Fleas and Worms

As you are well aware when summer is approaching, unfortunatley so are some of the pet problems that come with it.  There are two problems in particular that are more common than others, Fleas and Worms.

Fleas depend on your pets for survival and feed off their blood causing irritation and upset.  Occasionally new fleas jump on to your pet from other pets or wildlife when they go outside.  However, more usually, new flea infestation occurs because the adult fleas on your pet lay thousands of eggs into the household environment which develop through immature stages to produce a new generation of adult fleas ready to jump on your pet or bite a passing human.  Just one female flea brough home by your pet can lay up to 50 eggs a day, or 1500 eggs in the flea's lifetime.

You can effectively treat and prevent fleas on your pet, preventining flea multiplication in your home and protect your pet from new flea infestation.

Westmorland Veterinary Group recommend the regular treatment of  Frontline Combo for both cats and dogs, although we do have a range of different flea products on sale at the practice.

If flea collars have been used then no spot-on or spray products should be used for at least 1 week after removal.

Frontline Spray can be used in severe cases or as direct control of ticks or harvist mites.  It lasts 3 months in dogs and 2 in cats.

Tick Fact Sheet

Westmorland Gazette Pets Corner Article on Fleas

Many dogs and cats carry roundworms and tapeworms, occasionally dogs kept in multi-dog kennels will be infected with hookworms.

It may not always be easy to tell when you pet has worms. In severe cases the symptoms are easier to spot.  But in a case of mild infestation, you may simply not know, and this is one case where ignorance is far from blissful!

It is estimated that 6 out of 10 cats in the UK have worms at any one time, and it's a vary rare cat indeed that isn't troubled with them at some time in its life.

The majority of worms carried by dogs pose no threat to human health.  However there are some which can potentially be transmitted to people.  Toddlers may stroke and cuddle their dogs, they may play in infected gardens and sandpits and, of course, you will never persuade small children to wash their hands before sucking their thumbs!

Worming programmes vary with age and animal.  The following are guidelines only and in cases of doubt or for pregnant animals, please speak to a vet or vet nurse.

We recommend that you use Drontal worming tablets for animals over 6 months old, although once again we do have a range of different worming products available.  These are a combined wormer that kill Roundworm, Tapeworm and Lungworm in one single dose according to weight - to repeat every 3 months to give maximum protection to the growing animal and to reduce the risk or transmission to humans.

Drontal Cat - 1 tablet per 4kg bodyweight
Drontal Plus - 1 tablet per 10kg bodyweight

For animals under 12 weeks old we recommend Panacur - this product kills all roundworms and some tapeworms.

More Information on Worms

When travelling on the P.E.T scheme (taking your pet abroad) we recommend that you use Stronghold which works in a similar way to frontline but is systemic.  This treats fleas, heartworms, roundworms, mange and lice in dogs and also hookworms, roundworms and earmites in cats.