Your dog is a valued member of your family. You can’t imagine what life was like before you had them or what a day in your life would be like without them! We all want the best for our four-legged friends, so as responsible pet owners, we try to keep abreast of the newest and best flea and worming treatments for our dogs available on the market.
Today, the most popular choice for flea control in pets are topical or “spot on” treatments which are applied to your dogs’ skin on a monthly basis. Increasingly common through pet suppliers and vet clinics are “spot on” flea treatments which also include preventatives for canine intestinal worms and heartworm. Convenient and inclusive, these all-rounder products seem the clear and simple choice for your canine – but are they? The answer, unfortunately, is no.
With a confusing array of information and advertising surrounding these ingenious parasite products, most dog owners think they are covering all their dogs’ flea and intestinal worming needs with a monthly squirt of treatment. After all, the products claim to treat all fleas and worms in one easy application! Without consulting a veterinarian or reading the fine print on the product labels, what most dog owners don’t know is that regular intestinal worming by oral tablet is still required every 3-6 months regardless of which “spot on” product you are using.
“Spot On” treatments are very effective in controlling fleas and stopping the flea life cycle. The all-rounder “spot on” treatments are effective in controlling fleas as well as being effective in controlling some intestinal worms – but not all of them. The most common intestinal worm seen in pet dogs is the Hydatid Tapeworm which is not covered by any of the commercial “spot on” parasite products. This worm, which is contagious to humans, can only be controlled by regular intestinal worming by a high-quality tablet (as opposed to supermarket pet wormers).
If you have only been using a “spot on” product to control your pooch’s parasites, worry not. It is never too late to start worming your dog! Regular dosing every 3 to 6 months with a high-quality worming tablet from your vet will guarantee that your pet stays happy and healthy and your family will not be at risk of catching anything but kisses from Fido!
You can also look into the chewable tablets which do cover all worms and fleas, such as Sentinel.
Today, the most popular choice for flea control in pets are topical or “spot on” treatments which are applied to your dogs’ skin on a monthly basis. Increasingly common through pet suppliers and vet clinics are “spot on” flea treatments which also include preventatives for canine intestinal worms and heartworm. Convenient and inclusive, these all-rounder products seem the clear and simple choice for your canine – but are they? The answer, unfortunately, is no.
With a confusing array of information and advertising surrounding these ingenious parasite products, most dog owners think they are covering all their dogs’ flea and intestinal worming needs with a monthly squirt of treatment. After all, the products claim to treat all fleas and worms in one easy application! Without consulting a veterinarian or reading the fine print on the product labels, what most dog owners don’t know is that regular intestinal worming by oral tablet is still required every 3-6 months regardless of which “spot on” product you are using.
“Spot On” treatments are very effective in controlling fleas and stopping the flea life cycle. The all-rounder “spot on” treatments are effective in controlling fleas as well as being effective in controlling some intestinal worms – but not all of them. The most common intestinal worm seen in pet dogs is the Hydatid Tapeworm which is not covered by any of the commercial “spot on” parasite products. This worm, which is contagious to humans, can only be controlled by regular intestinal worming by a high-quality tablet (as opposed to supermarket pet wormers).
If you have only been using a “spot on” product to control your pooch’s parasites, worry not. It is never too late to start worming your dog! Regular dosing every 3 to 6 months with a high-quality worming tablet from your vet will guarantee that your pet stays happy and healthy and your family will not be at risk of catching anything but kisses from Fido!
You can also look into the chewable tablets which do cover all worms and fleas, such as Sentinel.
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