Flea, Tick and Lice Advice

Yea I know, *rolls eyes* dem little critters juz love to get in our fur and feast on our lush blood, but our hoomans duz need to get a grip ov dem and protect us, cuz ders nasty disease we can catch from dem ticks, and even fleas can give us allergies an infections, not to mention leavin der poop all in our coats pffft #NORESPEKT.

So I fort I'd do a qwick rite up about wots available - in da UK cos me not familia wiv anyware else - so yoo can all tell yer hoomans to get wot dey fink iz best!

There's now lots ov new and old products available for cats and dogs and it is so confoosing. Ontop ov dat, some products haz changed der recommendations or 'data sheet' in terms of how often to dose us! Lungworm *takes deep breff cos big werds coming up* Angyiostrongylus Vasorum, *coughs* infection in dogs has been in da press a lot, so it's advisable to get protected against dat as well. The newer products available are more effective, take Frontline for an example, it werks in some areas, but in other's the fleas have built up a resistance to it, clever little beggars, so best not to use Frontline if yoo live in an area ware Frontline won't werk. Corse not all products do everyfing, so stuff like Heartworm needs advice from yoo vet if it's not included in da treatment yoo choose to use. An heartworm is a nasty disease ov da heart, dats why its called heart worm. *nods head*.

So here's me updated list of most recent products for Flea, Tick and Lice.

*finds data sheet on desk and peers at it*

Oye! Pay attention yoo at da back and stop licking yer butt, dis impawtunt stuff! *coughs*

DOGS

BRAVECTO
Chewable tablet given every 3 months.
Treats Fleas and Ticks
Use from: 8 wks ov age and over 2kg, can be used if pregnant (the dog not owner)
Use with: Milbemax chewable worming tablet, monthly for lungworm.
Ideal for: Dogs that swim or are shampooed regularly. Treats ticks.

ADVOCATE;
A spot-on used monthly
Treats Fleas, Lungworm, Fox mange and some worms
Use from: 7wks of age and over 1kg
Use with: Drontal worming tablets every 3 months, plus Frontline spray for tick protection or a tick remover
Ideal for: The most cost effective lung worm prevention.
DO NOT USE WITH MILBEMAX worming treatment as they use the same ingredient (chemical) or for dogs that swim or are shampooed regularly.

COMFORTIS
Chewable monthly tablet
Treats Fleas
Use from: 14wks to 1.2kg
Use with: Milbemax chewable worming tablet monthly for lungworm prevention, plus Frontline spray for tick prevention or a tick removal tool.
Ideal for: Thought to be the most efficient flea treatment, and not affected by swimming or shampooing. Do not use if the dog has a sensitive stomach or history of seizures. Must be given with food.

STRONGHOLD
Spot on used monthly
Used for: Fleas, Fox mange, ear mites, lice, and some worms.
Use from: 6wks and can be used in pregnancy
Use with: Milbemax chewable worm tablets monthly for lungworm prevention, Frontline spray for tick prevention or a tick remover
Ideal for: Dogs that have regular contact with foxes, waterproof after 2hrs.

CATS

Cat's don't get dog lungworm (and I int riting dat long werd agen pffft), use Stronghold spot-on monthly or Comfortis tablets monthl for flea prevention with Milbemax tablets every 3 months for worming. A spot-on wormer like Profender can be used if da cat spits da tablets out or saviges it's hooman. Frontline spray can be used for fleas and harvest mites (not mice pay attention)

You cannot use dog flea/tick treatments on cats and vice versa, dey gotta be proper stuff for each species otherwise overdosing and side effects even death can happen.

Always get da hooman to read da leaflet before dosing and always get dem to weigh you so you get da rite dosage. No good giving a dog weighing 50lbs a treatment meant for one of 25lb cos it dunt work properly if at all.

Now a little bit of interest, and a myth buster. A spot-on treatment doesnt work by getting into our blood stream and poisoning da pests wot biting us. *shakes head and waves finger* no no no. Spot-on treatments spread across da skin protecting all da skin from da place where its put to the tip ov our tails and toes. Tablets get from da stomach into da blood stream and work dat way instead. And sprays give a reduced effect cos it can't reach da skin, cos ov our fur. But its better dan nuffin. Dunno if you can still get da sprays or da powders anymore. *scratches head wiv claw*

Tell da hoomans to always wash der hands after treatin us, cos dey can absorb some ov da chemicals demselves, and won't kill dem but might cause irritayshon, an allergy or they might wanna stop an sniff all da lamp posts or trees down the road *sniggers*

Always dispose ov da packagin carefully so wildlife can't get at it, and keep it all away from rivers and ponds cos it contaminates da fishes, and dey not get fleas or ticks. Probbly cos ov all da polution in da water bahahahahaha... ahem.

So now yoo know all about creepy crawlie protection *scratches butt* and how to stay critter free. oooh me almost furgot! Da hoomans also gotta treat yoor bed, da household furniture and carpets too after yoo bin treated, cos dem fleas likes to hide away around skirting boards, in rugs, in yer bed, in yer hoomans bed, anyware dey can. So get a good household spray specially for dat purpose, I fink Muvver uses one called Indorex wich is good. She used to give da chickin coop a spray wiv dat too cos it kills red mites but dats anuvva story.

I fink dats about all me little brain can rememba for now but yoo can always ask me in da comment bit under dis artickle if yoo got any qweschons.

ooh me juz rememba'd sumfing *giggles* years ago before our time, wen hoos didnt have heated houses, Muvver can rememba dis *shoots a sly glance at Muvver* us furs never needed flea treatment cos da fleas died off in da winter cos was too cold. And da eggs dey laid never hatched until da following summer if it was warm enough. But nowadays wiv central heating and dat new fangled climate control stuff dey got fleas survive all year round, so we needs to be treated every month to protect us.

And anuvva intrestin fact, me is full ov dem today *puffs out chest wiv pride* ahem.... did yoo know, dat fleas eggs can stay dormant for up to 18 months in da house (or car) and dey only start to hatch once dey sense warm blooded fings walking about near dem, like us or da hoomans. Den dey start to hatch out and hop on for a quick snack, cos we like walking McDonalds to dem. pffft..

Anyway me goin to go and have a good scratch now cos me all itchy talking about dis stuff. I might do a quick scoot too cos me butt's a bit itchy, but fink dats me anal glands want a quick squeeze.... oye Muvver .....

Catch yer laters pals

Love yoo lots

Angel Bonnie
xoxox