Flea and Tick Prevention: What Ontario Pet Owners Need to Know

Walks around the neighbourhood, backyard playtime, and weekends at the cottage can all bring pets into contact with fleas or ticks.

A prevention plan helps protect your pet from discomfort and parasite-related illness. In Ontario, that means thinking beyond the summer months and choosing protection suited to your pet.

When Do Pets Need Protection in Ontario?

Ticks can be encountered outside the traditional summer season. Ontario advises that ticks can be found whenever temperatures are above freezing—including mild winter days. Do not assume the first snowfall means the risk has ended.

Fleas can also become an ongoing household problem once established indoors. Their life cycle includes stages in bedding, carpets, and other areas where pets rest, so treating only the fleas you can see may not resolve an infestation.

Ask your veterinarian whether year-round prevention is appropriate, taking into account your location, your pet’s outdoor access, and travel plans.

Why Prevention Matters

Fleas can cause itching, skin irritation, and allergic reactions. Signs may include frequent scratching, chewing at the skin, or small black specks—sometimes called “flea dirt”—in the coat.

Ticks attach to the skin to feed, and some can transmit infections, including the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Not every tick carries infection, but prompt removal and consistent prevention help reduce risk.

Choose the Right Product for Your Pet

Flea and tick products differ in the parasites they target, how they are administered, and how long they work.

Your veterinarian can recommend an option based on your pet’s:

• Species, age, and current weight

• Medical history and other medications

• Lifestyle and exposure to other animals

• Travel destinations

• Ability to take oral or topical medication

Check what the specific product covers. A flea treatment does not automatically protect against ticks, and flea-and-tick protection does not necessarily include heartworm or intestinal parasites.

Follow the product’s dosing interval carefully. Do not assume every treatment is given monthly or combine products without professional advice.

Never Use a Dog-Only Product on a Cat

Some flea and tick treatments intended for dogs contain permethrin, which can cause severe poisoning in cats. Cats may also be exposed through close contact with a recently treated dog.

Use only products labelled for your pet’s species and weight range. Never divide a dog’s dose to give to a cat.

If a cat is exposed to a dog-only flea or tick product, contact your veterinarian or an emergency animal hospital immediately.

Check for Ticks After Outdoor Time

Even when your pet uses prevention, make tick checks part of your routine. Run your hands through the coat and check around the ears, neck, legs, paws, and under the collar.

If you find an attached tick:

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it close to the skin.

2. Pull steadily upward without squeezing the tick’s body, twisting, or jerking.

3. Clean the area and wash your hands.

If using a commercial tick-removal tool, follow its instructions. Contact your veterinary clinic if you cannot remove the tick safely.

Let your veterinarian know about the exposure, particularly if your pet later develops reduced appetite, unusual tiredness, or lameness.

What If You Find Fleas?

Contact your veterinarian for a treatment plan that considers every pet in the household. Each animal needs a product suitable for its species and circumstances.

Wash pet bedding and vacuum areas where your pets spend time. Continue treatment as directed: immature fleas in the environment can keep emerging after treatment begins, so clearing an infestation takes persistence.

How Cook’s Pet Pharmacy Can Help

Our pharmacy team can help you understand your pet’s prescribed prevention product, including administration, storage, and refill timing.

Have a veterinary prescription for flea and tick prevention? Contact Cook’s Pet Pharmacy for help with availability and getting it filled.

This article provides general information. Ask your veterinarian which parasite-prevention plan is appropriate for your pet.