Help! My dog and cat have parasites

Fleas and ticks: not just in March

Most owners know that fleas occur all year round, both indoors and outdoors. What is perhaps less known to most people is that ticks (provided the temperature is high enough) can also be present throughout the year. What is true, however, is that the number of ticks is highest in spring (March) and they decrease in number again after September.

Fleas: what next?

Fleas can cause not only skin complaints due to excessive scratching and licking, but also, for example, an allergy or worm infection in the pet. In dogs and cats, a bite every five days maintains the flea allergy. In addition, fleas can also cause tapeworm infection. Therefore, it is highly advisable to additionally worm the dog and cat in addition to the standard worming times when fleas (or suspected fleas) are detected. Fleas on the animal itself account for only 5% of the problem. Most of the eggs, larvae and immature fleas are in the environment. It is therefore advisable to include these too when controlling fleas. This is best done by thoroughly vacuuming first and then spraying the environment (fleas go into cracks and seams and not in the middle of a room) with a suitable remedy such as Flea & Mite Environmental Spray or Wirtz Farma Flea Environmental Spray.

Ticks: how do I protect my pet?

Ticks are mostly found in forests and tall grass, but they are also increasingly seen in gardens. Of all the ticks in our country, a very small proportion are infected with a bacterium or parasite that can transmit Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis or babesiosis. A tick often infects only after it has been attached to its host (human, dog, cat, etc.) for 16 to 24 hours. Ticks are not always easy to find and to reduce the risk of disease it is advisable to protect the animal with a tick collar (Seresto Cat and for the dog Seresto Dog or Scalibor) or by using pipettes that are also effective against ticks (Frontline Combo for the cat or Advantix for the dog).