Preventive Care
When you bring your dog in for a health check, your vet can devise a care programme for your pet. In Hong Kong, there are 3 important parasitic diseases which you need to protect your dog from.
FLEAS AND TICKS
Fleas can cause itchiness, irritation and allergies, and transmit tapeworm to your pet. They can be difficult to control as they will live and breed in the environment. There are various ways of dealing with fleas; a combination method is usually best. This will usually involve a topical flea killer for use on your pet, and environmental treatments. Your vet will advise you on which products are safe and effective. We recommend and sell Frontline and Revolution. Always read flea-killer packaging carefully – some dog flea products are very harmful when used on cats.
Ticks are found everywhere in Hong Kong, they attach to your dog’s skin and feed on their blood. They can cause localised irritation and infection, but they can also transmit blood parasites (Babesia species and Ehrlichia) which will cause ‘tick fever’. This is a potentially fatal disease if not treated; your dog may appear tired, inappetant, pass blood-tinged urine, and you may notice the gum colour is pale. It is best to prevent ticks from attaching to your dog in the first place, you can do this by using a topical spot-on/spray product like Frontline once a month, and/or Amitraz tick collars (Preventic). In the summer months, fortnightly applications of Frontline may be required, especially if you walk your dogs in grassy areas.
HEARTWORM
Heartworm (Dirofilariasis) is a blood parasite which is transmitted to dogs when they are bitten by infected mosquitoes. Heartworm larvae enter the dog’s bloodstream and slowly grow, moving into the dog’s heart and lung vessels. The adults will sit in the heart and breed, releasing babyworms into the blood. They cause inflammation in the vessels and make the heart work harder. In severe cases, it can result in heart failure and even death. Signs include coughing, tiring easily during exercise, and weight loss.
Heartworm is easy to prevent but difficult to treat. Before preventative treatment can be started, your dog must be 5 months or less or have a negative heartworm test. Treatment options are a monthly oral dewormer or a yearly injection (usually for adult dogs). You can ask your vet which treatment they recommend for your dog.
Dogs which live outdoors or exercised outside are more at risk of becoming infected with heartworm, but remember mosquitoes can get into your home too!
INTESTINAL WORMS
Many different types of worms can infect your pet, some of which can also infect humans, especially children. They can cause weight loss, diarrhea, and failure to thrive. Puppies are often infected with worms from their mothers; we recommend using a broad-spectrum de-wormer on puppies from age 3-12 weeks every 2 weeks, then monthly until they are 6 months old. Adult dogs should be dewormed every 3 months. While some heartworm preventative and anti-parasite products may protect against some intestinal worms, they do not cover all types.