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Health advice for your pet

There is a constant struggle against parasites if you are a pet owner.

There are many different kinds of parasites; however we will be looking at the two most common parasites here in the UK, fleas and ticks:

Fleas

Fleas cause irritation to both cats and dog's skin, can transmit tapeworms and cause permanent skin problems. Fleas don't distinguish between dirty and clean homes and favour warmer spaces where they can breed all year round. Cats are the biggest carrier of fleas and flea collars work well to keep your cat flea-free.

Ticks

There are two main kinds of ticks in the UK - sheep and hedgehog ticks. UK ticks are less harmful than other places around the world but there is evidence that ticks cause Lyme disease in people and animals. Symptoms include arthritis and fever and can be treated with antibiotics.

You can prevent ticks on your pet with the use of collars and topical medicines specifically made for dogs or cats.

If you find a tick on your pet remove it without squeezing the body of the tick and do not leave the head parts in the body of your pet. Special hooks can be bought from pet stores or vets. If you do find a tick on yourself remove it as soon as possible and seek medical attention.