Flea & Worm

The British summer is an ideal breeding ground for fleas as they thrive in warm and humid environments! However, fleas are not just a problem during the summer. The combination of carpet and central heating provide favourable conditions for fleas all year round.

Why control fleas?

Most cats and dogs will suffer from fleas at some time and if the problem is not controlled it can cause serious health problems for your pet.

• Fleas cause irritation for your pet and an allergic reaction to flea bites coupled with excessive scratching can lead to skin disease.
• Kittens and puppies are at risk of becoming anemic or developing growth problems if fleas are not controlled.
• Fleas can be hosts to tapeworm larvae. If fleas are swallowed during your pet's grooming routine, tapeworms will reproduce in the gut, causing weight loss and diarrhoea.

Tell Tale signs of fleas

•  If your dog or cat is scratching persistently, there is a good chance fleas are the cause. The most common place for bites is along the back.
• Face rubbing

How to check for fleas

• Look for the dark brown fleas by combing with a flea comb, working from your pet's tail towards the head.
• You may also find small black spots of flea dirt. If you comb these onto damp cotton wool, a small red circle will form indicating your pet has a flea problem.

Flea lifecycle

In order to eradicate fleas, you need to understand their lifecycle. 95% of the flea's life cycle is in the house and not on the pet, so only treating your pet is only treating 5% of the problem.

An adult flea can lay 20 - 30 eggs a day and these eggs will fall off your pet wherever they go in the house or garden. The eggs hatch into larvae, which hide away from light in bedding or under skirting boards. Larvae develop into pupae. The pupa can lie dormant in the house for several months until stimulated to hatch into a flea by movement and warmth, typically your pet coming close to it. Fleas are capable of leaping several feet and will jump easily onto a passing pet.

Flea control in 3 simple steps

Killing the adult flea is not complete flea control, you must break the lifecycle. Prevention is better than cure so routine treatment is recommended.

Step 1: Treat your pet

There are many different ways of preventing and controlling fleas:

•  Flea Drops are the most effective preventative treatment. A small amount of liquid dropped onto a pets neck will kill all fleas on contact, breaking the lifecycle. Flea drops are suitable for puppies from 2 weeks old and kittens from 12 weeks old.
• Flea Tablets are an oral treatment that kill all fleas when they bite and can be used on cats and dogs from 4 weeks old.
• Flea Shampoo will kill all adult fleas on your pet. Shampoo thoroughly, starting at the head and working towards the tail so that the fleas cannot escape onto your pet's face.
• Flea Powders are also available but it is difficult to get an even spread, therefore these are the least effective. Powders and pump sprays may be more practical for cats. With all treatments always check the label for application intervals.

Step 2: Treat your house

• Vacuum the whole house, especially in areas where your pets frequent. Dispose of the vacuum bag.
• Change your pet's bedding, destroy it or wash thoroughly.
• Spray all surfaces and furniture in the house where your pet may have been with household flea spray or carpet flea guard. Pay particular attention to skirting boards and corners where it is difficult to vacuum. Every flea you miss can produce thousands of flea eggs!
•  Repeat the whole process 10 days later.

Step 3: Prevent fleas coming back

• Fit your cat or dog with a flea collar.
• Maintain the flea treatment you have chosen as instructed on the packaging.

Dog flea products can be dangerous to cats and rabbits, so only use flea products labelled for your type of pet.

Most flea products are unsuitable for puppies and kittens. For animals under 12 weeks you need prescription only flea treatment from your vet. Read the instructions carefully on all packaging.

It is also worth noting that flea and worm lifecycles are very closely associated. So remember prevention is better than cure, worm your dog every 3 -4 months.

Worms

There are several types of worm which can live in your pet's stomach and intestine. The most common are roundworms and tapeworms. Worms can cause real health problems if left untreated; vomiting, diarrhoea and even anaemia are common. Less commonly, worms can infect the lungs.

Roundworms

Roundworms look like pieces of pink or white string and measure up to 18cm in dogs and 10cm in cats. Adult dogs and cats rarely show symptoms but are still likely to pick up roundworms and should be regularly wormed.

Roundworms in puppies and kittens

Puppies and kittens with heavy infestations of roundworms will develop pot bellies and possibly sickness or diarrhoea.

The roundworm is a big threat to puppies and kittens, who are likely to pick up the parasite from their mother via her bloodstream or her milk. The larval stage of the worm can lie dormant and migrate to the mammary glands when the host becomes pregnant, travelling through the mother's milk and causing the puppy or kitten to become infected.

Roundworms in humans

The dog roundworm, Toxocara canis, does not cause any problems in adults but can cause illness in small children. Toxocara cati, the cat worm, has been associated with cases of Toxocarisis but this is very rare

•  Worm dogs and cats, particularly puppies and pregnant bitches, regularly.
• Do not allow very young children to play with puppies or pregnant bitches.
• Insist that children wash their hands after handling their pet.
• Never let a dog lick a child's face.
• Never feed pets from your eating plates.
• Bury or flush away all faeces from puppies and their mother.
• Cover sandpits to keep cats out.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are a long, flat, segmented worm and appear like small grains of rice in your pet's faeces. They are most commonly found in the small intestine of adult dogs and cats but can often go unnoticed. If present in large numbers, they may cause sickness or diarrhoea, or irritation around the anus, when the segments are shed.

Tapeworms are never transmitted directly from pet to pet but must first go through an intermediate host such as a flea, mouse or bird. The commonest tapeworm has the flea as intermediate host; dogs and cats become infected when they swallow infected fleas, this often occurs through grooming.

The commonest tapeworm has the flea as intermediate host. A dog or cat will become infected if it swallows an infected flea.

Worm Control

Adult cats and dogs over 6 months:

Treat every 3 months against roundworms and tapeworms.

Kittens and puppies 3 - 6 months:

Treat every 2 weeks from 3 - 12 weeks of age and then every 4 weeks from 12 weeks - 6 months against roundworm.

Pregnant animals:

Dose repeatedly for roundworms during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy and the first 2 weeks after birth. Wormers which are suitable for pregnant animals must be larvicidal and these products are only available from your vet.

It must also be mentioned that the lifecycle of fleas and worms are closely associated. See the Pets at Home guide to 'Flea Control'.

Worming Treatments

• Tablets for roundworms in cats and dogs from 12 weeks old.
• Multi wormer tablets for roundworms and tapeworms in cats and dogs from 12 weeks old.
• Pastes or creams to smear around the mouths of dogs and cats if they will not take a tablet.
• Worming syrup for kittens and puppies from 3-12 weeks.

If you think your pet may be pregnant you must consult your vet as not all wormers are suitable.