Ask Anna, our local Vet

Ask Anna, Your local Vet

In associaltion with Henlow Vets Your local Independant Veterinary Centre

Hi Jessica, I hope that you are getting on well with your new pet(s) and enjoying the British summertime! It's a great time to review preventative healthcare when you get a new animal; as vets we prefer prevention to cure as so many issues can be dealt with more simply in this way. Firstly, you asked about parasites and how best to prevent these infesting your beloved dog. There's so many to talk about so this month I'll talk about external parasites, and next month about internal parasites. Also I'll write about vaccinations in the next few months! As always your vets are the prime place to talk to regarding preventative healthcare, as they can provide the most effective and up-to-date products that would suit your particular pet. They also often have a monthly preventative healthcare plan which includes parasite control and vaccinations, giving you peace of mind that you're keeping your pet as fit and healthy as possible..

So firstly- the ever present flea! These pesky parasites are still as common a problem as ever. Fleas hop onto your pet from the environment or other animals, then stay there for days, feeding on your pet's blood. Each female can lay 20-50 eggs per day which then fall off your pet and onto your carpets and furnishings. These hatch quickly in the summer heat, going through a larval stage , then a pupa, before hatching out as an adult. When the fleas feed they can cause irritation and soreness of the skin, and some dogs and cats can be allergic to their saliva causing a more intense reaction and skin allergy. Fleas also carry other disease such as Mycoplasma, which causes anaemia in cats.

There are many different flea preventions on the market, coming in spot on, collar, treat and tablet form. I can't mention specific brands but as a general rule the most up to date products will be sold by veterinary surgeries; they are put on more general sale further down the line. The most important thing, apart from specific product, is regular treatment of ALL the dogs and cats in your household, and treatment of the environment if you are unlucky enough to get fleas breeding in your house.

In this area we also get a lot of ticks, which again feed on dog and cat blood. These little spider like arachnids live in the outside environment and then, when ready to feed, crawl up some vegetation and wait for a passing animal to brush by, at which point they crawl onboard! Ticks screw their mouthparts into your dog's skin, causing pain and irritation. They can also transmit disease such as Lyme's disease, and more recently we are seeing occasional cases of European diseases such as Ehrlichiosis and Babesiosis being transmitted. These diseases cause anaemia and bleeding disorders and can be life threatening. It takes 24-48 hours for diseases to be transferred from the tick to your animal, so most products will kill ticks within this time, or repel them before they attach. If a tick has attached to your pet please speak to your vets for advice, as we normally recommend removal. Please don't pull the tick off as this can lead to the mouthparts remaining buried in the skin which can cause an abscess to form.

Anna Marshall-Brown

MA VetMB CertSAM MRCVS

Henlow Veterinary Centre Ltd

Each month we invite readers of the Stotfold News Magazine to ask Anna Marshall-Brown of local independent Veterinary Centre Henlow Vets some advice on their family pet: Dear Anna, We have just re-homed a young dog (he is a crossbreed - Jack Russel and one other!) Currently we are deciding how best to protect him against common issues such as fleas, can you suggest anything? Jessica

Henlow Veterinary Centre 22 Bedford Road Lower Stondon Beds SG16 6EA (01462) 416416 Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8.30am - 18.30pm Sat 9am -12 noon

Your Pets....

Name: Monty Breed: Cavapoo Age: 2.5 years old. Likes: His favourite activities are going for walks (which take ages because he likes to sniff everything on the way!), meeting people, eating!, playing with his little doggie brother and going to dog training classes at the Stotfold puppy & dog training club. We want to see your pets! Email us at stotfold.news@yahoo.co.uk