Parasite Control

Parasite Control for Your Pets

A variety of both internal and external parasites have evolved to live, often in peaceful harmony, with cats and dogs. A few are potentially transmissible to us, or are certainly happy to live on or in us. Fortunately most are simple to prevent, or treat.

Cat Parasites

Common Cat Parasites

Roundworms, the size of small earthworms, are often inherited by kittens either via the placenta or in the first milk. They may be vomited or passed in faeces.
Tapeworms are most often contracted by eating infected fleas. Rice grain sized segments are passed from the cat’s bottom.
Giardia is a single cell protozoan parasite contracted by drinking contaminated water. It causes chronically loose stools.
Fleas leave black shiny specks of dirt in the coat, sometimes their eggs too. Fleas are the most common cause of all feline skin and coat conditions. Treat your household with flea birth control and flea killer products to prevent reinfestation.
Ear mites produce gritty, sandy debris in the ears and are often inherited from mothers or contracted from neighbouring cats.
Ticks attach themselves where cats find it hard to lick. They gorge on blood for several days then drop off. Ticks carry a variety of potentially serious diseases.

Dog Parasites

Common Dog Parasites

Roundworms are commonly inherited by pups from their mothers at the time of birth, even when the mother has been regularly wormed. (Roundworms are evolutionarily quite clever!) Pups are regularly wormed following individual manufacturer’s instructions during their first year.
Tapeworms are most often contracted by eating fleas. Rice grain sized segments are passed from the dog’s bottom.
Giardia is a single cell protozoan parasite contracted by drinking contaminated water. It causes chronically loose stools and is perhaps the most common parasite we diagnose in dogs.
Fleas leave black shiny specks of dirt in the coat, sometimes their eggs too. Fleas are the most common cause of itchy skin conditions from March to November. Treat your household with flea birth control and flea killer products to prevent reinfestation.
Lungworms were previously restricted to the southwest and are contracted through eating snails, slugs or their slime so large dogs with no taste buds such as Labradors are more at risk. We diagnose lungworm infection in London dogs several times a year.
Ticks attach themselves to dogs mostly from March to October. If your dog visits Richmond Park or wooded areas outside of London, consider starting tick control in March and continue until the first hard frost in November. If your dog is exercised only in central London, the risk from ticks is much less. We can discuss with you whether tick control is needed

Our Approach

All of these parasites are eliminated using a variety of prescription ‘spot-ons’ or tablets. If fleas are present treat your household with flea birth control and flea killer products to prevent reinfestation.
Most dogs should be given internal parasite treatment every three to twelve months depending on their lifestyles.
The need for external parasite prevention varies enormously according to a dog’s lifestyle. We develop joint plans with you.
Most indoor cats in London need only primary treatment when they enter your home. Further prevention in needed only in exceptional circumstances such as the introduction of new cats or dogs.
Outdoor cats however need routine preventative treatment, especially for fleas.
We advice not using topical products containing fipronil or neonicitinoids both of which are known to be damaging to insect life and bee activity.
DANGER: Some ‘spot-ons’ that contain pyrethins, for example Advantix, which is safe and effective for dogs, are potentially lethal for cats. Never use products with pyrethrins either on cats or on dogs that live with cats.