When you have a pet, you want to do everything you can to keep them safe. You take them on daily walks to make sure they are well-exercised, you keep an eye on their food to make sure it is the most nutrient-rich brand. And you are vigilant when it comes to the eyes, skin, and coat generally too.
Preventing worms, fleas and ticks are part and parcel of taking care of your pooch. So let’s talk about how to keep that prevention going throughout their lives.
Worms
Roundworms look like pieces of string and tapeworm are long and flat, they look like grains of rice and tend to move around. You can often spot the worms around the fur around the bottom of the dog or in the poop.
A few worms are unlikely to cause too much trouble, but when the infestation gets bad – and that can happen quickly, you are likely to see the following:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
Worms weaken the immune system of the dog and can move through the organ system of your four-legged friend. Puppies and kittens are often born with worms, or they can get them through their mother’s milk. Cats can pick up worms when they hunt birds and mice.
While you can’t prevent worms, you can treat them quickly with the right medication from Nexgard Spectra. Most pet owners give a worming tablet every few months.
Fleas
Most cats and dogs have fleas at some point. Fleas will bite and irritate your pet, you might see them intensely scratching behind the ears, or trying to rub themselves on the ground to relieve the itching. Fleas are responsible for transmitting tapeworm too.
If you find fleas on your pet, you will need to treat the whole home and all of the pets you have.
To keep fleas at bay, you should have a program of treatments that kill eggs and fleas. A similar routine to the worming treatment is ideal.
Ticks
Ticks will attach themselves to a dog as they bound through long grass while playing. In general, ticks pierce a hole in the skin of the animal and feed on their blood. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease too.
You will most likely find ticks in the armpits of a dog, or any other warm and protected areas. Ticks can also attach themselves to humans too.
If ticks are spotted and removed, they can cause anemia in small or young animals.
To remove a tick, you’ll use a tick hook. While many people might say you simply pull them off, you might leave part of the tick embedded in your pet. So use the right tools or see your vet.
Once a week in between treatments, you should take care to give your pet a once over looking for fleas, ticks or worms. A regular routine will help to treat any infestations as quickly as possible, and your animal should have any lasting damage either. Remember to treat the home as well as your pet if they have fleas, ticks or worms.