When the weather turns cold, many pet owners put flea, tick, and heartworm prevention away until spring. It seems logical. Bugs disappear in the winter, right? Unfortunately, they don’t disappear completely, especially here in central Virginia. At West End Veterinary, we recommend continuing parasite prevention all year. Here’s why.
Ticks Don’t Die in the Winter
Cold weather slows ticks down, but it doesn’t wipe them out. Ticks survive the winter under leaf litter and snow, and some species, including the blacklegged tick that transmits Lyme disease, become active any time temperatures rise above freezing. Virginia winters have many mild days. Those are the same days you’re most likely to take your dog for a long walk or a hike, and the same days ticks are looking for a host.
Ticks carry diseases that can affect your dog, including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis. Prevention protects your pet on the warm winter days you might not think twice about.
Fleas Love Your Warm House
Fleas may slow down outdoors in winter, but your home stays a comfortable 70 degrees year-round. Once fleas get inside, they can complete their life cycle in carpets, furniture, and pet bedding. Flea eggs and pupae can lie in wait for weeks, so an infestation that starts in the fall can carry through the winter if prevention stops.
Fleas cause more than itching. They can trigger allergic skin disease, transmit tapeworms, and cause anemia in young or small pets. Indoor cats aren’t safe either. Fleas can hitch a ride inside on people, on other pets, or through open doors. Dr. Mason says, “Some of the worst flea infestations that we see occur in the fall and winter when people think that it is safe to stop preventatives.”
Mosquitoes Still Show Up
Mosquitoes spread heartworm disease, and in Virginia, mosquitoes can appear on warm days well into late fall and even during winter warm spells. One bite from an infected mosquito is enough to transmit heartworm larvae.
The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round heartworm prevention for both dogs and cats. Monthly preventives eliminate larvae your pet picked up in previous weeks. If you stop giving prevention in the fall while mosquitoes are still active, any larvae picked up afterward can mature into adult worms.
Heartworm Disease Is Far Easier to Prevent Than Treat
In dogs, heartworm treatment is lengthy and expensive, and it requires weeks of strict exercise restriction to reduce the risk of complications. In cats, there’s no approved treatment at all. Prevention is their only protection.
Stopping and restarting prevention also creates complications. Gaps in heartworm prevention may mean your pet needs a heartworm test before starting again. We recommend annual heartworm testing for dogs, even when they stay on year-round prevention.
Many Preventives Do More Than One Job
Many heartworm preventives also control intestinal parasites such as roundworms. Some of these parasites can spread from pets to people, especially children. Keeping your pet on monthly prevention helps protect your whole household.
Consistency Makes It Easier
One of the simplest reasons to stay on prevention is that it’s easier to remember. When you give a dose on the same day every month, year after year, it becomes routine. When you stop for winter, it’s easy to forget to start again in spring, and that’s often when protection lapses. Bad at giving prevention consistently even in the Summer? Ask us about our 12-month flea/tick and heartworm prevention injections!
Winter Activities Still Carry Risk
Holiday travel, boarding, grooming visits, dog parks, and visits with friends’ pets all expose your pet to other animals and new environments. Staying protected means you don’t have to think twice about where the season takes you.
We Can Help You Stay on Track
Every pet’s risk is different, depending on lifestyle, travel, and where they spend their time. Our veterinarians can recommend the right prevention for your dog or cat and answer any questions about how it works. You can refill preventives through our online pharmacy, and our wellness plans can help you budget for routine care throughout the year.
Call West End Veterinary at (804) 360-0111 or request an appointment online to keep your pet protected this winter.
Sources: