Risk Factors
To decide if our products are suitable for your pet, explore this section for key insights to making an informed choice on parasite prevention. Remember, these guidelines are not comprehensive, so consulting your vet, especially if your pet has underlying health issues, is crucial.
Flea
Prevention
UK flea infestations can occur year-round, posing health risks to both cats and humans. Veterinary advice recommends continuous flea treatment for cats at risk based on these factors:
- Multi-pet households.
- Cats with access to flea-prone areas.
- Cats with Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD).
- Risk is also higher when re-infestation is more likely, such as in central heating or multi-animal environments.
Tick
Management
As average temperatures rise, UK cat owners are encountering more ticks on their cats. Some ticks can carry diseases like Lyme disease, posing risks to both cats and humans. Consider regular tick prevention for your cat if:
- You live in a tick-prone area. Check here.
- Your cat has had ticks before.
- Your cat roams in tick-prone environments like countryside, farms with deer or domestic ruminants, bracken, tall grass, undergrowth, or animal burrows.
Roundworm
Roundworm is a parasite of concern across the UK. The minimum recommended treatment cycle is 4 times a year (except for completely indoor cats). Use the following guide to review if you should consider monthly treatment for roundworm:
- Is your cat less than 6 months old?
- Does your cat hunt or scavenge?
- Do they eat unprocessed raw food?
- Do they have access to carcasses?
- Are children (particularly under 7 years old), immune suppressed people or elderly people in the household?
Tapeworms
Tapeworm risk can be driven by your cat’s local environment and lifestyle. The following factors help to indicate if your cat is at risk:
- Does your cat hunt?
- Eat unprocessed raw food?
- Have access to carcasses?
- Have unmonitored access to countryside and farm pasture?
Hookworms
For the most predominant companion animal hookworm species found in the UK, the risk is associated with situations in which larvae have the opportunity to accumulate in the environment. This is typically linked to pets, especially younger animals, being exposed to areas where dog or fox faeces have not been collected. This can include examples such as:
- Outdoor kennels.
- Parks or communal dog areas were large amounts of faeces not being collected.
- Outdoor spaces shared by foxes.
Lungworm
To check if your cat may be at risk ask yourself the following questions. Does your cat:
- Consume slugs or snails?
- A serial grass eater?
- Eat other animal faeces?
- Drinks from outdoor water bowls?
If the answer is yes to any then it could be at risk of lungworm.
Currently you can only purchase veterinary licensed lung worm prevention products from your vet. Please talk to your vet if you have concerns.