Check Your Pet: Babesiosis

Check Your Pet: Babesiosis

• Tuesday, 24 May 2016

So hopefully you guys saw my last blog post with MERIAL (if not, it’s here) but I wanted to follow it up with another one on something that is very real in my area at the moment! This one is really quite a big scary issue and I wanted to let all you other Essex dog owners know about it and keep an eye out for yourselves.

The press release states: A fatal dog disease, carried by ticks, called canine babesiosis, has been reported in the UK, particularly Essex. Great. My mum has been telling me that there is something going around but we weren't sure what until now.

Canine babesiosis is similar to malaria and can be fatal to dogs. This disease is not new to the UK although all previous cases seen were in dogs that had recently travelled abroad. These new cases are significant because none of the dogs had travelled outside the UK, which is not good news at all!

The ticks might only be the size of a sesame seed (until they feed! They can swell to the size of a coffee bean afterwards) but they can be a big problem!

Ticks can be found everywhere, not just the obvious high risk places such as forests but also in playgrounds, parks and even your garden. That being said, it’s super important to take action to protect your pet. That’s where using FRONTLINE® Spot On monthly comes in. It kills ticks within 48 hours, minimising the risk of tick-borne disease transmission, this is what my dad has said we will do for Molly.

Remember to check your pets (and yourself) for ticks after walks or even having simply been outside, paying particular attention to areas where your pet's hair is thinner such as their head, around the ears and their tummy. Ticks should drop off naturally once they’re dead, but if they don’t, you can safely remove them using a tick hook. If you are unsure how to do it, it is recommended you contact your vet.

FRONTLINE® Spot On contains fipronil. Legal category: AVM-GSL (UK). ®Registered Trademark. For further prescribing information, refer to the data sheet on  www.noahcompendium.co.uk or contact Merial Animal Health Ltd, CM19 5TG, UK. Use medicines responsibly

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