider going outside to smoke because the smoke will pollute and cause allergies and upper respiratory issues in pets. We see increases in dust pollen or dust mites from not vacuuming or having a lot of fabrics that need to be washed, so more frequent vacuuming can help. Don't forget to vacuum your furniture and your fabrics. Change your bedding over more frequently, especially if your pet sleeps with you. Perfumes and aerosolization candles can cause allergies. Those also release things within the air that can affect pets with allergies and make them worse. When you think about your environment and ways that you can help, whole house HEPA filters are also wonderful and even the standalone room ones. Change those litter boxes over and over, especially for cats with allergies. Again, talking with your veterinarian about your environment can show you things you can do to help reduce allergens at home.