Parasites can bring diseases: protect your dog, protect yourself!

Fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and sandflies love nothing better than feasting on our canine friends. But bug bites can not only cause pain, itching, inflammation but also serious diseases, some of which can also be transmitted to humans. So what are the risks and what can you do to better protect your pet?

Lyme disease, leishmaniosis, dirofilariosis and tick-borne encephalitis are just some of the serious and sometimes deadly diseases that can be transmitted by external parasites. Some parasites are indeed carriers of bacteria, viruses or worms, which can infect your pet during a blood-meal. Take, for example, the dreaded heartworm. Just one bite from an infected mosquito can transmit a worm larva. It will slowly grow and move to the dog’s heart where it will drastically restrict normal functioning -with sometimes fatal results.

Sandflies are smaller flying insects that can spread leishmaniosis. This fatal disease attacks your dog’s internal organs (liver, lymph nodes, kidney, etc.).

And ticks can be just as dangerous. With the rise of global warming and increasingly mobile lifestyles, these pests are spreading to more regions and countries and staying active for longer, even in winter.

Dogs are natural tick magnets. The ticks hide out in the grass before latching onto the first mammal that comes across and getting comfortable in a propitious area (inner thigh, groin, armpit, haunch). Once there, it stocks up on some nutritious blood. And it is during this meal that the tick transmits diseases.

For example, babesiosis, also called piroplasmosis, destroys a dog’s red blood cells. This can lead to serious and sometimes even fatal complications, such as anaemia or liver and kidney poisoning.

Ticks are also carriers of Lyme disease. At first, a red spot is the only indication of a bite. This is easy to spot on light skin but much harder on dark skin that often cover our canine friends. Several weeks or months later, your dog may display signs of lameness, lethargy, or nervous system and cardiac problems. Lyme disease is becoming increasingly dangerous as it is spreading more and more each year, and can even be transmitted to humans.

You should also be vigilant about fleas. Many dogs develop an allergy to their bites, which can lead to redness, loss of fur, itching, and other skin problems.

Fleas can also be carriers of tapeworms. As your dog scratches these irritations, it also chews and swallows the fleas, thereby introducing the parasite into its body, contributing to spread the worm through faecal materials.

Proactivity is key to protect your dog!

But there’s no need to be intimidated by these risks - you just need to be proactive! Your vet can provide you with advanced pipettes which will protect your pets effectively. These fast-acting pipettes repel all the pest (fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and sandflies) from the outside.

The rapid action kills the parasites before they have the chance to bite. And the repelling action creates a “hot plate” effect, where the parasites burn and die quickly as they make contact with your dog's skin or fur. This makes it tough for the pests to bite your dog, and thus contributes to inhibit the spread of vector-borne diseases! Make sure you choose a product that is easy to apply, durable and water resistant. Advanced pipettes give you back your peace of mind, letting you give your pets all the kisses and cuddles they deserve!

All products are not equal in front of external parasites.

Only advanced pipettes are active against fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and more, altogether. Advanced pipettes act very fast to avoid parasite bites and disease transmission; they don’t just kill parasites after a while, but can repel them: oral parasiticides and many other pipettes don’t. Advanced pipettes act directly on the pets’ coat, without any need to infiltrate their blood flow: again, oral parasiticides and some other pipettes don’t. So, ask your vet for the Advanced Pipette protection!