Protecting our pets and making sure they stay fit and healthy is the most important thing when we decide to introduce a pet to our family. Throughout your pet’s life, it is crucial that you regularly utilise effective, preventative therapies to ward off parasites for the long-term health and wellness of both your pet and your family. Keep in mind that prevention is much simpler and less expensive than treatment.

What are fleas?

A flea is a small, reddish brown, wingless insect, which feeds off the blood of mammals. This can include pets such as our dogs, cats and rabbits but can also include tasty humans. Although they are small they can be seen with the naked eye and are about 1-3 mm long. They have flat bodies and very powerful back legs which mean they can jump huge distances for their size.

Fleas do not live on your pet; they just hop on and off to feed and can live in your floorboards and carpets.  Once you see a flea or flea dirt in the coat, you may have a problem in your house.

What are worms?

There are several different worms that might infect your pet and harm your pet. Roundworms, lungworms, and tapeworms are among the numerous worms that prey on animals. Some worms have the capacity to lay more than 100,000 eggs per day, which are then dispersed across the environment by the pet’s faeces.

Treatment to take

You should:

  • Kill any adult fleas on your pet to stop them biting with a spot on.
  • Break the flea life cycle to stop more adult fleas hatching out with a household spray.

Once you have identified a problem you will have to ensure rigorous flea control for a further 12 months before you can be confident that you have resolved it.  But of course: prevention is best.

At Glasslyn Vets, we always promote the importance of flea and worm treatments for your pet to ensure they are protected against one of the most common dangers.  We stock Advocate (a monthly spot on) and Bravecto Plus (a 3 monthly spot on), which treat fleas and most worms.  In addition, you should give your cat a tapeworm tablet very 6-12 months if she is an outdoor cat. Do it twice yearly if she is an avid hunter.

If you would like to know more about flea And worm treatments, contact us today.