August heat

The State Fair is here!
And with it comes the hot humid days of August.
All Iowans know that in preparation for school to start, we must go to the State Fair, and we must endure some heat & humidity. This year has not been nearly as hot as some, but Iowa's humidity always makes the heat difficult to endure.

For our dog pals, that means shorter walks, walks late in the day or early in the morning and more time spent indoors with the air conditioning on. Cats tolerate heat better than dogs, as evidenced by their love of sunny windows, but indoor/outdoor cats often slow down considerably in the heat of the August afternoon.

With heat & humidity comes another problems: FLEAS. It is now officially flea season. August, September & October are the worst months for fleas in the Midwest. Fleas exist part of their lives in a pupal form & heat & humidity cause pupal fleas to hatch out to adults. Adult fleas create all the problems: itching, scratching, hot spots, and tapeworm transmission, to name a few.

The best way to deal with fleas is to prevent them: use of veterinary recommended products such as Frontline Plus, Trifexis and Revolution are the most effective preventives and should definitely be applied to all dogs & cats in August, September & October. If you have a flea problem, a visit with your pet to the animal hospital is best. The veterinarians can prescribe specific ways to control the fleas in your household. And get your pet the relief they need!