Tick Prevention: Why It Matters Year-Round in Fargo
It’s officially tick season in the Fargo-Moorhead area—but if you’ve lived here long enough, you know that ticks don’t always follow the calendar. Thanks to fluctuating temperatures and our changing climate, these pests (and their itchy partners, fleas) are being spotted more and more throughout the entire year.
What Makes Ticks So Dangerous?
Ticks are arachnids, more closely related to spiders than insects. Their life cycle includes multiple stages, and they need to feed on the blood of mammals at several points along the way. This includes wildlife, our pets, and yes—us. What makes ticks especially concerning is that they are efficient vectors for disease, carrying and transmitting a wide variety of pathogens that can cause long-term health problems.
In our region, Lyme disease and anaplasmosis are among the most common threats, but ticks can also carry other harmful bacteria and parasites. Some of these diseases don’t show symptoms right away, which is why routine testing and prevention are so important.
Fleas and Ticks: Not Just a Summer Problem
It’s a common misconception that tick and flea prevention is only necessary during the summer months. But in Fargo, we see active tick populations even in the winter, especially during mild spells or in wooded or protected areas. Fleas can also thrive indoors, meaning your pets can be exposed even if they rarely go outside.
How to Protect Your Pets (and Yourself)
Thankfully, modern veterinary medicine gives us powerful tools to protect our pets:
Monthly flea and tick preventatives like Simparica Trio and other veterinarian-recommended options offer broad-spectrum protection. These are most effective when used consistently—year-round, not just in summer.
Daily tick checks are still vital, especially after time outdoors. Be sure to check under collars, between toes, around the ears, and under the tail. Yes, even indoor cats can pick up ticks brought in by people or other pets!
Annual bloodwork is a simple but powerful way to screen for tick-borne diseases early—before symptoms appear.
Use tick removal tools to safely and completely remove any ticks you find. Never squeeze or burn them off, as this can increase disease transmission.
Prevention Is the Best Medicine
We can't eliminate every tick in the world, but with the right approach, we can dramatically reduce your pet’s risk of illness. Our team at Two Rivers Veterinary Hospital is happy to help you find the safest and most effective prevention strategy for your dog or cat.
Have questions about which flea and tick preventative is best for your pet? Give us a call—we’re here to help.
