It's easy to miss a dose or procrastinate on buying more flea and tick prevention products, especially if your pet looks good. But procrastinating can lead to a lot of serious (and even fatal) problems. Here in Puerto Rico, with this heat and humidity, fleas and ticks are a year-round problem.

Fleas and ticks are not just annoying. They are very dangerous parasites that bring disease, cause severe discomfort, and can fill your home without you even realizing it.

Fleas: more than just a simple itchy- itchy bug
Fleas reproduce by the mile. A single flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day. In other words, you'll have a pest in your home in no time. If they climb on your dog's or cat's fur - or worse, on your furniture - getting them off is a nightmare.

And it's not just about the scratching. Fleas can cause:

• Allergies and skin infections
• Anemia in small pets or infants due to blood loss
• Tapeworms, if your pet eats an infected flea.
• Allergic dermatitis, with severe itching, crusting, and hair loss.

Ticks: quiet but dangerous

Ticks hide well, but do even more damage. Here with the tropical climate, they are active all year round. A single bite can make your pet very sick.

In dogs they can cause:

• Ehrlichiosis: fever, bleeding, weight loss and even death.
• Anaplasmosis and Lyme: pain, fatigue, and organ damage
• Tick paralysis: causes weakness and breathing problems

And cats are not safe either. These illnesses lower their energy, give them a fever and they stop eating for the time being. You often don't realize it until it's too late. House cats are also at risk.

A common misconception is that if your cat doesn't go outside, it doesn't need protection. Wrong! Fleas and ticks can get on your clothes or shoes, or sneak in through windows or screens. It only takes one to cause a big problem. Even cats that live indoors in Puerto Rico are at risk if they are not protected.

Your home is not spared either
Fleas and ticks don't just stay on the animal. They go to bedding, carpets, sofas... and they can also bite you. Getting them out afterwards is a headache, sometimes you need to fumigate and spend a lot of money.

Make prevention a routine
Make prevention part of your pet's regular care. This way you protect your dog or cat and also save yourself the stress, expense and grief of watching them suffer for something that could have been avoided.

At VETS PR we are available 24 hours a day to help you take care of your pets. Call us and we will guide you on the best prevention plan for your dog or cat.

Don't wait until it's too late. Prevention is a thousand times easier than cure.

We recommend:

• Bravecto and Simparica Trio for dogs: full protection against fleas, ticks and even heart worms
• Revolution for cats: a safe and effective cream for fleas, ticks and other internal parasites.

These are truly life-saving products. We rely on them to protect Puerto Rican pets. Your pet can't take care of itself, but you can. There is nothing sadder than seeing your pet suffering for something that could have been avoided. Don't let your guard down even for a month. Here in PR the risk is year round, and even a missed dose can leave your pet unprotected.