Parasite Control

Our friendly and expert veterinary staff and nurses are happy to provide advice about the best type of parasite control for your pet. Brandon Park Veterinary Hospital also stocks a range of effective parasite control products in our Glen Waverley pet shop. 

These endoparasites live within the intestinal tracts of our pets, and some have the potential to affect humans, particularly children. Symptoms generally include diarrhoea, blood in the motions, weight loss, and stunted growth in puppies and kittens.

 Intestinal worms are fairly common, but are easily treated with effective treatment.

 Worms can be picked up from:

• the mother at birth
• through the milk
• from litter mates
• from contacting faeces on the ground (usually ingestion)

There are four main types of intestinal worms that are seen

Roundworm

• can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain and stunted growth
• can be picked up from the soil
• can be passed on to humans

Tapeworm

• lives in the small intestine
• can cause irritation around the anal region
• is picked up from fleas, or eating uncooked offal
• hydatids (a type of tapeworm) possess a serious health risk to humans

 Hookworm

• can cause bloody diarrhoea, anaemia and weight loss
• is picked up from the environment and are passed through in the faeces
• larvae can penetrate the skin of dogs and humans

 Whipworm

• can cause bloody diarrhoea
• is shed in the faeces of infected dogs
• can evade detection if only a small number affect the dog. 

Puppies and kittens need to be wormed every two weeks until 12 weeks of age. Then, worming is repeated at the 16 week vaccination, then at 6 months of age.

It is important to weigh your pet prior to all treatments to make sure that the correct dose is given. Whilst many spot on flea treatments can treat some intestinal worms, a regular worm tablet or chew is still recommended.

 Adult dogs should be wormed every three months.

 Adult cats should be wormed every three months.

 There are several effective worming treatments. Products commonly administered are Drontal, Endogard and Milbemax.

• A single female can lay 50 eggs a day, and ten females can lay 15,000 eggs in one month!
• Fleas live mostly in surrounding areas such as bedding and carpets. They only spend a short time on our pets for feeding.
• 5% of fleas live on pets, and 95% in the environment.

These days there are many very effective flea treatments. Many are recommended for monthly use to help prevent an infestation from starting. A proven flea treatment will be able to kill adult fleas and control existing flea infestations. More importantly, if used routinely, these products can prevent such problems from ever occurring.

A flea’s life cycle is about three weeks. If they present in large numbers, it may take a few months to fully control.

We offer a broad range of preventative care products which cater to all types of pets and lifestyles, with the emphasis being on convenience and ease of application.

When looking around for a suitable flea treatment, choose one that is proven, safe, and effective.

Please feel free to call in and speak with one of our staff who will be able to recommend a suitable treatment for your pet.

Heartworm is transmitted by biting insects, mainly by mosquitoes, and it only takes a single bite from a carrier mosquito to infect your dog. Heartworm is therefore very different from intestinal worms.

The carrier mosquito infects your dog with heartworm larvae as it feeds on your dog. These larvae migrate through the dogs tissue and end up in the heart and adjacent blood vessels of the lungs where they grow into adult worms. It can take up to 6 months for the larvae to grow into an adult and in in the early stages of heart worm infections there may be no outward sign of the disease. Heartworm disease can be fatal eventually leading to heart failure and death.

Whilst in Victoria heartworm is not as common as the warmer northern states, it is still present enough to be concerned. It is also concerning that we are seeing mosquitoes most of the year now which means the risk of heartworm infection is all year round.

Heartworm mainly affects dogs, and foxes, however cats can also become infected. Cats can also develop asthma like symptoms if they are infested, due to damage to the lung tissue. 

It is possible for a pet to contract heartworm without coming into contact with other animals

Prevention is the best form of cure, and the use of an effective heartworm treatment can ensure that your pet remains disease free. There are preventative treatments that need to be given each month, or alternatively there is a yearly injection option.

Pro-heart yearly injection

When dogs are fully grown, the pro-heart injection is given yearly to prevent heartworm disease. Generally, this is given with the yearly vaccination.

It is given more frequently during the first 12 months of life as your pup is growing. Routinely, the heartworm injection is given at the 12 week vaccination, then at six months of age, then yearly. This takes away the need for daily or monthly heartworm prevention.

There are also several monthly preparations available. Please ask our staff for assistance if you prefer this option.

Please speak to our friendly and expert staff for advice about preventing paralysis ticks on your pets.