"So that's what a flea looks like!"

Dr. Melisa Hicks and her team at Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., got clients' attention about parasites by hanging a giant picture of a flea where it couldn't be missed—on an exam room wall. The picture is an original lithograph from a local artist in Laguna Beach, Calif. Dr. Hicks says clients often comment on the artwork, creating an opening for conversations about parasite control. "I have some clients who moved from an area that didn't have fleas, so it's good for demonstration purposes, and they can see what a flea looks like," she says.

Illustration by Julita Jones