Flea and tick season is here, and for dog parents in Suffolk County, it\u2019s not something to take lightly. Between wooded trails, tall grass, parks, and even well-maintained backyards, it\u2019s easy for fleas and ticks to hitch a ride on your dog\u2014especially during warmer months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most effective habit you can build right now is simple: do a quick daily flea and tick check. It takes less than a minute, it costs nothing, and it helps you catch problems early\u2014before your dog is uncomfortable or a tick has been attached long enough to become a bigger health concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where to check (the \u201chot spots\u201d for ticks)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ticks love warm, hidden areas. During your daily check, use your hands to feel through the coat and then look closely at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Around and inside the ears<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 The neck and collar line<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Under the chin<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 The armpits and inside the front legs<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 The belly and groin area<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 The base of the tail<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Between the toes and around paw pads<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your dog has a thicker coat, go slowly and make sure you\u2019re checking down to the skin\u2014not just the top layer of fur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What fleas and ticks can look like<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Ticks can feel like a small bump or skin tag at first. They may be tiny (especially deer ticks) and can be easy to miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Fleas are small, fast-moving, and often harder to catch. You may notice excessive scratching, irritated skin, or \u201cflea dirt\u201d (tiny black specks) in the coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prevention is still key<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daily checks are important, but they work best alongside a vet-approved prevention plan. If your dog isn\u2019t currently on a flea\/tick preventative, or you\u2019re not sure which option is best for your dog\u2019s lifestyle, your veterinarian can recommend a safe choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When to call your vet<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you find a tick and aren\u2019t sure it was removed fully, if the bite area becomes red or swollen, or if your dog seems lethargic or \u201coff\u201d after a tick exposure, contact your vet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A quick daily check is one of the easiest ways to protect your dog\u2014especially in Suffolk County, where exposure can happen on an ordinary walk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Flea and tick season is here, and for dog parents in Suffolk County, it\u2019s not something to take lightly. Between wooded trails, tall grass, parks, and even well-maintained backyards, it\u2019s easy for fleas and ticks to hitch a ride on your dog\u2014especially during warmer months. The most effective habit you can build right now is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.fidofitnessclub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.fidofitnessclub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.fidofitnessclub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.fidofitnessclub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.fidofitnessclub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dev.fidofitnessclub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.fidofitnessclub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.fidofitnessclub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.fidofitnessclub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.fidofitnessclub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}