So you get your pet ( dog and cat) and, it is vaccinated but still, in Canada, we have to protect them during the time of external parasites.
The preventives in the veterinary market are many, they are confusing and unfortunately, they are expensive.
For the tick medications, overall the pet's guardians would need this medication between March until November. The reason is that the ticks can wake up when the weather reaches between cero to four degrees Celsius. There are medications that are oral ( kind like a chew), topical ( applied in between the shoulders). Some of them you need to give them once a month ( like Nexgard, Simparica, Revolution) others can last for 3 months like Bravecto. Furthermore, those medications protect from fleas and some intestinal parasites.
For cats, the products that we use the most are Revolution and Bravecto.
Now, if we talked about Heartworms, that's is another thing. The heartworm is a blood parasite transmitted by mosquitos mostly in summertime. So in this case the previous medication needs to have a plus to prevent this parasite.
For dogs, we have in the market Nexgard Spectra and Simparica Trio.
For cats: Revolution plus is a must.
There is a product in the market called Heartgard Plus, this one is good against heartworm, roundworms, and hookworms. The combination with Nexgard makes a good combo for whole protection.
Do you have other ways to protect your furry friends? Share your experience and let's learn together.
Image source:
https://drtolesvet.com/2015/04/23/heartworm-flea-and-tick-prevention-options/