Parasites
Essentially there are two types of parasites:
- External Parasites - Those that live externally on the cat - fleas, ticks, lice and mites and
- Internal Parasites - Those that live internally in the cat intestine - different types of worms
Both types can generally be effectively treated but...Prevention is better than cure!!!
External Parasites
Fleas, especially with the increasingly warmer temperatures, are becoming a year round occurrence. They are responsible for causing a range of problems in pets.
Fleas are common-place and no pet is above coming home with one every once in a while. Unfortunately one becomes many very quickly and an infestation of not only your pet but your house ensues.
Fleas have a lifecycle rather like a butterfly except the end product, unlike the butterfly, is unfortunately not a welcome visitor.
Adult fleas lay their eggs in the house and favour carpets, upholstery, bedding, skirting boards etc. which also means that treating your pet is sometimes not enough if the infestation is advanced.
Larvae hatch from these eggs and after a period of hibernation turn into juvenile fleas which also occasionally like to try us out for a meal.
If that is not enough to make you squirm, fleas also carry tapeworms - so if your pet has fleas, they will also likely be infested with tapeworms which occasionally like to make an appearance around the animal's tail and bottom looking something akin to a crawling rice grain.
Some animals develop an allergic reaction to flea saliva and one bite can set this reaction off resulting in a very itchy, uncomfortable and often scabby or baldy pet.
Other External Parasites Include
Ticks
Ticks are grey/cream coloured raisin-sized insects that attach themselves to the skin by digging their mouth parts deep into your pets skin to allow constant feeding. These critters feed until they are full with blood and then fall off now full of enough nourishment for a full batch of eggs.
Lice
Lice are much smaller and difficult to see, often affect younger animals and cause scratching and are associated with general ill-thrift and bad health.
Mites
There are a number of different types of mites seen commonly in Ireland and each one is specially designed to live in a specific area such as ears or skin. These little fellows are small but dig deep into the skin - to cause mange, or ear to cause infections.
Modern parasitic treatments are highly effective for both treating and preventing infestations when the correct treatment is used and applied properly.
These treatments are applied easily to the skin in one place - often at the back of the neck and will protect the entire animal for up to 4 weeks.
There are different types of treatments available and the one best suited to your pet can depend on your pets habits, their surroundings and history.
Please contact us to ask our advice for the treatment best suited to your pet.
Internal Parasites
Worms
There are many types of worms and internal parasites. Most animals, unless strictly wormed during all stages of their life, will have a small worm burden constantly or intermittently. It is not in the worms' best interest to cause debilitating illness to its very hospitable host so healthy animals can have worms without any outward signs of such. You will only see worms if your animal is heavily infested; so not seeing them DOES NOT MEAN they are not there.
Worms can be fatal in young animals when the number of them present overwhelms what their bodies can put up with or can physically cause blockage of the intestines.
It is now thought that cat roundworms may also pose a human health risk similar to that of dog roundworms that can cause eye, heart or brain damage in humans but especially children. It is very important to worm your pets regularly - usually at three month intervals - with an effective drug to kill roundworms and other internal parasites.
Tapeworms are transmitted by fleas and also caught by eating mice or rabbits. So, feline hunters need to be wormed more regularly.
Further Information on Fleas & Parasites
Please contact us to find out which treatments are best for your pet.