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Frequently Asked QuestionsHow often should I worm my dog?
We recommend worming puppies every month up to six months of age, and then every three months after that. Wormers should be effective against all types of worms.
How often should I worm my cat?
We recommend worming kittens every month up to six months of age. Adult cats need worming every two to three months if they have an outdoor lifestyle, cats that are genuinely kept inside all the time should rarely need worming.
Why should I neuter my pet?
Apart from the obvious effect of preventing puppies, bitches speyed before their second season also benefit from a much-reduced likelihood of developing mammary tumours (equivalent to breast cancer in humans) when older. They also avoid the development of a common and life-threatening condition called a pyometra (“pus in the womb”) that occurs in middle and older aged bitches.
Female cats, or queens, can reproduce at an alarming rate – they can become pregnant even whilst still rearing and suckling their previous litter. Mammary tumours and pyometra can also occur in cats, but are less common than in bitches.
The negative side to neutering is a potential for being overweight, easily avoided by reducing the amount fed. The other aspect is the risk from a general anaesthetic, or post-operative complications, but those risks are small.
With male dogs and cats, the benefits are reduced wandering; reduced aggression, especially towards other males; reduced territory marking; and the avoidance of the unmistakeable odour of tomcats.
The negative sides are as for females, but the risk if complications is probably even less.
What sort of flea treatment is best?
Fleas are the most common cause of parasitic skin disease in dogs and cats, and are tough little creatures. To be controlled effectively, a combination of treatments is usually required: treating the home environment plus treating all the dogs and cats in the house. For ease of use, either the six-monthly injection for cats, or a spot-on applied to the back of the neck is best, but make sure that the spot-on is the most effective sort – they are NOT all the same. It is best to use a spot-on that controls fleas in the home environment as well as fleas on the pet - not all spot-ons do this.
Sometimes a more rapid effect is required, especially around the house, and for this, an aerosol spray is necessary. The most effective of these last one year, but all areas must be treated for it to be effective.
One of the most rapid methods of killing fleas on a pet is either an aerosol spray, or a tablet – given to the pet, not the flea! The tablets will start killing fleas on the pet within a matter of minutes, but must be given for several days or more. They are an effective short-term treatment.
NEVER EVER USE A DOG SPOT-ON PREPARATION ON A CAT - IT IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF POISONING IN CATS. CONTACT THE PRACTICE FOR CORRECT ADVICE ON THE USE OF FLEA TREATMENTS.
How do I know if my pet is in pain?
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