INVISIBLE OFFENDERS
O
ne invisible offender in the plight against home cleanliness is the flea. Dr Richards said fleas could come in on a dog’s coat and live in the carpet or soft furnishings in the home, feeding off the dog whenever it comes inside — which continues the life cycle and leads to the breeding of more fleas. “It’s important to keep on top of your flea prevention, which is usually
a monthly application in a spot-on or tablet version,” she said. “Always see your vet for guidance on these. “Some animals won’t indicate that they have fleas — so they won’t scratch — so having a really good look is an option, but sometimes you can miss seeing them as fleas move quite quickly so prevention really is better than cure.”
UNCOMFORTABLE TOPIC
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nother invisible offender that is the point of great discomfort for dog and human alike is that of worms, and again the answer is preventative treatments. “Worm eggs can be carried in on your pet’s coat and make their way into the carpet, which is an issue particularly if you have young children playing on the carpet,” Dr Richards said. “This comes back to regular worming prevention, which your vet will guide you with.”
SPLISH SPLASH
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he most obvious solution for preventing outdoor mess coming inside is to regularly wash your dog, but there are a few things to consider here too. Dr Richards warns against over-washing, or washing with non-hypoallergenic dog-specific shampoos (see your vet for guidance here too), as this can inflame an existing skin condition or lead to one. “If they are really dirty you are going to want to use hypoallergenic and dog-friendly shampoo, but in other instances a warm water rinse may be used to reduce the risk of over-washing,” she said. “We generally recommend once a month washing, or longer, but definitely no more than once a week.”
DOGGY-FREE ZONE
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nother ingenious idea for our furry babies is to use a baby play pen or baby gates to zone off an area where your pet can come inside safely, Dr Richards said. This avoids them getting into anything harmful for their health and safety and also ensures that any mess is confined to a defined area.
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