Year Round Parasite Prevention with #SentinelSpectrum

This post is sponsored by Virbac® Sentinel® Spectrum® and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help create awareness about protection against common parasites found in dogs but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers.More information about Sentinel Spectrum. Virbac is not responsible for the content of this article.

It's all fun and games until someone ends up in a cone. Mr. N has a flea allergy and even the tiniest flea crawling on him sends him into a licking, scratching, chewing frenzy. Then he ends up in a cone to prevent him from creating hot spots and chewing himself raw. 

You know how some people always seem to get bitten by bugs and some people almost never do? I have a theory that dogs are like that too. Bugs seem super attracted to Mr. N for some reason. That's why we keep him on year round prevention like Virbac® Sentinel® Spectrum® to protect him from fleas, heartworm and intestinal parasites such as roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and tapeworms. Mr. N sleeps in our bed and I definitely do not want him dragging bugs into bed with him. 

Oh no! I'm defenseless in a cone and a flea is biting me! 

Just because you kill the fleas that are on a dog doesn't mean your flea problem is eradicated. The fleas that you do find are only a small percentage of the flea population lurking in your house. The fleas that you don't see can survive up to a year in your house before latching onto a host (you or the dog). 

Even in cold climates, fleas can survive as adults on dogs, cats, wild mammals or in cocoons as pupae in protected environments like in soil, on vegetation, in carpets, under furniture and on animal bedding. Who else is feeling the urge to clean their house from top to bottom? It can take several months to get rid of flea infestations.

Adults began feeding immediately on your pet and female fleas start producing eggs within 20 to 24 hours after their first bite/blood meal. They can produce 40 to 50 eggs per day. Instead of saying breeding like rabbits, we should say breeding like fleas. Under normal conditions, most adult fleas generally survive two to three months. 

Fleas, like many other unwanted bugs, are super hardy and in their immature state can survive the most challenging conditions.  They have uncanny powers to infest hospitable environments like your pet's home, places protected from cold like crawl spaces and under porches, upholstered furniture and the inside of your car. I think a flea superhero's superpower would be being able to invade all lairs no matter the location (underwater, in a volcano) and  slowly driving their opponent crazy until they go mad. 

No matter if your dog is indoor or outdoor, they're at risk year-round no matter where you live. Especially in more temperate climates like Portland, we have bugs pretty much year-round.

Aside from fleas, you also have to worry about your dog contracting heartworm through mosquitoes. It's recommended to have  your dog screened for heartworm disease through a blood test annually. If the test shows signs of microfilaremia, the dog has been infected for a while and the adult worms have already started to reproduce. Dogs typically show signs of being infected by adult heartworms six to seven months after being bitten.

Sentinel targets the immature heartworms for the first three to four months after infection. After that there is a gap where drugs are not effective until the heartworm becomes an adult about six months after the mosquito bite. The best way to prevent your dog from getting heartworm is to not skip a dose because the medication is most effective against infections that have happened in the month prior to taking the medicine. I have a recurring calendar reminder to give Mr. N his monthly dose. 

Sentinel is conducting a survey to find out how much pet owners know about fleas, heartworm and parasites in order to create an infographic to help people protect their dogs from parasites. All answers are confidential. You can take the survey here.

If you would like to learn more about Sentinel Spectrum, you can find more information at their website about parasites, a monthly email or text reminder or rebates.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Virbac® Sentinel® Spectrum®. The opinions and text are all mine.