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external parasites in dogs and cats
Fleas, ticks, and mites are small parasites of the skin and coat that can spread dangerous diseases to pets and people.
No matter your pet’s age, need, breed, and lifestyle, we’re here with products for prevention, parasite testing, treatment, and more for your BFF.
Types of external parasites
- Fleas
- Ticks
- Lice
- Ear mites
- Demodex skin mites
- Sarcoptic skin mites
Diseases and conditions carried by fleas, ticks, and mites
- Tapeworm
- Lyme disease
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- Anaplasmosis
- Mange
- Babesiosis
- Ehrlichiosis
- Tularemia
- Scabies
Prevention for external parasites
- Regular pet parasite prevention for fleas, ticks, and mites
- Regular pet checks for fleas, ticks, and mites
- Good yard maintenance
- Consult your veterinary team
The truth about fleas, ticks, and mites
Not-so-fun fleas
Fleas may be tiny little insects, but they pose a big threat to your pet’s health and happiness. Fleas cause everything from itching to intense allergic reactions to anemia — and to make matters worse, they spread tapeworms and other diseases too. We’re here for topical, oral, or other flea control options for your pet’s age, location, and lifestyle.
Preventing fleas from living on pets (and invading your home!) with effective, year-round flea prevention is much easier than treating flea-related disease, illness, and conditions. Focus on fleas
Ticks are trouble
Ticks latch on, suck blood, and can transmit diseases like Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and others with every bite. Prepare your pet with year-round prevention for ticks.
Ticks on cats and dogs are very good at going unnoticed. One good tip is to look in your pet’s fur for areas where hair has been pushed away to make room for the tick’s body.
Favorite tick hiding places include:
- Around the eyes and ears
- Inside the ears
- Under collars
- Under the front legs and between the back legs
- On the tail
- Between toes
Ear mites are mighty awful
Shaking heads, pawing at ears, and black gunk inside the ear canal — these may all be symptoms of ear mites. We can help diagnose the problem, provide treatment, and show you how to get the medicine into ears where it belongs. See more on ear mites
Mange and fungus? No thanks
Demodectic and sarcoptic mange have similar names but are caused by different types of ticks. Both need veterinary attention. We can help with skin mites, like scabies, and fungal infections, such as ringworm, that may be affecting your pet’s skin, coat, and health. Get info on mange and mites
Lice isn’t nice
Although lice are less common than fleas, ticks, and mites, cats and dogs do suffer from them, especially when very young or very old. Lice spread diseases like tapeworm that can make your pet itchy and uncomfortable.
The good news is, with rare exceptions, lice tend to stay with their own species — cat lice typically stay on cats, dogs on dogs, and people lice on people. Lice can be seen on your pet’s hair and treated/prevented with much of the same medications used to treat fleas and ticks.
Parasite control is a year-round thing
An Optimum Wellness Plan is a smart way to prevent pests
Our Optimum Wellness Plans® are affordable yearlong packages of essential preventive care. They're designed for different needs, ages, and lifestyles, and include options to easily add parasite control for fleas, ticks, and more.
Talk to your Banfield vet to find out which package is best for your pet.
Mentioned in this article
All about fleas and pets
Yikes! Info for dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens.
Help prevent a tick infestation
Ticks are gross and carry deadly diseases.
Mites and mange in dogs and cats
Worried about your pet? Ping Pet Chat™!
Whether it's 3 a.m. or 3 p.m., connect with a real veterinary professional for immediate petcare advice. It's included in all Optimum Wellness Plans®!
Log in to start chatting
Save at the Banfield Shop
Our mission is to provide high-quality prescription meds for the pet you love. We believe in safe, effective petcare, so we thoroughly assess every item we carry. We offer discounts on eligible products with your pet’s Optimum Wellness Plan. And you can easily schedule deliveries with our super convenient AutoShip program.
Banfield can help prevent and treat parasites in pets
Regular wellness exams that include a full physical and fecal exam can help keep your furball happy and healthy. Kittens and puppies should start regular appointments when they’re about 6 weeks old, and then come in twice a year once they’re 5 months old. At your visits, we’ll check your little love from nose to tail, discuss age, needs, and lifestyle, and recommend trusted prevention medication to help fight off nasty critters that might feed on your pet.
Even if your pet is on a regular preventive for fleas, ticks, worms, mange, and other bugs, please make an appointment as soon as possible if you spot potential symptoms. Sooner is always better in helping to prevent a big infestation for your furry friend.
