VET’S VIEW: Prevention is better than cure for pesky parasites

IT’S more than 30 years since I was at university as a veterinary student, but some things stick in my memory, albeit not always for the best reasons.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Apr 2015, 13:00 BST

Like the time I drifted off in a lecture and woke to find the eyes of the whole class upon me.

The kindly professor had noticed, and alerted my neighbour for fear I would fall off the stool I was on.

It took a long time to live that one down.

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Or another occasion when my friend Hilary suddenly screamed out in the middle of a class.

As she had bent her head over her work a flea had hopped off onto her paper.

The new flat she had moved into clearly already had some lodgers.

As the warmer weather approaches, the fleas will be getting more active, and it’s the ideal time to start control measures.

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Skin disease caused by allergic reactions to fleas is one of the commonest problem vets have to deal with, so prevention is very much better than cure where these pesky parasites are concerned.

Now there are even more ways to ensure that fleas do not invade your home, ranging from spot-ons and sprays to tablets and (for cats) an injection, too.

Unfortunately, there is no one product that will deal with all the parasites your pet might encounter, but some spot-ons do protect against a range of pests, and we have been impressed with some new tablets which treat fleas and ticks.

At Northdale, we are currently offering free check-ups where one of our nurses will help you look for signs of parasites and discuss the treatment options available.

That way you can make sure you do the best for your pet, and, hopefully, stay one hop ahead of those fleas!