Collection: Dog Flea, Tick, Worming

Flea, tick and worming treatment for dogs Fleas, ticks and worms can be anything from extremely uncomfortable to potentially deadly for dogs. It is very important for the health of your dog and your family that you administer regular flea, tick and worming treatment. Here at Pet Supplies Empire, we offer all the trusted brands at the lowest prices. Why are fleas a problem? (supplied by Vetchat) While fleas are a problem throughout the year, the warmer and humid weather allows flea populations around Australia to explode. They are annoying to both dogs and cats, and the bite of the flea can cause an allergic reaction causing them to be very itchy and get painful sores on their skin. Fleas hatch from eggs and jump onto the nearest host for a feed. Although fleas can’t fly, they can jump long distances and get to your pet from another animal, the soil or grass. They are prolific breeders and one female adult flea can lay around 50 eggs per day – this means a couple of fleas feeding on your best bud can turn into scores of them very quickly! These eggs fall off your pet wherever they frequent (think carpet, rugs, floorboards, backyard etc.), where they hatch into larvae and ultimately develop into adult fleas and start looking for a host again, such as you or your pet. Prevention is better than the cure when it comes to fleas. Don’t wait until summer hits before you start thinking about flea treatment – by then it can be too late! How do I know if my dog already has fleas? The vets at Vetchat have put together the top three ways to tell if your dog has fleas:

1. You see fleas: Fleas are a dark brown colour, a few mm in size and can be spotted by the naked eye just by inspecting your dog’s skin after parting back the fur. Typically, you find them on the skin around your dog's rump but they can be anywhere.
2. Flea dirt: This is just flea poop (your pets dried blood). It looks like there’s dirt on your dog’s skin. If you stand your dog on some white paper towel and use a flea comb to put some of this dirt on the towel, add some water to the suspected flea dirt - and if the water makes the dirt a reddish colour on the paper you have your answer - this is flea dirt and even if you can’t see a flea - you have a flea problem.
3. Skin irritation: A dog with fleas will usually show visible signs of irritation and restlessness. If your dog is shaking its head, scratching, licking, or chewing on certain parts of its body more than usual, this may be a sign of fleas.

There are a variety of topical or oral products that are very effective at ridding your pet of fleas. You should use them all year around and treat all your pets at home, with the appropriate product for that pet. There are many trusted brands out there including Frontline Plus, Nexgard, Advocate and many more. Read the product descriptions of the different options to see which one is best for you and your pet. If you think your dog has fleas, you can get a Vetchat vet on a live video call or start a text chat to discuss in more detail. How do I know if my dog has intestinal worms? Worms are one of the most common issues affecting dogs. Dogs and cats get worms from eating worm eggs off the ground (they are passed in infected pets poop), through an infected mum passing them to her babies through pregnancy or her milk, or via ingestion of fleas. The main groups of intestinal worms are roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms and whipworms. Signs that your dog may have intestinal worms include:

• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Worms or segments in faeces, or seen on your pet’s bottom
• Scooting their bottom along the ground
• Bloated stomach: especially obvious in puppies
• Weight loss: worms are affecting their absorption of nutrients
• Dull coat

There are a variety of topical or oral products that are very effective at ridding your pet of worms. You should use them all year around and treat all your pets at home, with the appropriate product for that pet. There are many trusted brands out there such as Revolution. Read the product descriptions of the different options to see which one is best for you and your pet. If you think your dog has worms, you can get a Vetchat vet on a live video call or start a text chat to discuss in more detail. How do I know if my dog has a tick? Ticks are a dangerous parasite that can be particularly harmful for dogs. One type of tick, the paralysis tick, is a big problem along the East Coast of Australia, and if left to feed on your pet (both dogs and cats can be affected) it will inject its toxin which will cause them to become very sick and if left untreated, can result in death. Signs that your dog may have tick paralysis include:

• Change in voice (i.e. bark)
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting
• Weakness
• Progressing to paralysis of the legs (back legs first)
• Difficulty breathing
• Can see a tick (or feel a lump on your daily checks- note that if you find one, it’s very possible there’ll be more)

If you have any concerns for your pet, have them checked out by your local veterinarian immediately. Do be aware that it can be several days from the feeding of a paralysis tick on your mate until signs are seen, this means that even if things appear normal after you have removed a tick, you need to keep your pet quiet for several days and monitor closely for any signs that things aren’t well. When you’re visiting, or live in a tick area:

1. Use tick prevention: Chat to a veterinarian about what works best for you and your pet, remembering some products are very toxic to cats. Options include sprays, collars, spot on (2 weekly), monthly tablets and the newest one is a very effective tablet that can be given orally every 3 months.
2. Stay away from bushland. Ticks love it here.
3. Do a tick search with your finger tips for 5 minutes every day- from the tip of their nose to their tail, and everywhere in between! Most ticks are found from the shoulders forward (ear tip and lip folds as well), but they can be anywhere and are also often found on the paws. Feel over your entire pet every night for any ‘bumps’ that could be a tick.

If you are in the unhappy situation of finding a tick on your pet it needs to be removed immediately. Always have tick removal tools on standby so that you can safely twist it off, in worst case where you can’t immediately access a vet and you don’t have a tool the tick still needs to be removed. You can use tweezers or even your fingernails getting as close to the skin of your pet where the tick is implanted as possible. Be careful not to squeeze the body of the tick, which could cause increased risk of an allergic reaction or risk more toxin to be passed to your pet. This does risk some tick parts remaining in your pet, but at least no more toxin is being released. Place the tick in a bag or container so you can show your local Veterinarian. Top tip: See your local veterinarian immediately if you have any concerns and remember that clinical signs of paralysis tick may not be seen on your pet for a few days, even after removal of the tick. If you’d like to chat about your pet, you can get a Vetchat vet on a live video call or start a text chat to discuss in detail.