MYTH: JUST A FEW PARASITES ON MY DOG, NOT THAT BAD, RIGHT?

The creatures which live in or on our pets are called parasites. Due to warmer temperatures all year-round as well as travel, these parasites are spreading to different parts of the world and are active for longer than just the summer months. 

Parasite expert Łukasz Adaszek recently commented:

“YEAR-ROUND TICK ACTIVITY MEANS THAT VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES BECOME A YEAR-ROUND PROBLEM. RISING TEMPERATURES AND PET MOVEMENT WORK IN COMBINATION TO INCREASE INCIDENCE OF CASES. PET MOVEMENT HELPS DISEASES SPREAD, WHILE RISING TEMPERATURES HELP THEM BECOME ESTABLISHED.”

Since parasites can remain active for longer periods due to rising temperatures, providing tailored year-round protection based on the risks for you and your pet is key to ensure our pets are safe and healthy at all times. 

There are two types of parasites, endoparasites, which live inside of your pet, and ectoparasites, which live on the skin of your pet and can be easier to detect. 

Here’s a breakdown:

The dangers of internal and external parasites to the health of your dogs and cats

Fleas, ticks and other creatures can live on the surface of your pet’s skin.  

They penetrate the animal’s skin, causing wounds. For example, fleas can make the skin of cats and dogs itchy and sore. They can not only be distressing for the pets, but also for the owners. 

What’s more, once the skin barrier is broken, secondary infections from bacteria and/or fungi can take place. 

If they weren’t bad enough on their own, ectoparasites can also transmit diseases. And moreover, these pathogens can sometimes be transmitted to humans, a disease type known as zoonosis.  

So, it’s no surprise that the presence of ectoparasites can lower the general health of any animal infected by them. 

In addition, some parasites live inside our cats and dogs undetected. 

Known as endoparasites, they may find a home inside the bloodstream or gut of your cat or dog. Unsurprisingly, they are also bad news for pet health. 

Protecting our pet’s health from parasites 

Here’s what you can do to keep your pet free from parasites: 

Finding a veterinary practitioner is the first and most important action to take. As overall warmer temperatures mean that parasites are becoming a problem in unusual places and at unusual times of the year, it becomes more important to regularly visit your veterinary practitioner. They can provide tailored advice and put in place appropriate year-round protection to best protect your pet based on their lifestyle.