Worming

Just because you can’t see worms, it doesn’t mean they’re not there. Cats and dogs may appear to be perfectly healthy but still be carrying parasites. Often, it’s only when a severe infection is present that they display signs of ill health; and its not just animals that can become infected – some worms can also cause illness in people, especially children, which rarely can have potentially fatal consequences or cause blindness.

Cats, dogs and rabbits can acquire worms from their mothers, other pets, and indirectly though contact with other animals’ faeces. 

Regular treatment for worms with veterinary medication will keep your pets worm/endoparasite free. 

We understand that administering wormers can sometimes be a challenging and stressful process, for both you and your pet. Thankfully we now have a variety of different administration options available e.g. tablets, granules, pastes, injections and spot-on solutions, allowing you to chose the most suitable option for your pet.

Please ask our trained staff to help you find the right product for your circumstances.

For cats and dogs we generally recommend:

Once monthly treatment until 6 months of age, then every 3-4months after that.

There is now a product available for use in rabbits which can also be used every 3-4months.

For more detailed information on worms and worming, follow this link: http://www.wormfree.co.uk/

Lungworm - Angiostrongylus vasorum

The lungworm parasite Angiostrongylus vasorum can cause serious and life threatening symptoms in affected dogs. Although it is being reported more widely, the incidence in the North West of England is still very low.

How can my dog become infected?

Infected larvae must be eaten. These larvae can be found in infected slugs, snails and frogs. The slime trail from infected slugs and snails can also contain infective larvae. Slime trails could obviously be found on food, bones, toys, water bowls etc that are left outside.

Foxes can also become infected and play a part in spread of the parasite.

What are the symptoms?

In an infected dog, the parasite can cause a wide variety of symptoms which are often confused with many other illnesses, but the following is a list of some possible symptoms:

1 Coughing or abnormal breathing problems including exercise tiredness

2 Bleeding due to a reduction in the dogs clotting ability: the bleeding could be anywhere in the body e.g. wounds, nose bleeds, ocular bleeding, gum bleeding etc The bleeding could be severe enough to cause anaemia.

3 Generalised illnesses including reduced appetite, gastrointestinal upsets, weight loss.

4 Seizures could be triggered if the brain is affected.

What if I suspect any of the above symptoms?

You should make an appointment to see the Vet as soon as possible, so that correct testing and treatment can be started.

Which dogs are most at risk?

Any dog could get infected, but known risk factors help to decide the likelihood of infestation:

Geographical: seen much more commonly in the South West, South Wales and the South East.

Age: Younger dogs up to 2 years old are much more commonly affected.

Habits: Dogs known to have eaten slugs or snails, or licked frogs, slugs or snails [or their trails] are more at risk.