The fleas and gnats are terrible already, but I haven't encountered any ticks yet. I use Advantix on the pups, and oddly enough I used nothing on them last year, and they never had a single flea. Highly unusual - and baffling too! This year will be a totally different story, and I need to get them started on the Advantix now. Sparky just got groomed and I need to bathe Myndi so I can get them on it by the 1st of April.

Lyme vaccine is a must, but keep in mind that it isn't 100% effective. I get them a vaccination yearly, but a couple of years ago, Sparky came down with Lymes. He had tested a false negative for it, but doc put him on a 30 day antibiotic treatment for it since he was exhibiting all the signs, and then he was fine, with no lasting issues because of it. Doc says it's only about 85% effective, but it's still not worth the chance of not getting any vaccine at all.