Climate Change and Pets: More Fleas, More Heartworm

Climate Change and Pets: More Fleas, More Heartworm
Penny, a mixed-breed rescue dog, poses with her owner, Margery Cooper, in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 in New York. Cooper's previous dog died of complications from Lyme disease and she is vigilant about checking Penny for ticks. Experts say climate change has increased the prevalence of fleas, ticks and heartworm disease for pets in the U.S. AP Photos/Beth J. Harpaz
The Associated Press
Updated:

LOS ANGELES—Climate change doesn’t just affect habitats for wildlife. It’s also affecting cats and dogs.

Fleas and ticks are getting smaller, but there are more of them, they eat more often, and they’re causing problems in what used to be the colder months.

Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes, but those mosquitoes — which used to be found only in certain regions — are now carrying the disease all over the United States.

Increased temperatures have turned kitten season into a year-long event instead of a spring ritual. The weather is even disrupting hibernation for a California woman’s pet tortoises.