Parasites

Parasites such as fleas and intestinal worms can have effects on pet health from negligible to fatal.  We advocate the regular treatment of fleas and worms with veterinary products to keep your pets in tip top condition.

We stock a range of products in different forms to suit you and your pet and if you struggle to give tablets or your pet difficult to medicate you can book in with our nurses for free.  They can demonstrate the correct method of administration or you can book in every 3 months for your pet to receive their treatments at the practice.

When treating puppies and kittens it is important to regularly monitor their weight, condition and development at appointments with our nurses to ensure they are receiving the correct doses.  We advise puppies and kittens to be wormed every few weeks until 12 weeks of age, then monthly until 6 months of age and 3 monthly thereafter.  Dogs and cats can pick up worms as newborns from their mother, from the environment, from fleas or eating other infected animals (e.g. rats, birds).

Did you know that only adult fleas represent only 5% of the flea problem?  The flea life cycle means that several steps must be taken to eradicate them.  As well as treating the affected pet it is also advised to:

• Treat all other animals in contact with the affected pet with veterinary products
• Wash all bedding and materials slept on at a high temperature
• Hoover thoroughly and repeatedly – the vibrations will “wake up” the protected pupae into adults
• Use an environmental spray to target soft furnishings, carpets, between floorboards and all those places the fleas will hide
• Continue regular treatments for all pets

If fleas are present then there is also risk of tapeworm, the larvae of which develop inside the adult flea. Adult tapeworms lay eggs by shedding segments, sometimes seen under the tail similar to a small grain of rice. Tapeworms can grow very large and cause obstructions and poor development.

Signs of an intestinal worm infestation can include:

• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Swollen abdomen
• Lethargy
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Dehydration
• Cough (normally only seen in roundworm and hookworm infections)
• Blocked intestine (only in severe cases infestations)
• Pneumonia (only seen in serious cases of roundworm)