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 dogs and humans. Veterinary advice recommends continuous flea treatment for dogs at risk based on these factors:
- Multi-pet households.
- Dogs with access to flea-prone areas.
- Dogs 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 dog owners are encountering more ticks on their dogs. Some ticks can carry diseases like Lyme disease, posing risks to both dogs and humans. Consider regular tick prevention for your dog if:
- You live in a tick-prone area. Check here.
- Your dog has had ticks before.
- Your dog 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. Use the following guide to review if you should consider monthly treatment for roundworm:
- Is your dog less than 6 months old?
- Does your dog 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 dog’s local environment and lifestyle. The following factors help
to indicate if your dog is at risk:
- Does your dog 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 dog may be at risk ask yourself the following questions. Does your dog:
- 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.