Now that we are more at home, we have more time to spend with our four-legged friends. Dogs enjoy the attention and an extra round outside with their owner, but cats sometimes get stressed from a lot of noise in the house. Your beloved pets are also at risk of contracting ticks and fleas this spring. In short:extra attention is required to keep your animals healthy.
The mild winter means that a tick infestation awaits us in the Netherlands. In the forest, the dunes and on the heath, dogs run an extra risk of contracting ticks. Especially now that, due to the measures surrounding the coronavirus, we like to go out to nature areas where ticks are common. Fleas also easily get free rein.
Veterinarian Piet Hellemans: “It is nice for dogs that owners are now at home more. They are social animals and it is unnatural for them to be alone. They enjoy your company and you go out together extra often to nature reserves. Therefore, while cuddling, combing and brushing your dog, take a good look at the fur to make sure you don't see any fleas or ticks."
And although dogs enjoy company because of their social nature, cats often don't like the hustle and bustle in the house. It sometimes causes stress, Piet Hellemans explains:“The current working from home and the other measures to be at home as much as possible are not equally pleasant for all cats. Cats sleep about 18 to 20 hours a day and if a house is now continuously full and noisy, it is difficult for many cats to get their rest. So provide a nice and quiet place to sleep for your cat and let your cat take the initiative to come to you.”
Tips from Piet Hellemans to know if your dog or cat has fleas and ticks:
1) An extra check after an outdoor walk
Ticks are preferably found in places where the skin is thin, on the head, behind the ears and in the armpits and groin. So always check your dog carefully for ticks after a long walk outside and also check your cat extra, for example during a cuddle or brushing.
2) The wet toilet paper test
Black granules in the coat can indicate flea droppings, but can also be soil. To know for sure what it is you can do the following test:Use a wet piece of toilet paper to check, everyone should have enough at home. Place a grain on the wet paper. If the black granule dissolves and turns reddish brown, then it is not dirt or soil, but flea feces. Your dog or cat therefore has fleas and must be treated against them.
3) Watch out for infections and inflammation
Although you naturally want to rid your dog and cat of ticks, it is important to do this the right way. Never remove ticks with alcohol or by tearing them apart, which can cause unsightly infections and inflammations. Use tick tweezers and turn the tick a few times before carefully pulling the tick out.
4) Prevention is better than cure
The fleas you see on your pet are only 5% of the problem; the other 95% of the egg larvae and pupae are around it, like in your home. And did you know that a bite can feel painful? Treat your dog and cat every month to prevent itching and pain.
