While northerners commonly only have to worry about ticks during the summer, the disease-carrying pest has a year-round presence in the warm, humid Rio Grande Valley.
Even so, as near triple-digit and triple-digit heat continues to bake Brownsville, one veterinarian said she has seen an uptick in pets being treated for the unwanted insects.
“It’s all year long,” Dr. Diana Dominguez said of ticks, “but … starting this summer, I did start to see a lot of fleas and ticks.”
Dominguez is a veterinarian at the Boca Chica Animal Hospital and said while the pests are just that, pests, there are simple ways to make sure that household pets are protected.
The easiest way is to use pesticides in the environment where pets are most likely to spend their time, because that’s where fleas and ticks are most likely to be found.
“Either you can get professional people to do it for you or you can buy pesticides at stores as long as you follow instructions,” she said.
Dominguez also recommends regularly treating household pets for fleas and ticks.
For more information on ticks and fleas, Dominguez recommends consulting with a family veterinarian.
