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Fleas, ticks & worms

dogs and fleas

Keeping your dogs parasite-free is essential for their well-being. Our team is there to give you advice on how to protect your dogs against creepy crawlies such as fleas, mites, lice and intestinal worms.

Fleas

Dogs become infested with fleas through contact with other animals or contact with fleas in the environment. Fleas cannot fly but their strong back legs enable them to jump from host to host.

Flea bites can cause itching and in some cases, can be severe and lead to hair loss, inflammation and secondary skin infections. Preventative flea care needs to be ongoing.

To get on top of infestations, and depending on the medication chosen, cats and dogs need to be treated every month for 3-4 months, and the environment needs to be treated as well using flea bombs. It is important to vacuum and wash animal bedding regularly. It takes several weeks to eliminate the fleas and ongoing treatment of pets should be maintained even after the flea numbers have subsided.

Environmental sprays must contain Insect Growth Regulators (IGR’s) as this stops flea egg development. Insecticides do not affect flea eggs. We recommend Pyriproxifen – Indorex house packs.

Dogs that are allergic to fleas have a severe itch-producing reaction to flea bites. The dog’s response to the intense itching is to chew, lick or scratch. This causes hair loss and can lead to open sores or scabs on the skin, allowing a secondary bacterial infection to begin. Steroids can be issued to give relief from the allergic reaction and where bacterial infection of the skin occurs, antibiotics will need to be administered.

Ticks

Ticks will feed on a variety of animals including dogs. They jump onto your pet and feed by sucking blood. They cause irritation and create wounds that can become infected. In extreme cases, your pet may become ill from loss of blood.

Bravecto chew

Our recommended flea & tick prevention products

Bravecto Chew (fluralaner)

  • Targets fleas, ticks & demodex (mites)
  • Lasts 3 months so no remembering to give monthly
  • Worming is also required
  • CAN’T be used under 8 weeks old or 2kg
  • CAN be used in breeding, pregnancy & lactation.
Bravecto spot-on for dogs

Bravecto Spot on (fluralaner)

  • Targets fleas & ticks
  • Lasts 6 months for fleas, 4 months for ticks
  • Worming is also required
  • CAN’T be used under 8 weeks old or 2kg
  • CAN be used in breeding, pregnancy & lactation.
NexGard Spectra

NexGard Spectra (afoxolaner, milbemycin oxime)

  • Targets fleas, ticks, roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, demodex, sarcoptes & ear mites
  • Lasts 1 month
  • Worming required for tapeworm
  • CAN’T be used under 8 weeks old or 2kg
  • CAN’T be used in breeding, pregnancy & lactation.
Simparica

Simparica (selamectin)

  • Targets fleas, ticks, sarcoptic mange, demodectic mange & ear mites
  • Lasts 1 month
  • Worming is also required
  • Moneyback taste guarantee
  • CAN’T be used under 6 months
  • Not tested for use in pregnancy & lactation.
Seresto collar

Seresto collar (imidacloprid & flumethrin)

  • Targets fleas & ticks
  • Lasts 8 months
  • Worming is also required
  • CAN’T use under 7 weeks old
  • Not tested for use during pregnancy & lactation.
Revolution for puppies

Puppies - Revolution Puppy & Kitten spot-on (selamectin)

  • Targets fleas, roundworms, ear mites, flea allergy dermatitis (FAD)
  • Lasts 1 month
  • Worming required for tapeworm
  • CAN’T use on puppies & kittens under 6 weeks & rabbits under 8 weeks.
Worming dogs

Worms

Unlike fleas that can be seen on your pet, worms are internal so may go unnoticed.

Once they have found their way into the gut, parasitic worms will survive by sucking on your pet’s blood. If left untreated, they can be a serious health risk. As they are internal, they may go unnoticed which is why it is important to treat your pet as per our worming protocol below.

And remember, worms pose a threat not only to our pets but to human health as well.

Franklin Vets Dog Worming Protocol

  • Starting at 2 weeks of age, use an all wormer every 2 weeks up until 12 weeks of age
    • Lactating bitch to be treated when puppies are 2 weeks old as well
  • Monthly treatment from 12 weeks up until 6 months of age
  • 3 monthly treatment with all wormer recommended after 6 months of age
  • Farm dogs on a property with sheep – to receive a monthly praziquantel treatment for the management of T.ovis (Wormicide or Droncit).
Sheep measles cycle

Sheep measles

Sheep measles refers to a tapeworm that cycles through both dogs and sheep (see image to the right) – the adult worm lives in the dog with larvae forming cysts within the muscle of sheep and goats after they pick them up from pasture where dogs have been. Dogs living on a farm, with sheep should be treated monthly with a product containing praziquantel to ensure they are not carrying any adult tapeworms – we recommend Wormicide. Any dog going onto a property where sheep and goats graze should be treated at least 48 hours beforehand.

Dogs are infected by eating larvae living within sheep or goat muscle – any sheep or goat meat should be either frozen to –10 degrees Celsius for 10 days or cooked until well done before feeding to ensure any larvae that may be present within the meat are killed. This is also true for any meat purchased from the supermarket or a butcher, none can be assumed to be safe to be fed without prior treatment.

Worming flow chart
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Franklin Vets

Franklin Vets - excellence in veterinary care for dairy, farming, lifestyle, equine and household pets. BESTPRACTICE ACCREDITED NZ.