Symptoms of Tapeworm can be:
• Rice segments in stools or stuck in the fur under the tail
• Pet dragging rear end across floor, due to irritation
• Weight loss, despite no change in appetite
• Diarrhoea and vomiting
• Constant hunger
Hookworm Dogs can pick up larvae from contaminated soil and
within 2 weeks these can develop into adult worms. Hookworms can
cause diarrhoea, anaemia, weight loss and apathy.
Dogs could be at risk of getting fox hookworm which is passed via
foxes faeces.
Whipworm Whipworms embed their head into the lining of your
dog’s large intestine and feed on the dogs blood. The whip-like
action from the tail end will cause further damage to the lining of
the dog’s gut.
About The Tick
Taking Control
Preventative treatment is better than a cure
Worms are easier to tackle if you catch them before they manage
to spread and multiply.
Over the counter treatments are available for all worm infestations.
Treatments should be used as directed and stated doses always to
be followed, which are regulated by age or bodyweight. Products
are designed for dogs and cats separately; flea and worm control
for dogs can be too strong for cats and carry a risk of overdose.
Treat your Pet
Several products are available for worming your pet. Worming
remedies include tablets with the active ingredient of praziquantel,
which is the main ingredient in Drontal® products, syrups, creams,
multiwormers, one dose wormers and granules.
Ticks are blood sucking parasites that pierce a pet’s skin with their
mouths and cement themselves into position which makes it hard
to remove them. If you need to remove a tick from your pet care
should be taken to not leave the ticks head in place, the embedded
mouthparts could cause an abscess.
Remedies will not prevent ticks attaching but will kill them within
24 – 48 hrs, once dead they drop off naturally. If they do not drop off
they can be gently pulled with tick tweezers.
A tick can cause lyme disease in humans, dogs and on occasion
cats.
For more advice on fleas, worms or ticks please speak to a member
of staff.
City & Guilds Qualification
At PamPurredPets we actively encourage our staff to be knowledgeable
in all aspects of pet keeping. We have our own in-house training
programme which all staff follow during their first six months with us.
After completing this programme many progress on to the City & Guilds
in Pet Management, which is a nationally recognised qualification.
Many PamPurredPets stores have SQP’s - Special Qualified Persons who
are animal advisors, a legal category of professionally qualified persons
who are entitled to prescribe or supply certain veterinary medicines
under the veterinary medicines regulations such as Frontline®
and Drontal®.
At all times, if your pet appears unwell you should consult
your vet.
For health and hygiene reasons always clean up after your dog and
dispose of waste properly.
Consult your vet before worming pregnant, sick or convalescing
animals.
Lungworm The lungworm parasite is caused by slugs and snails.
The problems arise when dogs accidentally or purposely eat these
garden pests through rummaging in undergrowth, eating grass,
drinking from puddles or outdoor water bowls that could have been
infected from the slug or snail.
Infection with lungworm can cause serious health problems
in dogs and can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated.
Symptoms of lungworm can be coughing, excessive
bleeding from cuts, nose bleeds, anaemia – pale
around eyes and gums, weight loss, poor appetite,
vomiting, diarrhoea and can also cause seizures.
PamPurredPets
Visit our website:
www.pampurredpets.com
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about
Fleas
Worms
ticks
prevention
treatments
LE FR
AF EE
LE
T
Animals cannot catch tapeworm from one another, they are
transmitted through an intermediate host, most commonly the flea.
Ticks are members of the spider family, there are many different
varieties of ticks. They can be found in a variety of places such as
woodland, forests, urban parks and gardens. Pet owners should
examine their pets carefully after being in tick infested areas.
About The Flea
If you have cats or dogs, the chances are they will experience a flea
infestation at some time in their life.
Life Cycle of the Flea
The Flea Life cycle has 4 stages: egg; larva; pupae; adult
Adult Flea
There should be a strong focus on preventative treatments, as fleas
are easy to prevent but more difficult to respond to.
Fleas favour warm humid conditions so summer is an ideal time, but
a warm house provides the perfect breeding environment, therefore
central heating make fleas a year round problem.
The majority of fleas are cat fleas as they can live on any animal,
whilst dog fleas can only live on dogs. Rabbit fleas live on rabbits
and hedgehog fleas live only on hedgehogs.
Fleas are a parasitic insect that will infest a dog or cats coat, feeding
on their blood, before quickly reproducing and laying eggs on their
body, which can cause discomfort to your pet with skin problems
or irritations.
Preventing flea infestation will
prevent flea reproduction
Fleas begin as eggs. Batches of
approximately 50 can be laid at
a single time by an individual
Eggs flea, it can take 2 days to 2
Pupa
weeks for these to hatch into
larvae. The larvae will weave
a pupa (cocoon) and spend a
week pupating where the new
adult flea develops. Protected by
Flea Larva
their cocoon they lie in wait for the
next available blood supply, either a pet
or a family member. Fleas can remain in a protective cocoon for
weeks, months and even years – waiting for a dog or cat to jump on
and feed. The warmth, carbon dioxide and vibration all signal to the
waiting flea to hatch out and jump and then the cycle begins again.
Flea larvae can feed on tapeworm eggs, making the flea a carrier of
the parasite. As the dog or cat grooms it can ingest the parasite and
become infested.
The tapeworm will attach to the wall of the intestine before shedding
eggs that pass through and out of the body, it can then be eaten by
more larvae, thus continuing the cycle.
Treating the home
An adult flea on your pet is only the tip of the iceberg. Only 5% of an
infestation is through the adult flea, the other 95% consists of flea
eggs, larvae and pupae that can be spread via your pet throughout
your home, which then develop into adult fleas. This cycle can
develop over a few weeks.
The flea has long hind legs that allow them to jump high and move
quickly. They have tough shells which prevent them from being
squashed when your pet is scratching.
Fleas do not live on people, but can feed on adults and children.
Their bite can cause severe itching.
Dogs and cats can pick up fleas from outside the home, long grass,
woodland or if they visit another home or come into contact with
another infected animal.
Cats can become infested from wild animals such as birds, rabbits
or mice usually when hunting.
Flea eggs can be picked up from bedding, soil, carpets or floorboards;
they can lay dormant for months if the home is not treated.
Vacuuming regularly reduces the opportunity of fleas establishing
by picking up the eggs and larvae. Pet bedding should be washed
above 60 ˚C.
Rugs, carpets, upholstery, nooks and cranny’s, dark spaces and
behind furniture should all be treated with a Household Insecticidal
Spray. Some household sprays are formulated with an Insect Growth
Regulator to prevent the eggs and larvae stages from maturing into
adult fleas, therefore breaking the cycle. Household foggers are also
available and are designed to kill fleas and larvae.
How do you know if your pet has fleas?
If your pet is continually scratching, has fur loss, or by gently parting
the coat and seeing small black specs – “flea dirt” – which is dried
blood excreted from the flea, could all be warning signs that fleas
are present. Main areas to look at are base of the tail, around the
neck, behind the ears and under armpits.
Using a flea comb, comb through
the dogs coat, hold the comb over
a sheet of white paper or material
to collect any debris. Flea dirt is
essentially dried blood and adding
water should turn the dirt into a
reddish brown colour.
Skin irritation from fleas can be
noticed by reddish bumps on the
skin. Severe flea infestation can
cause anaemia, lethargy and loss
of appetite.
tract where they feed on nutrients and then pass through the body.
They can get into the body from the ground, transferred to puppies
and kittens from the mother or external
parasites can transmit worms to dogs
and cats.
Taking Control
Roundworm is the
most common type
of worm.They look
similar to earthworms
though much thinner
and whitish or pale
in colour, they
can reach several
centimetres long.
Remember if your pet has
fleas, it is important to tackle
the whole flea
problem, not just the
fleas you can see.
The fleas should be killed and eggs, larvae and
pupae should not be allowed to develop. The
home should be treated and cleared of flea
eggs, larvae and pupae that are already present.
Pets should be treated for Fleas and Worms
Spot On Flea treatments can usually kill fleas within 24hrs as well as
providing ongoing protection offering protection for up to 3 months.
Treatments should be used as directed and stated doses always to
be followed, which are regulated by age or bodyweight. Products
are designed for dogs and cats separately; flea and worm control for
dogs can be too strong for cats and carry a risk of overdose.
People can become
infected with
roundworm larvae
if the eggs are
accidentally ingested. For example; if your dog or cat licks your face
or you put dirty fingers in your mouth after playing with your pet.
This can cause serious health problems including blindness in
young children.
Treat your Pet
Several products are available for removing fleas from your pet.
These include Spot On treatments with the active ingredient
of fipronil, which is the main ingredient in Frontline® products,
insecticidal flea shampoos, powders, sprays, drops, syrup, collars
and flea tablets.
Tapeworms are long and flat they can reach up to a metre long,
they have segmented bodies that attach to the intestine via a hook
like mouth. As the tapeworm matures, tail segments containing
the eggs drop off and are
passed through the stools.
The discarded segments look
like grains of rice, which may
still be moving, this can cause
discomfort for your pet around
the anus.
Treat your Home
Household remedies include sprays, powders and foggers.
How do you know if your pet
has worms?
Prevent Further Flea Infestations by Continuing the Treatment
The easiest way to keep on top of fleas is to instigate a routine
treatment programme to prevent the unpleasant problem of a flea
infestation.
Symptoms of roundworm
can be:
• Dull coat and frequent
shedding
• Pale lips and gums
• Loss of appetite
• Pot belly caused by protein
deficiency
• Vomiting with roundworm
present
• Coughing can be a sign if the
worms migrate to the lungs
The best solution for treating a flea infestation is to follow the stages
set out below.
Ensure your Pet is Wormed
Fleas are an intermediate host of the tapeworm, therefore worming
your pet regularly will help prevent this.
About The Worm
Worms can infect both dogs and cats at any stage in their lives.
Treatment on puppies and kittens should begin at 2 weeks of age,
then every 2 weeks until 16 weeks old then at 24 weeks. Thereafter
routine treatment should be administered every 3 to 4 months.
Worms are an internal parasite that live inside your pet rather than
on the coat like a flea or tick. Most live in the stomach or intestinal