Parasite Control
Keep your pet happy and healthy with regular parasite prevention. Our friendly vet team can help protect your furry mate from fleas, ticks, mites, intestinal worms and heartworm all year round.
Heartworm
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease seen in all mainland states of Australia. Dogs are more susceptible to heartworm infestation than cats, and heartworm disease also tends to be more severe in dogs. Adult worms live within the heart and large blood vessels where they can grow to more than 30 cm in length. Heartworm larvae, more commonly called microfilariae, can also be found circulating in an infected dog’s blood.
How is heartworm in dogs spread?
Heartworms are transmitted from one dog to another by mosquitoes, which pick up the tiny microfilariae when they bite an infected dog. The microfilariae develop in the mosquito and are transmitted when the infected mosquito bites another dog. The heartworm larvae then migrate through the dog’s tissues and circulatory system, eventually reaching the heart and lungs where they grow into adult heartworms.
Why is heartworm disease dangerous?
Heartworm may cause no clinical signs in the early stages of infestation, but as the worms grow and mature, they can interfere with the normal circulation of blood. This can result in signs of heart failure, and in some cases may lead to sudden death.
Thankfully, heartworm is very easy to prevent and should form part of your pet health care routine.
If your pet has not been on heartworm prevention we strongly recommend you speak to us about a heartworm test prior to starting a prevention program.
Mites
Mites are small parasites that can live on, or in your pet’s skin. It can cause itching, irritation and skin problems in pets. Our friendly vet team can help diagnose, treat and prevent mite infestations, keeping your furry mate healthy and comfortable.
Types of Mites
Demodex
Demodex mites are actually a normal inhabitant of your dog’s skin. These mites live in the hair follicles of dogs and are passed from the mother to her pups during nursing. The dog’s immune system normally controls the number of mites, so that they cause no harm. Dogs can develop signs of disease if their immune system is unable to control the mite population. This most commonly occurs in young or malnourished dogs, or those with other diseases that compromise their immune system. Signs of disease due to Demodex mites include hair loss, thickening of the skin, and skin infections. Cats have their own species of Demodex, however signs of disease are much less common in cats compared to dogs.
Sarcoptes
Sarcoptes mites not only affect dogs, but can also be transmitted to humans. The mites easily pass from an infested dog to other dogs that are in close contact. Sarcoptes mites burrow into the skin, leading to intense itching, hair loss, and skin infections. Confirming a diagnosis of Sarcoptes mites can be difficult as the mites live within the skin. Your vet may need to examine a skin scraping under the microscope to identify the mites.
Ear mites
As their name suggests, ear mites inhabit the ear canals and surrounding skin. Ear mite infestations can occur in dogs and cats, but infestation is more common in cats. Signs of infestation typically include skin irritation; scratching around the ears, head and neck; head shaking; the presence of an ear discharge that is dark and waxy (resembling coffee grounds) and an unpleasant odour from the ears. Your vet can diagnose ear mites by looking at a sample from the ear canal under the microscope.
