You may have noticed an ad from a company that touts itself as a pharmacy for pets.  The ad incorrectly suggests that you have made a false assumption if you believe that you do not need to give your pets heartworm preventative and flea control products all year long.  In fact, in this part of the United States, year-round prevention is not necessary.

I like most kinds of animals, but I have to admit that I don’t care much for ticks.  These pests are active for most of the year and can transmit some important diseases to us and our pets.  Most of these diseases are caused by bacteria or protozoan organisms that live in the tick’s digestive tract.  The disease that they cause is spread after a tick bites and injects the organisms into the wound.