In Australia, common worms that infest pets include: Roundworm, Whipworm, Tapeworm and Hookworm. Controlling worms can be difficult as many worms spend part of their lifecycle outside of the pet. Prevention will need to include strategies to combat these parasites inside and outside the animal. As an example, tapeworms spend a part of their lifecycle in fleas. Flea control is imperative to stop the re-infection of tapeworm after treating the pet. A routine of worming your pet as well as reducing environmental contamination will help your pet to stay free of these parasites. Worming treatments include pastes, spot treatments and tablet. Ensure the environment is cleared as required and other treatments are put in to effect to combat re-infection of your pets. Humans can also pick up the parasite from the pet’s environment, so caution is advised.

Besides intestinal worms, there is another category of worms which are potentially lethal to your pet. Dirofilaria Immitis is better known as the heartworm. This parasite does not need your pet to even be in contact with infected animals as it is spread by mosquitoes. The immature microflora of heartworm would be in the bloodstream of an infected animal. The mosquitoes feed on an infected animal and suck up some of the microflora. Inside the mosquito, the immature parasite develops into a larva. When the mosquito bites your pet, it can inject this larva into the animal’s bloodstream. These worms then grow to maturity within your pet. They can cause a blockage in the heart and also a thickening of the heart and the blood vessels associated with it. There may be no signs at the start of the parasitical infestation but later symptoms can include coughing, lethargy, not wanting to exercise and eventually heart failure and potentially death. Besides Tasmania and very arid areas, heartworm is present throughout Australia.

It is easy to prevent heartworm if you stick to a good health care routine. Treatment options include tablets, spot treatments and chewables. There are also annual injections that can be administered at the annual health check. If you have not been keeping up to date with heartworm prevention, you should have a test done prior to starting a preventative program as well as a further test 6 months after starting the treatment.

While fleas are usually only seen when the weather is warmer, due to us keeping our homes warm in the cold months, fleas can be found all through the year. What you see on your pet is only a very small part of the flea population. Eggs and larvae can actually survive for 12 months in an environment. This means you need to treat your pet as well as the environment. Clean and decontaminate bedding, vacuum carpets and keep the area your pets live in as disinfected as possible. Pet shampoos and flea collars are not enough to keep your pet flea free. The life cycle needs to be broken by keeping the pet and the environment free of the fleas and their spawn. Fleas don’t live on the pets all the time and will often just jump on, feed and then hop off the animal again. Constant flea bites can affect animals with an allergy to the flea saliva and this can result in FAD (Flea Allergy Dermatitis). Consult with your vet should this occur as it can be tricky to treat.

Symptoms of fleas include: biting, scratching and hair loss (often seen at the base of the tail and on the pet’s rump). You may actually see the adult fleas on the pet (often in the groin region and on the rump). You can also check for fleas by rubbing a moistened cotton ball over the skin on the pet’s rump. If it comes back with black specs and a reddish area, this is usually an indication of a flea infestation.

Ensure that you use the correct tick and flea medication for your pets. Many brands meant for dogs can be lethal to cats. Speak to your vet about the best treatment for your pet. Your vet can also advise on environmental treatment as needed.

While many ticks can be annoying to your pet, the main concern is the Paralysis Tick (Ixodes holocyclus) which can cause the death of your pet in only 2 to 4 days after attaching to the animal. This tick is mostly found in the coastal eastern seaboard of Australia, but it can be carried from the area by pets, in blankets, towels, articles of clothing, on plants and in vehicles. This means your pet can pick it up from your items or even from your neighbour if they have been to the area recently.

Ticks on pets that do not show symptoms of paralysis should be removed straight away. Grasp as close to the head of the tick as possible, against your pets skin and pull sideways to remove it. Kill the tick once it is removed to prevent it injecting toxins in to your pet while dying. If you need assistance with removing the tick, contact your vet. Once the tip is off the pet, monitor them for 24 hours and try to keep them comfortable and cool. If the pet shows symptoms such as altered bark, breathing difficulty, staggering, vomiting, muscle weakness or other unusual behaviour, get them to a vet immediately. This is an emergency situation and could mean life or death to the animal. Do not give your pet food or water until they are examined by the vet to prevent them aspirating it by accident.

Treatment of tick paralysis starts with removal of all ticks on the pet. This means clipping the pet if needed and may require medication to kill all the ticks still on the animal. An antiserum would be administered to counteract the toxins from the tick bites. Supportive care is given during recovery. Treatment of tick paralysis can be very expensive. Tick prevention is a better and less costly way to prevent it.

No anti-tick methods are 100% effective, so you should still check your pet daily if there is any chance they have been exposed to these ticks. This should continue for 7 days afterwards and thereafter check your pet once a month or so for any other ticks. Check the entire body, under the collar, between the toes, in the ears, the entire front and under the lips.

We can assist in teaching you how to do a full tick search as well as prevention for your pet and decontaminating the environment.