Fleas are a very common parasite in our companion animals and because the flea life cycle is shorter in warmer weather we as vets tend to see more flea infestations in dogs, cats and rabbits during the warmer summer months. Adult female fleas can lay up to 50 eggs per day so a single flea can quickly turn in to a flea infestation. Fleas can be an unpleasant nuisance and they can sometimes feed on pet owners as well as pets. More significantly for any vets interested in dermatology however is the important role fleas play in many itchy skin diseases, either as the underling cause (flea allergic dermatitis is one of the most common allergies in dogs and cats) or as a trigger or flare factor in other allergic skin disease patients.

Very effective flea treatments have been available for a number of years now; most of these are available as “spot-on” preparations which can be applied to the skin at the back of the pet’s neck. In most cases this is very easy to do and very well tolerated by the pet. However in some individuals they become anxious when the owner or vet approaches them to apply these topical treatments and then it can become very difficult to treat these pets effectively. In addition to this topical treatments may be inappropriate for dogs that are bathed frequently or are regular swimmers.

A very effective new treatment has recently become available from Elanco. It is in the form of a palatable chewable tablet (almost all dogs and cats will simply eat it when offered as a treat). It is very rapidly effective, killing fleas within hours of administration, and it can be administered monthly for ongoing preventative control.
For more information on this new product you can look at http://www.comfortis.com or ask any of our staff in Botanic, Clontarf, Blanchardstown, Palmerstown or Santry vets about it.

The condition is easy to diagnose and in Anicare hospitals we routinely check for dry eye by means of a schirmer tear test where a strip of special paper is used to test tear production.  There is no discomfort in doing the test and the result is available immediately.

The important signs to watch for are inflammation of the eyes, any discharge, pigment on the eye, recurrent conjuctivitis or corneal ulcers. Certain breeds especially Cavalier King Charles, Cocker Spaniels, Westies and Shih Tzus are predisposed.

Fortunately effective treatment is available to assist in managing the condition but early diagnosis is important. At Anicare we will check your pet for this condition and we are happy to discuss same with you in any of our hospitals serving the northside of dublin city and postal districts dublin 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 15.

Images below are of a shih tzu initially with severe dry eye and in second image under treatment