Parasites

Wee Nasties. Fleas, ticks and worms.

Most dogs in this area will, at some time in their life will get fleas, ticks and worms unless they are routinely treated.

Ticks are oval wingless creatures which attach to your dogs skin and feed exclusively on their blood. They can often resemble a wart and if you are unsure, always ask a member of staff to have a look. Should you find a tick, you should remove it immediately. It does not need to be killed before removal as long as you use a suitable device, suck as a tick hook. The longer it is attached, the more chance it has to spread disease. It is however better to prevent ticks attaching in the first place with a suitable veterinary product.

Fleas are wingless insects which are a problem all year round. They are generally 2mm long and feed off the blood of animals (and humans). Fleas like the warm damp weather of the spring and summer but when autumn time arrives, central heating comes on and they love it even more. If you find 1 flea on your pet you can be pretty certain that there will be more, as the most common source of adult fleas is pupae growing in your house. Female fleas can lay 50 eggs a day which can hatch within 2 days. The larvae hatch out and spin a cocoon to become pupae . They can remain in this stage for anything between 12 days and 180 days) The highest number of fleas will be found around where your pet sleeps. Fleas can also be passed on from close contact with other affected animals. Many pets show no signs but some are allergic to flea saliva. This makes them itchy with many raised itchy bumps. As fleas feed on your pets blood, young animals are suseptable to becoming anaemic which in certain circumstances can be very serious. Fleas are also a host for tapeworms. Any pet with fleas are also likely to have tapeworms.

Worms Roundworms can be picked up from soil which has had dogs pooing on it. They produce infectious eggs in the dogs faeces and can stay dormant in the soil for up to 2 years. They can then infect animals and humans if swallowed. Worm larvae has the potential to cause serious vision problems if children are infected. Tapeworms look like a grain of rice and can crawl out of your pets bottom! It is important to have a sensible strategy to control these parasites which is suitable for you pet. This way you can protect your family and your pet.