Parasite Control

Flea Control

Fleas make your pet itch, causing discomfort and in some cases lead to an allergic reaction (flea allergic dermatitis) which can develop into a severe skin condition.   Fleas also bite people.

Advice will be given regarding flea control for your pet at the annual vaccination appointment but please contact our reception team  if you require advice at any other time of the year. 

Members of our Health Plus Plan receive discounts on products for routine flea prevention. The reception team can give information about joining the scheme. 

 Flea life-cycle

A flea infestation can seemingly explode out of nowhere:

• A single flea can lay 40-50 eggs per day and up to 2000 in a lifetime
• Eggs fall off the hair into the pet’s surroundings
• Within 1-6 days eggs hatch into larvae which live deep in carpets and soft furnishings
• Mature larvae form into pupae
• Adult fleas emerge within 3-5 weeks in ideal conditions but can remain dormant for up to 350 days
• A serious infestation can occur when thousands of adult fleas emerge simultaneously often months after the initial fleas were treated. 

Treating an infestation

It is important to treat all animals in the household, with a product that kills all stages of the flea life-cycle.  It is also important to treat the environment with a suitable product.  Pet bedding should be washed at 60°C.  

Routine flea prevention

From the many products available, we generally recommend a monthly tablet for dogs and a six-monthly injection for cats for year round flea prevention.   Some pets and households may have different requirements, which is why we recommend discussing flea control during a consultation. 

Combined flea and tick prevention for dogs

We also now have an excellent product to prevent ticks which is active for 3 months following a single tablet. This product is also very effective against fleas.

Worming

Where do worms come from?

• From other infected animals
• From eating worm larvae or eggs (e.g. in infected stools or in grass)
• From the bitch or queen via the placenta to puppies and kittens
• From raw meat, infected prey animals or infected insects such as fleas

Often pets show no symptoms when they are infected with worms, occasionally worms can be seen in stools or vomit. Some types of worm can spread between pets and people and cause disease in people. Therefore it is very important to have an effective worm control program in place. 

Dogs

We recommend worming all puppies at their first vaccination and at that time putting in place an ongoing worm control program. Monthly worming is required to completely eradicate shedding of worms from dogs into the environment. There is a vast array of worming product available. We generally recommend a combined monthly flea and worm tablet, but it is best to discuss your pet’s specific needs at a vaccination consultation to ensure the most appropriate product is dispensed. 

Cats

We recommend worming all kittens at their first vaccination and at that time putting in place an ongoing worm control program.  Cats that hunt are particularly at risk of tapeworm infection, which they get following ingestion of infected prey, or infected fleas.  When cats are infected with tape worm, actual segments of the worm, which resemble grains of rice, can often be seen on the fur around the cat’s bottom.  It is best to discuss your pet’s specific needs at a vaccination appointment to ensure you receive the most appropriate product.

Members of our Health Plus Plan receive discounts on worming products.  Please ask at reception about joining the scheme.