Fleas, Ticks and other Bities ….
Fleas and ticks cause a large amount of stress for many pet owners, and a lot of discomfort and illnesses for pets too.
Fleas make many pets very itchy and cause significant skin inflammation and dermatitis. Control is often simple with the correct products – but the best product for your pet depends on many factors: do they swim regularly, are they bathed often, are they sensitive to some foods, do they have any other medical history such as seizures? Different products suit different circumstances – ask us for advice and we will get your flea problems sorted out and you won’t have to waste time and money on products that just don’t seem to work like it says on the packet!
Paralysis Ticks can often cause severe illness which initially is just weakness but progresses to paralysis and life threatening pneumonia without removal of the tick and appropriate treatment. Even the less dangerous Brown Dog Tick and Cattle Tick can transmit blood borne infections, and so all ticks should be removed from your pet and prevention of tick bites discussed with us.
Tick Paralysis is a serious medical issue and every year many dogs and cats suffer from Tick paralysis. Prevention is not always simple, especially in high risk areas, so please contact us for advice on the best products and solutions for your situation.
BE AWARE THAT DOG PRODUCTS (especially Advantix) MUST NEVER BE USED ON CATS. It causes severe, life threatening toxicity seizures and death without supportive care and use of the specific antidote to control the seizures and muscle spasms.
Mosquitoes are a concern for both cats and dogs as they transmit heart worm, and additionally, some pets (especially cats) can become quite allergic to the bites. Several products are available to repel mosquitoes but few are safe to use in cats – always seek our veterinary advice before using any repellant product on cats as the side effects of toxicity can be severe.
Sandflies do not transmit disease but can certainly make your pet very itchy – much like they do to us. The bites tend to occur on the belly and the less haired skin, so cats don’t usually have too many problems. If you are getting sandfly bites yourself it is likely your dogs are too, so ask us for advice.