Concerned about your pet’s health and wellbeing?
Fleas, ticks and worms are the most common parasites affecting dogs and cats in the UK and “SCREEN my pet” is the place to come and find useful information and practical advice on treating and preventing these unwanted guests.
Quick Tips PROTECT my pet
Fleas are a common problem for pet owners yet despite the multitude of products available, many struggle to get rid of these pests. It is important to appreciate that if you can see fleas on your pet, you are most likely to have an infestation in the home. An effective control strategy must include removing the life cycle stages in the environment.
Fleas can also present other problems, some of which can lead to serious medical conditions such as Flea Allergy Dermatitis and tapeworm infestation. Therefore, it is important to use effective products to combat the problem and to use them regularly according to the instructions.
As our furry friends are a big part of our lives it is important to protect their health as well as our own which is why they should be treated with a de-wormer regularly – at least every 3 months. However, it is recommended that families with young children should worm their pets monthly to protect against Toxocara.
Although the parasites themselves can cause problems, they can also act as vectors or carriers for the transmission of certain diseases. Veterinary advice must be sought before travelling abroad with your pet or importing animals from abroad to assess and protect against potential health risks.
Check out our blog which includes news and topics on pet healthcare as well as updates on the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) which details the parasite protection requirements for travelling abroad with your pet and is currently under review as we leave the European Union.
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Here are some really helpful tips to help you keep your pet healthy.
Fleas can move very quickly through fur, making them hard to spot. They appear as dark brown, wingless insects with flattened bodies about 2mm in length and usually congregate around the neck, ears and tail base. Often the skin may be reddened and raised, particularly if the pet is allergic to flea bites and scratching because of feeling itchy. Repeated scratching and biting due to the irritation can lead to skin damage and infection and this can be very distressing for the animal if left untreated.
Sometimes these signs are present without a flea in sight, especially in cats that like to groom regularly. However you can carry out the ‘flea test’ to be sure. This involves combing your pet and collecting the scurf and dander onto a damp piece of cotton wool or kitchen towel. If fleas are present, you will see the dark, dried specs of flea dirt dissolve to form brown-pink spots on the paper – which is your pet’s blood!
95% of a flea problem exists in the home environment as eggs, larvae and pupae, therefore it will take some time to eradicate an infestation. The strategy is to break the flea life cycle by killing fleas on the pet where they lay their eggs.
Here’s a checklist of the key measures to take:
If your pet has fleas, there is a risk that they could get tapeworms. Fleas act as intermediate hosts in the lifecycle of a particular species of tapeworm called Dipylidium caninum. If your pet grooms and swallows a flea containing this tapeworm’s egg, they will become infected. Therefore to avoid a tapeworm infection here’s some rules you need to follow:
Ticks are spider like creatures that typically crawl through long grass and shrubs waiting to jump on your pet as it passes by. The most common type in the UK is Ixodes ricinus which is also known as the Sheep Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Forest Tick and Deer Tick.
Here are some useful tips to tackle ticks:
