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Parasite Prevention & Control

Protect your pet from fleas, ticks, heartworms, and more with year-round parasite prevention plans.

Parasite Prevention & Control: Protecting Your Pet Inside and Out
Parasites may be small, but the problems they cause can be serious. Fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal parasites not only make your pet uncomfortable, they can also lead to major health issues if left untreated. That’s why parasite prevention is a cornerstone of responsible pet care.

At our clinic, we take a proactive approach to help keep your pet safe, healthy, and itch-free year-round.

Why Parasite Prevention Matters

Parasites are more than a nuisance. Some carry diseases that affect your pet’s organs, immune system, and even your family. Others, like intestinal worms, may go unnoticed until your pet shows signs of illness.

Preventive care helps avoid:

  • Itchy, irritated skin

  • Allergic reactions (especially to flea bites)

  • Transmission of Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and other tick-borne illnesses

  • Intestinal upset, weight loss, or anemia from worms

  • Potentially fatal heartworm disease

  • Risk of zoonotic transmission (parasites that spread to humans)

With the right plan in place, most of these issues are entirely preventable.

Common Parasites We Guard Against

External Parasites

  • Fleas – cause skin issues and may lead to flea allergy dermatitis

  • Ticks – can transmit serious diseases with just one bite

  • Mites – microscopic pests that lead to ear infections and mange

Internal Parasites

  • Roundworms, Hookworms, Tapeworms, Whipworms – live in the intestines and can cause digestive problems, especially in puppies and kittens

  • Heartworms – transmitted by mosquitoes, heartworms grow inside the heart and lungs and can be life-threatening if untreated

Prevention Options We Offer

We tailor parasite prevention based on your pet’s lifestyle, age, and regional risks. Options include:

  • Monthly chewable or topical preventives

  • Routine deworming (especially for puppies, kittens, or outdoor pets)

  • Annual fecal exams, GI PCR key screens and heartworm testing

  • Screening for tick diseases

  • 6- and 12-month injections for the prevention of certain parasites, making life simpler and easier for the owners.

Many of today’s preventatives offer broad-spectrum protection—one dose can cover multiple parasites.

What to Watch For

  • Scratching or biting at the skin

  • Scooting or licking around the rear

  • Visible worms in stool or vomit

  • Lethargy, coughing, or changes in appetite (potential signs of heartworm)

If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s best to schedule an exam right away.

You can also visit our Online Store that offers parasite prevention products and more.

Parasite prevention is simple, affordable, and highly effective. Staying consistent with your pet’s prevention plan protects not only their health—but also your household.

💙 Whether it’s a checkup, questions, or care needs, visit us—we’re here to be your partner in your pet’s health.

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Animal Medical Center of Tyler FAQs

There is no question too big or too small for our veterinary team.

Cash, Mastercard, Visa, and Discover. Animal Medical Center of Tyler also accepts Care Credit, Scratchpay and Pet Insurance Plans. Read more about our payment options.

No, there is no advantage to letting your pet have one litter and Animal Medical Center of Tyler advises against it. However, there are plenty of advantages to having your pet spayed or neutered. These advantages include decreasing the chances of breast tumors later in life, decreasing the chance of cystic ovaries and uterine infections later in life, decreasing the desire to roam the neighborhood, decreasing the incidence of prostate cancer later in life, helping prevent spraying and marking, and also decreases the surplus of unwanted puppies and kittens.

Some sutures are placed are under the skin and dissolve over time and do not need to be removed. In other instances, skin sutures would need to be removed after 10-14 days at Animal Medical Center of Tyler, depending on the procedure.

This is a blood test that is run here in the clinic of Animal Medical Center of Tyler prior to surgery. It tests the internal organ functions as well as the blood counts of your pet. The pre-anesthetic blood screening is done to assure safety during surgery and to lessen the risk of postoperative complications.

Spaying or neutering can be done at approximately 6 months of age here at Animal Medical Center of Tyler. Your pet is examined and a pre-anesthetic blood screen is completed prior to anesthesia. We believe in taking every precaution to make anesthesia and surgery as safe as it can possibly be!

Yes, patients are seen by appointment. Animal Medical Center of Tyler tries to accommodate walk-ins as we can. If we cannot accommodate you at the time you walk in, convenient drop-off appointments are available at no additional charge. Call us at (903) 617-6891 to schedule or book an appointment online.