Fleas, Worms and Other Parasites

What is a Parasite?

To quote from the dictionary 'A parasite is any organism that lives in, or on, another organism and draws its nourishment directly from it'.

In the case of our pets, the common parasites to look out for and prevent are worms, fleas, ticks, biting lice, ear mites and mange, all of which are explained here.

All pets can pick up parasites and, whilst you need to be aware of them, there is absolutely nothing to be alarmed about, they are all easily managed and can be treated safely and effectively with modern veterinary treatments.

Looking at your pet's lifestyle will give a good indication of which ones they are most likely to attract, and how you can help to avoid them.

We will give you all the help and advice that you need, and don't forget that we run free Nurse Clinics on week days at our Wells Road Hospital and Surgery, and an Advice Line, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, on 01275 893351.

How will I know if my pet suffers from parasites?

Some parasites give clear symptoms, for example biting lice and mange mites. Others are more difficult to detect, like worms as they live in the pet's stomach and intestines, and will often only present themselves once serious health problems are detected.

Fleas can also go undetected until the advanced stages of infection although, unfortunately, by this time it is quite likely that they will be in your carpets and soft furnishings too!

The good news is that these are all problems that can be avoided with a few simple preventative measures and, to help you, we have nurse clinics running daily throughout the week offering free health checks and advice.

To find out more about common parasites, please click on the headings below.

Worms in cats and dogs

Fleas in cats and dogs

Ticks in cats and dogs

Biting lice in cats and dogs

Ear mites in cats and dogs

Worms In Cats And Dogs

In the UK your pet can become infected by roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and whipworms and unless you treat your pet regularly worms are difficult to avoid.

Adult worms vary dramatically in size from 2 mm long, to a scary 5 metres long! They generally live in your pet's gut, feeding off the contents. However, some (for instance whipworms) attach themselves to the gut wall to feed on the pet's blood.

It is important that you are aware that the roundworm can be spread to humans. This is not something you should be unduly worried about, but it is another significant reason why, as a responsible pet owner, you should worm your pet regularly.

What are the Symptoms?

As you can imagine, left untreated they can cause your cat or dog lots of discomfort and all sorts of health problems such as vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss, anaemia and in some cases blindness.

However, with regular worming treatments, as recommended by your vet, these problems can all be avoided.

Roundworms

As well as causing problems for our pets, some worms, in particular the Toxocara roundworm, can be transmitted to humans. In rare cases this can cause problems such as blindness in both adults and children, with children being most at risk.

For this reason the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) now strongly recommends that we give your pet a lifestyle assessment recommends monthly worming (especially if you have children) where the risk is high.

Roundworms are spaghetti-like in appearance and shed thousands of tiny eggs that are passed in the faeces of an infected animal - which is why it is so important to poop scoop. These eggs can survive in the soil for up to 2 years! Meanwhile another dog or cat can come along, pick them up on their paws, muzzle or fur, bring them into the home and/or swallow them whilst grooming!

Puppies are usually born with roundworms and we always stress the importance of treating both mother and puppies more frequently whilst they are young.

Tapeworms

A tapeworm's body is made up of segments, and each of these segments contains lots of eggs. As the worm matures in the intestines of the pet, the segments break off and are passed into the environment through the pet's faeces.

Unlike roundworms, tapeworms cannot be passed directly from one pet to another, but need an intermediate host such as a flea, a bird or a small mammal.

The pet picks up the tapeworm infection following the ingestion of these intermediate hosts and so pets that hunt, eat a raw meat diet or have flea infestations are particularly at risk.

The flea tapeworm is the most common in both cats and dogs and is spread when a pet swallows an infected flea or louse whilst grooming. For this reason we strongly recommend eliminating fleas as an important part of worm control.

Hookworms

These worms feed on the pet's blood by hooking into the inner surface of the small intestine. They are around 1 cm in length, extremely thin and almost invisible to the human eye. Soon after feeding, the adult hookworm begins laying eggs which are then passed into the environment through the pet's faeces.

Unlike some parasites, hookworm larvae can live in the environment, thriving in moist areas such as grass, and can be picked up by the pet as they pass by.

Hookworms are extremely common in foxes (it is estimated that around 7 out of 10 have them) which means that with the growth of foxes in urban areas, hookworm also become more likely.

Puppies and kittens can be born with hookworms or become infected through their mother's milk.

Whipworms

Whipworms also feed on the pet's blood and are called whipworms because they have a larger head and a whip-like thin tail section. They are found mainly in young dogs (whose immunity tends to be lower) and, unlike hookworms, infection is only caused by swallowing the eggs.

The eggs can live in the soil for years and are picked up by the pet on paws, fur, toys, water dishes etc. Within 1 to 3 months after the egg is swallowed it hatches in the intestine, attaches to the intestine wall and begins sucking blood and laying eggs.

Please contact your branch surgery for more information or to book an appointment for a free health check.