Why Does My Pet Need Parasite Prevention?

When you take your dog to the vets, we will always check to see when their last parasite prevention medicine was given. The ingredients in the preventative you use determine how often your pet needs to receive their medication – it is usually either every month or every three months.

It is really important that you stay on top of your pet’s flea, tick and worm prevention not only for their sake but for your own. Our pets are an integral part of our daily lives so we need to make sure that they stay healthy to avoid contracting illnesses from them.

All puppies are born with a worm burden which must be controlled to allow them to thrive. Very young puppies are wormed weekly until they are two months old so that they benefit as much as possible from their mother’s milk. After that, they can be treated monthly with a tablet that prevents worms from building up as well as preventing flea infestations and tick attachment. Fleas cause a welfare issue because they make your pet so itchy. This causes distress and it can lead to hair loss and self mutilation due to excessive scratching. Ticks can carry disease which they can pass on to your pet if they attach themselves, so it is important to prevent this from happening for your pet’s sake! The most common disease carried by ticks is Lyme disease which can cause lameness and lethargy, amongst other signs.