Your Summer Pest Protection Guide for Dogs and Cats in Middle Tennessee
By Dr. Rebecca Crockett | Cumberland Creek Mobile Veterinary Service
Summer in Middle Tennessee is beautiful — but it also means peak season for some of the most persistent threats to your pet's health. Fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes aren't just a nuisance. Left unchecked, they can cause serious, even life-threatening conditions in both dogs and cats. The good news? With the right prevention plan in place, most of these risks are entirely avoidable.
Here's what every pet owner in our area needs to know heading into the heart of summer.
Fleas: More Than Just an Itch
Fleas are the most common external parasite we see in Middle Tennessee, and summer heat is prime time for them to thrive. A single flea can bite your pet hundreds of times a day, and an infestation can take hold faster than most owners realize — especially since for every flea you see on your pet, there are roughly 100 more in the environment (in your carpet, furniture, and yard).
What to watch for:
Excessive scratching, biting, or licking — especially around the tail base and hindquarters
Hair loss or red, irritated skin
Small dark specks (flea dirt) in your pet's coat
Pale gums in severe cases, especially in kittens or small dogs (a sign of anemia from blood loss)
Beyond the itch, fleas can transmit tapeworms and, in large numbers, cause flea allergy dermatitis — one of the most common skin conditions I treat. Cats are especially sensitive; even a small number of fleas can trigger a significant reaction in an allergic cat.
Prevention: Year-round flea prevention is the gold standard, but it's especially critical from May through October in Tennessee. There are excellent prescription-strength options available for both dogs and cats — please avoid over-the-counter products, which are often less effective and, in some cases, unsafe for cats. Ask me what I recommend for your specific pet during your next visit.
Ticks: Small Bug, Big Risks
Tennessee is home to several tick species, including the American dog tick, the lone star tick, and the black-legged tick (deer tick). All of them are active right now, and all of them pose real health risks to your pets.
Diseases ticks can transmit to pets include:
Lyme disease — caused by the deer tick; can lead to joint pain, lameness, fever, and kidney damage in dogs
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever — despite the name, very common in the Southeast; can be severe and even fatal if untreated
Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis — bacterial infections that cause fever, lethargy, and low platelet counts
Cytauxzoonosis — a tick-transmitted disease in cats that is often fatal; prevention is essential
What to watch for:
Lethargy or sudden change in energy level
Fever, loss of appetite
Limping or joint swelling
Swollen lymph nodes
After any time outdoors, check your pet carefully — running your fingers through their coat, paying close attention to the ears, between the toes, around the collar, and near the tail. If you find a tick, remove it with fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible and save it in a sealed bag in case your vet needs to identify it.
Prevention: A combination of a tick preventative (there are great oral and topical options) and the Lyme vaccine for dogs at-risk gives the best protection. Talk to me about what makes the most sense based on your pet's lifestyle and how much time they spend outdoors.
Mosquitoes: The Heartworm Connection
Of all the pests on this list, mosquitoes may pose the greatest long-term health risk to your pet — because they are the sole transmitter of heartworm disease.
Heartworm is exactly what it sounds like: parasitic worms that live in the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels. Dogs are natural hosts, meaning the worms can mature, reproduce, and cause serious, progressive damage. Cats can also become infected, and while the worms rarely reach full maturity in cats, even a small number can cause severe respiratory disease.
What makes heartworm particularly dangerous is that it's largely silent in its early stages. By the time symptoms appear — coughing, exercise intolerance, labored breathing, a swollen belly — the disease has often been progressing for months or even years.
The good news: Heartworm disease is almost entirely preventable with a monthly (or in some cases, every 6-month injectable) preventative. It is also completely treatable in the early stages, though treatment in dogs is expensive, lengthy, and hard on the body.
The bad news: Tennessee is one of the highest-risk states in the country for heartworm, and mosquito season here runs nearly year-round.
My strong recommendation: Every dog and cat in Middle Tennessee should be on year-round heartworm prevention. If your pet has lapsed or you're not sure when they were last tested, reach out — I can come to you, run the test, and get your pet back on track quickly.
A Note on "Natural" or DIY Prevention
I understand the appeal of natural alternatives — essential oils, garlic, homemade sprays. As a vet, I have to be honest: the evidence simply doesn't support these approaches as reliable prevention, and some (like certain essential oils and garlic) are actually toxic to pets. When it comes to diseases like heartworm and tick-borne illness, the stakes are too high to leave things to chance. Veterinary-prescribed preventatives have decades of safety and efficacy data behind them.
Make It Simple: One Visit, Full Protection Plan
One of the things I love about mobile vet care is that we can sit down together — in your home, without the chaos of a clinic — and build a prevention plan that actually fits your life and your pets. No cookie-cutter recommendations. Just thoughtful, personalized care.
If your pets are due for a wellness visit, heartworm test, or you just want to make sure their summer prevention is dialed in, I'd love to help.