It might not be a very pleasant topic to discuss but it’s an extremely important one: our pets get worms, that’s just a fact of life. Luckily we live in the time of modern medicine and so and we have access to preventative treatments to avoid having to deal with these unsavoury hitch hikers. In this blog post, i’ll be discussing the reasons why we de-worm our pets and the best products to use.
Most puppies and kittens are born with a roundworm infestation – it is passed onto them by their mother during lactation, so when you get your new puppy or kitten the first stop should be to the Vet because you are already racing against a worm-burden. Accurate weighing of your pet every month as it grows is essential to ensure we are using the correct dosage – you would be surprised how quickly a puppy grows! We always ask our clients with new puppies or kittens to taken them into us monthly for a “weigh and worm”.
The ways in which a worm infestation presents itself in your pet is usually weight loss, a swollen tummy and vomiting or diarrhea. These gastric signs can progress in extreme cases and can cause something called an intussusception; this is when loops of the bowel fold in on themselves and is a surgical emergency. Another important factor to remember when worming your pet is Lungworm: These little guys do not attack the gastric system but rather the lungs of your pet, which can be fatal.
In the UK and Ireland tapeworm, and a type of roundworm known as toxocara, are the most common types of worm transferred from dogs and cats to their unsuspecting owners. Those most at risk are children, the elderly and those with reduced immune systems but everyone should get into the habit of washing their hands regularly, especially before eating. Ensuring the family pet gets wormed at regular intervals with a vet strength wormer will get rid of the most common worm infestations. Regular worming also means that your garden or any other outside play areas do not become a contaminated area for your children. People who have been affected by toxocara are at risk of blindness and organ failure so it is not something to be taken lightly.
80% of children kiss their pet. That conjures up a lovely image, until you are hit with the realisation that those pets may have just ingested worm eggs…Ok so now that I have succeeded in grossing you out about worms – here’s the good news! worms are easy to prevent in our pets: We recommend that you use a de-wormer from your vet once every 4 weeks. Worming at a monthly interval provides the best protection for your pet and your family. We have tasty tablet options for dogs and cats and even a spot-on version for cats who are difficult to pill. We do NOT recommend products from the pet shop or supermarket – in my experience these are not effective and are often at the wrong dosage for your pet.
So please make it your routine to worm every month to give both your pet and your family the best protection possible.
You find more information on worming your pets and a “worm risk checker” at:
http://www.parasitepatrol.co.uk/en/
