10 Important Points On Pets & Parasites

Or how to take action against sea of troubles (well, fleas & worms if not the 14th century Danish court) and by opposing end them!

1. Nearly every puppy and kitten has worms. You're not a poor pet parent, it just happens! These are passed to them from their Mother before and after they are born. Sometimes worms can slow an infant animals growth and, in severe cases, can also cause illness. All puppies and kittens need frequent worming in the first few months of life.
2. As many as 1 in 3 puppies and kittens may have a parasite, such as fleas, living on their skin when they go to their new home. Small numbers of parasites on a mother can cause bigger problems in their offspring. So be ready for them.
3. The common dog worm Toxocara can cause disease in humans, especially children. The problem arises from coming into contact with dog faeces contaminated with worm eggs. This can be totally prevented with regular worming. Think of it as an extra incentive to keep up a constant and comprehensive worming regime. We've got a full range of dog wormers and cat wormers that can help.
4. Cats and dogs that hunt and eat mice and rabbits are at risk from tapeworm. Your pet can also catch worms from its fleas - a double-whammy! This is because the flea is host to the Tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum.
5. Fleas and ticks live freely in the environment. This makes then hard to find until it's too late and an infestation has been established. Prevention is often better than cure - but is a constant and never ending battle.
6. Fleas and ticks need a blood meal to breed. A flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day after feeding. The best chance to target them with products to kill them is while they are on your pet, either with treatments given orally or applied to the skin (to see our range of flea treatments click here for cats and here for dogs). You will also need to treat the house with anti-parasitic spray to fully break the flea life-cycle.
7.  Fleas and ticks love heat and humidity. Wet, warm summers and mild winters are perfect conditions for them to breed. And, when it gets cold outside, we turn on the heating and create perfect conditions for fleas to breed inside. Some areas in the UK are worse than others for ticks, which can carry disease, but usually the more rural the area the greater the risk.
8. Your pet does not need to go outside to be exposed to fleas! The hitchhiker flea can come home to your pet with you from outside your home, especially if you meet other pets with fleas.
9. Fleas are the most common cause of skin disease in pets. Pets with allergies often react to the flea's saliva when it bites, resulting in red itchy spots which rapidly get worse as the pet scratches.
10. People frequently react to flea bites. Although we won't play host to the parasite for long, some people may develop uncomfortable red wheals and spots if exposed to their pet's fleas.

Hope you're not feeling too itchy!
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