Spring Care of Pets

Spring into action now that spring has sprung to ensure your pet is prepared for the warmer weather

Now that Spring is closing and Summer is a just a yawn away, let's make sure your pet's care is up to scratch.

Now is when you need to groom your pet to remove the remains of its winter coat and you should watch for the hundreds of fleas and ticks that are organising their assault on your pets. These nasty parasites and on the march now and have you noticed that Mosquitoes are all a buzz? They are ready to spread heartworm disease. Even flies and worms are set to worry your pets.

But, pounce on prevention and you can be done with the cure!

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The Hair of the Dog

Have you noticed the tumbleweeds of cat and dog hair wafting over the floor lately? It's a sign that you need to get into grooming to make your pet more comfortable and to prevent further fur balls making a mess in your house.

At present, you should be grooming your pets on a daily basis to remove their winter coat.

A visit to your vet or pet shop will reveal a fascinating range of products designed to make grooming easier.

Look for a Zoom Groom. This is a nylon brush with large, soft fingers which will gently strip the dead hair from your pet's coat. Zoom Grooms are available for dogs and cats and come in several forms. An added advantage of the Zoom Groom is that, being nylon, it can also be used to massage shampoos and flea rinses into your pet's coat - just the thing when you are planning your pet's Spring clean!

Also, look for Slicker brushes. These brushes have dual level pins on a cushioned pad with a curved head. The long and short pins work at two levels to remove the mats and the dead hair that make your pet shabby. Slicker brushes are available from good pet shops.

For long-haired pets or those with thick hair, now is a good time to have them professionally clipped. They will feel so much more comfortable after the removal of their hot coat of heat-trapping hair. Clipping will allow them to cool down much easier and will lessen the chance of heat stroke in the coming summer months. Ugly mats of hair that trap foreign bodies and that pinch your pet's skin will also be removed
Hop Into Flea Control

Now that the warm weather is with us, the creeping, crawling, gnashing, nasty, nibbling, bloodsucking, ferocious Aussie flea is on the prowl!

Thankfully, there is a large range of 'state of the art' flea control products available which are effective and safe.

Most pet owners are now turning to the 'spot on the back of the neck' preparations which are easy to use, safe and effective for both dogs and cats. These products come in small vials that you squeeze onto your pet's neck. Frontline, Advantage, and Revolution are commonly known brands.

Fleas can also be controlled with tablets .

Sentinel is a popular monthly tablet, that not only controls fleas by stopping flea eggs from hatching, but it includes a once-per-month heartworm preventive and an intestinal wormer which will give intestinal worms a headache. Its flea control effect relies on preventing flea eggs from hatching. Sentinel cannot be used on cats.

Comfortis and another once per month chewable tablet that kills fleas on your dog in 30 minutes and is not affected by your dog swimming or being bathed.

Capstar is another tablet that kills fleas and does it very quickly. It is suitable for both dogs and cats. It has no residual action and is useful if you want to quickly eliminate a new flea infestation before using a long term preventive.

Proban is also a tablet that, given once or twice per week on a continual basis, is effective against fleas and ticks and is registered for used in dogs and cats.

Editors note:- Proban is no longer available

When it comes to flea rinses, Permoxin and Fido's Permethrin rinse are popular. Both can be used weekly on dogs or you can make into a spray for daily use. These products should never be used on cats.

Flea shampoos deserve a mention. There are many on the market including Fido's Free Itch Shampoo. Such shampoos will clean your pet and will kill fleas present at the time but usually will not give any residual action. Most are safe for cats but be sure to check the label first.
Make Mosquitoes Buzz Off

Mosquitoes spread heartworm disease and are much more prevalent in warm weather - not that they are a scarcity in winter either. Many pet owners incorrectly stop their pet's heartworm preventive in the cooler months thinking that their pet is safe. This is not so.

If you have missed you pet's heartworm preventative, contact your vet and ask for a heartworm test. If it shows that all is clear, place your pooch (and puss cat) onto a heartworm preventive medication.

Most dog owners are now using the Once-A-Year heartworm preventives because while other alternatives are very effective, they are also very easy to forget.
Flies are a Worry

While talking about things that won't buzz off, a variety of flies also cause pets problems. Dogs regularly suffer from fly bite dermatitis on, off all places, their ear tips. Similar problems can occur when flies are attracted to discharges that are present around the eyes, mouth and nose of pets. This is not such a common problem with cats.

The stable fly is the most common culprit. It rasps away at the ears of dogs and causes crusty, bleeding sores to develop.

This problem can be prevented by spraying the dog with Permoxin as needed, or by mixing thePermoxin with Vaseline, baby oil, or a mixture of both, and smearing that onto the dogs ears.

Various fly repellent ointments are also available.
Around Worm Control

Lastly, the beginning of a new season is always the best time to ensure your dog and cat has been wormed. Roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms are a problem for dogs and cats during the warmer months and dogs can also be infected with whipworms.

As a routine, adult pets should be wormed every three months. Look for an all-wormer medication as this is likely to eliminate all types of intestinal worms your pets may have.

Also note that many spot-on-the-neck flea preparations also control worms.

Choosing the correct combination of parasite control preparations for your pet can be complex. So be sure to consult with your veterinarian for a parasite control problem that will keep your pets up to scratch.

So, having attended to the above, you will not be wondering whether your pet will weather summer weather well!


Test yourself
with our review questions

What nylon brush will remove dead hair and is a useful aide when shampooing your pet?
Name one 'spot on the neck' and then one tablet that can be used for monthly flea control
Name a flea rinse that should never be used on cats.
Do cats get heartworm?
What intestinal worm affects dogs but not cats?