Flea and Tick Prevention

Fleas

Fleas are a very common external parasite affecting cats, dogs, ferrets or small furies.

Fleas are nuisance. They irritate your pet and cause them to scratch and nibble themselves. They may also bite you as well – but that’s not all. In addition to this their saliva is very irritable and when some animals receive a flea bite they can develop a nasty allergic skin condition call Flea Allergic Dermatitis (FAD).

In addition to causing skin problems, fleas also suck blood. Heavy infestations in young and small animals can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening anaemia.

Fleas are also involved in transmitting a common dog tapeworm, and in rabbits can be a vector for the serious disease Myxomatosis.

Flea prevention has now become a year round consideration due to the luxury of central heating. It is important to treat your pet and your home as the flea life cycle means that in fact only 5 % of the problem is actually on your pet.

We stock a selection of veterinary licensed products to treat and prevent fleas on your pet. This includes spot-on preparations and sprays for your pet and household products.

Ticks

Ticks are another common external parasite that can affect your pet.

Not only do ticks look horrible and feed on your pets blood, more importantly they can transmit serious and potentially fatal diseases to your pet. Some of these tick disease could also affect you and your family.

Ticks are common in wooded areas or areas with high grasses, particularly where livestock have been grazing. However they can be found in your garden as well.

It is important to use preventative treatments against ticks on your pets.
We can provide you with spot-on preparations which you can apply to your pet at regular monthly intervals. This is especially important in the warmer months from spring to autumn.

Tick removal

If you find a tick on your pet it needs to be removed. This needs to be done carefully as forcefully pulling a tick will often leave the head behind and this can cause a local irritation in your pets’ skin.