Recently my family and I were visiting with my father and stepmother at their home upstate. They have a beautiful home with a lovely property. Living in a teeny, tiny condominium, we don’t have the luxury of a yard. The only “yard” our cats get to enjoy is a 6′ x 12′ rickety old wooden balcony. Our dog gets to go out for walks, but he’s always on a leash. He can’t run around.
I wish I was able to give our pets a yard to run around in. I’m sure our cats would love to chase bugs and lounge around under a shady tree. I know our dog would love to be able to run and play fetch too.
There is a downside however – fleas and ticks. In fact, one of my first posts when I started blogging back in 2008 was about the infestation of ticks our dog Espn got when he was a puppy. We had taken him to a local park for a walk and when we were driving home he was sitting on my lap (in the passenger’s seat) and I notice several ticks all over him. Ugh! It was a nightmare! The ticks ended up in our home too. We spent a small fortune on flea and tick products to get rid of them. We learned our lesson the hard way – ALWAYS make sure your pets are protected against fleas and ticks.
We have been fortunate that we haven’t had any fleas, but when I was younger our dogs would get fleas. It was horrible! I still remember all the bite marks on my legs. They were everywhere!
It takes just one tick or one flea to reap havoc on your pet and your home. That is why its extremely important to make sure your pet has flea and tick prevention. I think most people do, but some people stop administering flea and tick protection when the cooler weather roles around because they don’t think fleas and ticks are a worry.
WRONG!
Your pet can pick up fleas or ticks year round – even in the cooler weather. You should never stop administering flea and tick protection. It should be a year round thing.
I personally know someone who has Lyme’s Disease (my step-mother). It’s a horrible, debilitating and expensive disease. You should never let your guard down when it comes to tick bites.
The Hartz brand has been leaders in flea and tick prevention for over 55 years just launched a new campaign called “No F&T.” The campaign helps to educate pet owners about the importance of having year round flea and tick protection.
Flea and tick season primarily runs from April through September here in the United State. Sadly, fleas can easily survive throughout the year.
Hartz is committed to educating consumers that a consistently protected pet mounts a stronger defense against flea infestation; an infestation that cannot only pose a threat to the animals, but also to the home.
“Only 5% of the problem is addressed when consumers treat the adult fleas they can actually see,” states Lance Hemsarth, Senior Director, Research & Development at Hartz. “That means the remaining 95% of larvae and eggs left untreated can cause re-infestation. It is our duty as a trusted pet care brand to educate families regarding the health benefits of consistent flea prevention treatment for their pets.” Like personal health exams and smoke alarm battery checks, establishing preventative behavior aids in overall health. Implementing interactive and engaging tactics to augment this behavior is the goal of this campaign.
I like that they compare flea and tick prevention to regular things like yearly physicals and checking the batteries in your detectors. I think people should make a note on their monthly calendar when it comes to protecting their pets, their home and their health against fleas and ticks.
Even if you don’t like in a rural setting, you can still get fleas and ticks. A few years ago my husband woke up one morning to find a tick on his chest – UNDER his nightshirt and UNDER the blanket. How it got there we’ll never know. And we live in the suburbs of New York City.
We took the tick to Cornell to have them test it and thankfully it wasn’t carrying Lyme Disease.
Renowned veterinarian, Dr. Bernadine Cruz, will contribute to the ‘No F&T’ messaging through her practice based in Laguna Woods, California, as well as through her internet based radio show ‘The Pet Doctor’ heard on www.PetLifeRadio.com. States Dr. Cruz, “I have a special interest in flea and tick care for dogs and cats. When applied consistently, pet owners can safeguard their animals and their homes year-round; eliminating costly veterinary office visits for infestation and help protect the health of their pets and family. I am thrilled to be a part of this educational campaign.”
The ‘No F&T’ approach will target consumers with the hashtag #NOFT to create community among pet owners and establish a prevention lifestyle. Digital ads and social media messaging, including monthly care reminders, will be communicated via Facebook starting this month.
Hartz has a complete line of flea and tick protection for your pet including collars, shampoos, home and garden sprays, powders and their best prevention product – Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® Flea & Tick Drops, which is available for both dogs and cats.
Hartz sent me their flea and tick drops for all five of our cats and our dog, along with other products like powder for our cats and our rug. They also sent some yummy treats and toys. I’m assuming the treats were yummy because my pets ate them (I didn’t personally try them – LOL).
Applying the drops is easy – as long as you don’t have a hyper dog or a skiddish cat. I was able to apply the drops easily to three of our five cats. The other two we had to pin down because they were afraid of what I was going to do with them. Thankfully the cat drops only require application to the neck area.
Our dog is VERY hyper and getting him to stand there long enough for me to apply the product (you need to apply it from the neck to the tail – across the back – close to the skin). That was a bit tricky, but we did it (I needed my husband to help). It might be a bit harder with long hair dogs because you need to get the product on to the skin so you need to part the hair.
Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® Flea & Tick Drops starts working within 15 minutes and lasts up to 30 days.
I applied the products on my pets on October 1st so that I knew the first of every month I should re-apply the product. I felt it was easier for me to remember the day of the month when I started on the 1st. You can start any day you like just as long as you make note on your calendar so you know when to re-apply.
Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® Flea & Tick Drops and other Hartz Flea and Tick prevention products can be found at pet stores and other retail locations across the country.
If you would like more information about Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® Flea & Tick Drops you can visit the brand online at Hartz.com. You can find money saving coupons on their website too.
You can also check out the brand on Facebook (@HartzPets).
Is you dog and/or cat protected year round against flea and ticks?
Kimberly
*I received free product samples and other goodies in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
Alison Palmer says
Thanks for this public service announcement. I always make sure my dogs are protected (and therefore my home).