Tag Archives: Tick

As the winter season sets in, it’s essential to remember that that big fluffy coat on your furry friend can’t just be forgotten about now that it’s colder! While fleas and ticks may seem like summer pests, they can still pose a real threat during the winter months. Additionally, regular grooming plays a vital role in keeping your pets comfortable and healthy during the whole year. In this blog post, we’ll explore a few of the most effective ways to manage fleas and ticks in winter and provide grooming tips to ensure your pet stays happy and cosy. Let’s jump in!

Understanding the Flea and Tick Threat in Winter:

During winter, there is a common misconception that fleas and ticks just… disappear. But the truth is these resilient pests can still pose a threat to your pets. While their activity may decrease in colder temperatures, they can survive indoors, especially in warm areas like homes. Furthermore, certain areas, such as basements, attics, or areas near heating vents, provide a suitable environment for their survival. More tropical parts of Australia should also be aware of fleas and ticks year-round, as the pests likely don’t go into hibernation at all. It’s important to recognize that winter does not eliminate the risk entirely, and preventive measures should still be taken to protect your pets and your home.

Managing Fleas and Ticks in Winter:

To effectively manage fleas and ticks during winter, regular inspection and prevention are crucial. Thoroughly check your pet’s coat and skin for any signs of infestation, such as excessive scratching or redness, on a regular basis. Consult your veterinarian for suitable flea and tick preventatives, as some products are specifically designed for year-round protection. Additionally, maintaining a clean living environment is essential. Vacuum frequently, paying attention to areas where your pet spends time. Wash their bedding in hot water to eliminate any potential pests. Treat the yard and outdoor areas, as fleas and ticks can still reside there during winter.

Grooming Tips for Winter Comfort:

When it comes to grooming during winter, a few tips can ensure your pet’s comfort. Regular brushing is crucial to prevent matting and remove dead hair that can trap moisture and cause skin issues. For long-haired pets, consider trimming their fur to a manageable length, especially around the paws and belly. This helps prevent the accumulation of snow, ice, mud, or moisture that could lead to discomfort or damage. When bathing your pet, choose a pet-friendly shampoo that won’t dry out their skin. Ensure thorough drying after the bath to prevent chilling in colder temperatures – a hair dryer is ok to use, but be sure to keep the temperature gentle to ensure you don’t accidentally overheat or burn your pet.

Additional Winter Care Considerations:

In addition to managing fleas, ticks, and grooming, there are other factors to consider for your pet’s winter care. Moisturising your pet’s skin and paws, especially exposed spots like their nose, can help combat dryness caused by the cold weather and central heating. Use pet-safe moisturisers or consult your veterinarian for recommendations. Protect your pet from cold weather hazards by providing suitable outdoor shelter and clothing, such as jackets or adorable little booties. Avoid exposing them to freezing temperatures for extended periods, as it can easily lead to hypothermia. Keep an eye out for signs of discomfort or health issues and consult your veterinarian if needed.

While winter brings colder weather, it doesn’t mean the end of fleas, ticks, and grooming needs for your pets. By taking proactive measures to manage these pests and maintaining a grooming routine suitable for the colder season, you can ensure your pet’s well-being and comfort throughout the winter months. Remember, if you have any concerns or questions, consult with your veterinarian for personalised advice. Stay vigilant, keep your pets cosy, and enjoy the beauty of winter together!

Bath time in the winter can be a real hassle, but with the right products you can do it less often, get it over with quickly, and focus on staying warm. Support your pet’s wintertime coat with Nectar of the Dogs’ Skin & Coat Medicinal Water Treat. Click here to shop today.

Dog

How Often Does My Dog Need Flea, Tick and Worm Treatment?

10/01/2023 AVW Blogs Leave a comment

Fleas, ticks, and worms can be detrimental to the health of your dog. They can cause skin irritation, fatigue, anaemia and other illnesses that may be difficult to treat.

It’s important to keep your dog safe from these parasites and have them treated on a regular basis. The good news is there are a variety of treatments available that can help keep your pup safe from these pests.

However, it is important to know how often your dog should receive flea, tick and worm treatment, so you can give them the proper care they need. So, how often should you be treating your pooch for fleas, ticks and worms? Let’s find out!

Flea Treatment for Dogs

Fleas can cause a lot of discomfort and skin irritation in dogs. To help keep your pup flea-free, it is important to use an effective flea treatment on a regular basis. Depending on the product you choose, you may need to apply it once a month or once every three months.

Tick Treatment for Dogs

Ticks can carry dangerous diseases, so it’s important that your dog is protected from them as well. If you are located in an area with high concentrations of ticks or if you take your pup for frequent walks in bushy or scrubby areas, then a monthly tick treatment is recommended.

Worm Treatment for Dogs

Finally, it is important to ensure that your pooch receives a regular worming treatment as well. The product you select should consider your dog’s age and lifestyle, as various worming treatments are suitable for different stages of life – from puppy to adult.

Keeping Your Dog Free of Fleas, Ticks, and Worms

In general, most flea tick and worm treatments should be administered every month in order to ensure that your pooch remains healthy and pest-free. Some spot-on treatments may require less frequent administration, while oral medications may be needed more frequently.

If you’re unsure about which treatment is best for your pup or how often it should be administered, talk to your veterinarian for advice.

Our team of vets have hand-selected a range of flea, tick and worm treatment options for dogs that are fully endorsed by the APVMA. We stock many of the brands that you know and love, plus generic options which help you save money on your pet’s care. You can explore our full range of flea, tick and worm treatments for dogs here.

In addition to regular flea, tick and worm treatments, there are a few other things you can do to help keep your pupper safe from pests. Regularly groom your dog with a brush or comb in order to remove any existing pests, as well as their eggs before they hatch and multiply.

Additionally, make sure that any areas where your dog spends time outside, such as yards or parks, are free from standing water where mosquitoes can lay their eggs.

Lastly, wash all bedding regularly in hot water in order to kill any lingering pests or eggs that might have been brought inside your home by accident.

Fleas, ticks, and worms are no fun for anyone – especially for our furry friends! To ensure that your pup stays healthy and pest-free, it’s important to give them regular flea, tick and worm treatments, as well as following our preventative care tips above.

Taking preventative measures now will go a long way towards keeping your furry friend healthy long into the future!

We offer a broad range of flea, tick and worm treatments for dogs that are hand-selected by our team of Australian veterinarians. Protect your pooch from common pesky parasites, including fleas, ticks, intestinal worms and heartworms. Shop the range now!

Dog

How Can I Protect My Dog From Ticks?

30/11/2022 AVW Blogs Leave a comment

Tick paralysis is one of the most common pet emergencies and, with ticks prevalent throughout northern and eastern Australia, it’s not entirely unexpected.

Sadly, tick paralysis isn’t the only risk that ticks pose to dogs. These pesky little parasites are known to carry diseases and tick bites can also lead to inflammation and infection. For these reasons, it’s crucial that all pet parents know what to do to protect against ticks.

Thankfully, there are numerous steps you can take this tick season to protect your dog from ticks. But prevention is, by far, the golden rule when it comes to these potentially lethal parasites. In this article, we give you some useful tips to protect your pooch from ticks.

1. Learn about ticks in your local area

There are four types of tick in Australia that affect dogs. These include the paralysis tick, the bush tick, the cattle tick and the brown dog tick.

Knowing which ticks reside in the area will help you to protect against them. Keep in mind all the environments that your dog may be exposed to, including in your yard at home and when you take them outdoors to grassy or bushland areas.

Even though paralysis ticks and bush ticks prefer dense vegetation, they may enter urban areas by attaching themselves to wild animals, such as possums.

Cattle ticks and brown dog ticks are most active in regional and tropical areas, typically closer to livestock, so consider your proximity to farms and kennels.

2. Use tick prevention products

There are a multitude of products available that are specifically targeted at preventing ticks. These medications range from ingested and topical solutions, to collars and sprays.

Knowing which ticks are in your area will help you in selecting the right tick prevention product. Our veterinarians recommend Simparica for dogs, a monthly tick preventative, which is available in Simparica and Simparica Trio.

Simparica Trio kills 98% of paralysis ticks, bush ticks and brown dog ticks within eight hours of treatment – the fastest knockdown of any product available. A single chewable tablet also provides 35 days of protection against new ticks. It’s safe for use in puppies from eight weeks of age and weighing over 1.3kg.

3. Check for ticks daily during tick season

In Australia, tick season occurs in the Summer months of December to February. During this time, you should check your dog daily for ticks. The sooner you find and remove any ticks, the lower the chances are of tick paralysis and disease transmission.

Paralysis ticks prefer to embed themselves around the head, neck, chest and shoulders. However, they may also be found in the ears, mouth or under the collar, between the paw pads and under the tail, so don’t miss these areas during your search.

Be aware the risk of ticks in regional and tropical areas can be year-round. If you notice any changes in your dog’s behaviour that may indicate a tick bite, such as heavy breathing, vomiting or lethargy, check them thoroughly for ticks.

4. Remove the entire tick, including the head

It’s vital that any embedded ticks are removed completely intact. When ticks are removed improperly, the head may be left behind, which can lead to irritation and infection.

When removing a tick, always wear gloves to avoid exposing yourself to any diseases the tick may be carrying. It’s recommended to use a specialised tool for extracting ticks. These devices enable you to grab onto the tick and pull it off easily.

Your veterinarian will be able to give you advice on the best methods for tick removal. Do not attempt any “wives’ tales” that instruct you to burn, douse or apply products to ticks as these methods don’t work and may make it more difficult to remove the tick intact.

5. Know the symptoms of paralysis ticks

Lastly, familiarise yourself with the symptoms of tick bites. Tick paralysis and tick-borne diseases can be fatal to your dog if not treated quickly, so the best defence you can arm yourself with is information on the clinical signs.

Symptoms of tick paralysis include:

Heavy breathing, which may be rapid or impeded
Coughing or any change to the sound of the dog’s bark
Vomiting, retching or an exaggerated swallowing action
Wobbliness, lethargy or difficulty standing

Alarmingly, these symptoms can progress rapidly over several days and in the worst cases lead to respiratory or health failure. Using Simparica for dogs, such as Simparica and Simparica Trio is one of the most effective ways to prevent the deadly paralysis tick.

Start using Simparica for dogs today! Our Simparica range includes Simparica and Simparica Trio. One monthly chew provides broad protection for your pooch against the most common ticks, including paralysis tick. Shop the range now!

Cat

Is Advocate for Cats Actually Better?

12/10/2022 AVW Blogs Leave a comment

Advocate for cats, Revolution, Advantage, Frontline, Bravecto, Neovet – the options for parasite protection for our pets is seemingly endless. With so many different brand names to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know that you’re selecting the right one for your pet.

While we always recommend discussing parasite protection with your vet, we believe it’s important that pet owners feel confident in their own knowledge as well. After all, not every product requires a prescription, and the over-the-counter options are growing rapidly.

So, if you’re eager to learn how to choose the best parasite protection for your favourite feline and save money in the process, let’s get started!

Personalised Prevention

Every cat is purrfectly unique which means that parasite protection should be personalised to a few individual factors to ensure its safe and effective. These include your cat’s age, lifestyle, weight and treatment type.

Age

Protecting your cat from parasites is one of the best ways to keep them healthy and thriving through every stage of their life. The important takeaway is that many of the diseases caused by parasites are preventable with regular treatment from an early age.

Your cat’s age will determine which product you choose and the frequency of treatment. The key difference between flea and worm treatments formulated for cats and kittens is whether your feline is under six months of age or over six months and entering adulthood.

Lifestyle

Your cat’s daily lifestyle may expose them to additional risks, such as tapeworm if they eat raw meat and ticks if they are free to roam outdoors. Different parasites lurk in different environments, so you need to consider which parasites should be treated.

Broad parasite protection is recommended to cover as many common parasites as possible, including fleas, intestinal worms, heart worm, lung worm and ear mites. Even if your cat is kept strictly indoors, it’s important to consider all potential parasite threats.

Weight

It’s dangerous to give your cat or kitten any form of parasite treatment without carefully checking their current weight. Before administering any treatment, weigh your cat on accurate scales to determine the correct dosage they need.

Both overdosing and underdosing your cat pose serious risks to their health. On one hand, parasite treatment is wasted if your pet doesn’t receive the full dosage and an overdose can lead to life-threatening consequences without immediate veterinary intervention.

Treatment Type

Parasite treatments range from spot-ons, tablets and pastes, to collars, shampoos and sprays. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages, and your preference will depend on what works best for you and what your cat is willing to tolerate.

The reality is that no single parasite treatment protects against every parasite in cats, so you’ll likely need to pair two products if you want to cover all bases in regard to fleas, ticks and worms. But there are two products available that come close!

Advocate for Cats vs Neovet

Now that we’ve covered the four key factors to personalising prevention to your fluffy friend, let’s take a closer look at the difference between brand name and generic, and if one truly outperforms the other in terms of efficacy and cost.

When you walk into a pharmacy today, it’s common for the pharmacist to ask you this question: “would you prefer brand name or generic?” For many of us, we’ve become comfortable with the idea that lower cost doesn’t mean lower quality.

Thankfully, new parasite treatments are emerging that offer the same benefits to our pets! One example of a powerful parasite prevention is Neovet, which is a generic Advocate for cats. It packs the same punch in terms of active ingredients for a cheaper price.

Both products protect against a wide spectrum of parasites in cats, including fleas and flea larvae, heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, lungworms and ear mites. Additionally, both products comply with the same strict standards enforced by the APVMA.

What this means is that you have the freedom to choose a parasite treatment that offers the same protection to your cat at a more affordable price. If you’re interested in learning more about brand name versus generic, you can read our blog on the topic here.

Protect your cat with our vet recommended generic Advocate for cats, Neovet! Our Neovet range includes Neovet for Kittens and Small Cats up to 4kg and Neovet for Large Cats over 4kg. Your search for the better alternative is over with Neovet. Shop the range now!

Dog

Why Vets Recommend Simparica Trio for Dogs in Australia

14/09/2022 AVW Blogs Leave a comment

Simparica Trio provides broad protection against fleas, ticks, intestinal worms and heartworm and is recommended by Aussie vets for Aussie dogs.

In Australia, we love spending time outdoors with our dogs. But Australia is also home to some of the deadliest parasites. Two of the most concerning parasites that are potentially life threatening for your pooch are heartworm and the paralysis tick.

The parasitic worm, Dirofilaria immitis, responsible for heartworm disease can infect your dog through a single mosquito bite, while paralysis ticks are found in bushland and scrub along Australia’s east coast, from Queensland to Victoria.

Let’s take a closer look at the parasites that Simparica Trio combats in puppies and dogs.

Heartworms

Heartworms can live inside an infected dog for five to seven years! Once mature, the adult heartworms reside in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels. While the severity of the disease is often dependent upon a few factors, such as the number of worms present (worm burden), their presence in these vital organs is potentially deadly.

The difficulty with heartworm disease is that some infected dogs may show only mild symptoms or none at all. However, if left untreated, a heavy worm burden can cause various symptoms, such as a persistent cough, difficulty breathing, and heart failure. Simparica Trio is proven to kill 100% of heartworms and prevents heartworm disease when given monthly.

Paralysis Ticks

Tick paralysis in dogs is caused by the female paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, which secretes a paralysing neurotoxin into the bloodstream as they feed. Symptoms of tick paralysis, including heavy breathing, coughing, vomiting and difficulty standing, can progress rapidly over several days. If left untreated, the condition can lead to respiratory or heart failure.

Tick paralysis is one of the most common pet emergencies, making prevention crucial to protect your pooch. Simparica Trio kills paralysis ticks, as well as brown ticks and bush ticks. One chewable tablet also provides 35 days of protection against new ticks. Daily searching for and removal of ticks is also recommended during the Summer months (tick season).

Other Parasites

Simparica Trio is also recommended by vets in Australia for its effectiveness at treating and controlling other harmful parasites in puppies and dogs, including fleas and intestinal worms – some of which can be transmitted from infected dogs to people!

Despite their small size, fleas are responsible for the majority of skin diseases in dogs. Their bites cause irritation that ranges in severity from itchiness to potentially fatal allergic reactions. Simparica Trio has been shown to kill fleas within 4-8 hours of treatment.

Simparica Trio also provides 35 days of protection against four species of hookworms and roundworms when administered monthly. In addition, it assists in decreasing the risk of transmission of these parasites to other pets and people in your home.

Of the two species of roundworm that can infest dogs in Australia, the species Toxocara canis can spread from infected dogs to humans. In these cases, it’s usually children who are more vulnerable as they’re most at risk of ingesting dirt that has been contaminated.

Wrap Up

Simparica Trio is one of the most popular parasite protection options for dogs in Australia. It is safe for dogs from eight weeks of age and weighing over 1.3KG. Simparica Trio is a tasty liver-flavoured chewable tablet that even the fussiest of dogs will readily consume.

We stock six sizes of Simparica Trio from Puppy to Extra Large Dog to ensure every dog owner can find the right option. It’s important to follow the dosage instructions when giving Simparica Trio to your pooch as each dose is formulated for a specific bodyweight.

Parasite prevention is an important part of pet care and Simparica Trio makes it easy to protect your pooch’s lifelong health and wellbeing. You don’t need a prescription to use Simparica Trio and unlike other parasite treatments, no heartworm testing is required.

Start your pup on Simparica Trio today. Find the right size for your pooch with our full range of Simparica Trio for puppies and dogs! One monthly chew will provide broad parasite protection for 35 days to keep your pupper healthy and thriving. Shop the range now!