Worming pups and kittens should be done at least once a month until 6 months old. This is to clear roundworms they will have caught through their mother's milk.

Adult dogs and cats usually get worms from eating infected prey or fleas. 

Roundworms can cause visceral larval migrans in humans, a condition where the worm larva enters the person then burrows into an organ such as the eye where it could cause blindness. This is a rare condition but one that can be reduced with regular worming of pets and picking up faeces.

Some dog tapeworms can infect sheep and cattle. Dogs become infected by eating infected raw offal.

There is a new strain of Parvo virus in dogs. The vaccine we are using is effective against the new strain.

 

Myxomatosis in pet rabbits: There is no specific treatment as myxo is a viral disease and to be honest, not many rabbits survive without serious long term complications such as scarred lungs and pneumonia.

Vaccination is the only prevention and if wild rabbits come near your pets, vaccinate twice a year. If you decide to only vaccinate once a year, early summer is recommended as myxomatosis is a disease of late summer into autumn

 

We have seen a couple of dogs which have eaten either the pellets of rat poison or dead rats. Most rat poisons cause internal bleeding 3 - 4 days later. We need to start treatment immediately and if eaten within 3 - 4 hours, remove the poison by inducing vomiting. If you cannot get to the vet, vomiting can be induced by dosing either a soda cystal, or a slurry of mustard or concentrated salt water.

If you leave it and the internal bleeding develops, treatment can sometimes fail as the body runs out of clotting factors. Treat suspected poisonings as an emergency and take care if putting out rat poison to ensure the pellets are not available to an inquisitive dog!