Autumn is upon us and winter is just around the corner. However, colder weather doesn’t mean that you can forget about pet care.

We’re going to help you with some tips to ensure that your pets will be happy and healthy during the cooler days of autumn.

Cooler Weather

As we know, the weather during South Africa’s fairly brief autumn can be very variable. We have to consider the still-warm days and colder nights, with the possibility of sudden freezing temperatures, depending on where you live.

Whatever the weather, always ensure that your pets always have access to fresh water. Cooler weather doesn’t mean that they don’t need plenty of water.

Grooming

Good grooming practices don’t stop in the cooler weather either. Looking after your pet’s coat is not just for the sake of appearance, it relates to their health too. Ongoing brushing of your dog’s fur is essential to prevent matting. This will also help to prevent ‘hot spots’ and similar skin problems.

Get yourself a good-quality grooming brush to make the task easy for you and more comfortable for your pet and go outside in the sun for some quality time with him/her.

Always ensure that your dog is completely dry after a bath, especially in the colder weather.

Parasite Prevention

Don’t assume that fleas and ticks aren’t around as temperatures drop.

Fleas lay eggs during the hot summer months and as the days cool down, these hatch and baby fleas are born. Fleas can thrive on cooler autumn days.

Immature ticks (nymphs), emerge in the spring, but by autumn they are still definitely around. The temperature needs to be less than -1º C for at least 5 days in a row to impact tick and flea populations.

So it’s essential that you use tick and flea treatments on your pets, year-round.

Luckily, this has been made easier for us by Bravecto^®:

Bravecto^® Chews provide 3 months’ of tick, flea and mite protection with a single treatment.

Bravecto^® Spot-On provides 4 months’ of tick protection and 6 months’ flea protection and also treats mites.

Bravecto^® Spot-On for Cats will protect your kitty for 3 months’ against ticks, fleas and ear mites.

Bravecto^® Plus for Cats will protect your kitty for 3 months’ against ticks, fleas and mites, plus treats intestinal worms.

As an added precaution, keep your grass short. You will obviously not need to mow your lawn as frequently in the cooler months, but as ticks love long grass, discourage them by always keeping it short.

We hope that you, and your pets, enjoy these autumn days!

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