Penned by Dr Claire Jenkins, Founder and CEO at VetChat As the temperature continues to rise across Australia and we move towards the summer months, it’s more than just surfers and beachgoers who become more active. So too does one of our most prolific parasites, the tick. Specifically, between the months of October and March […]
Paralysis ticks – scientifically known as Ixodes holocyclus pose a significant threat to pets, primarily along Australia’s east coast, spanning from North Queensland to Victoria. Thriving in warm, humid climates, these ticks are a year-round concern in the north and peak during spring and summer in New South Wales and northern Victoria. Recognising the signs […]
Paralysis ticks (Ixodes spp) occur in Australia, largely along the east coast from North Queensland to Victoria. They love warm, humid weather so up north they are a problem all year around, and in NSW they tend to peak in Spring and Summer. The tick latches onto your pet and can affect both dogs and […]
On the East Coast of Australia we have entered the ‘tick season’ which is unofficially spring and summer. However, in warmer areas up north it can be all year around. One type of tick, the paralysis tick, is a big problem along the East Coast of Australia, and if left to feed on your pet […]
Thanks to a well meaning but fraught decision in 1935, 101 cane toads were brought to Cairns from Hawaii and introduced to Queensland’s sugar cane fields, in order to solve the problem of black beetles that infested sugar cane The premise was supposed to be simple, release the cane toads and they will eat the […]
It’s commonly thought that fleas are only a problem in the warmer months, and as such many Australian pets are not on flea control all year round. But this is far from true. Whilst flea burdens are generally worse in warm, humid weather, the fact is that in Oz, fleas are a pest to our […]
Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) is a parasite that can affect dogs. This worm has it’s normal lifecycle in rats and snails (or slugs). When a dog eats the infected snail they too can become infected. There is actually a possibility that by just eating the snail or slugs mucous, that they can be infected. An […]
The warmer months means there’s no shortage of bugs in the home. Ants, cockroaches, spiders, and who knows what else are lurking about! So control of these pests are necessary, it’s especially important to consider the safety of your pets when using chemicals. Most regular fly or insect sprays (the kind you buy at the […]
Dogs and cats can get worms through eating worm eggs off the ground. They are passed via infected pets poop, through an infected mum passing them to her babies through pregnancy or her milk, or via ingestion of fleas (carrying tapeworm). Intestinal worms are in four main groups: Roundworms Hookworms Whipworms Tapeworms These are treated […]