TV Vet Emma Milne’s offers five top worming tips for pet retailers to share with their customers.
“Dogs can often be infected with around a dozen different types of intestinal worms, and it is not always easy to spot the signs. Because of this it’s important to regularly worm dogs to reduce the risk of worms reaching maturity, affecting the dog’s health and becoming a public health risk,” says Emma.
• The number one golden rule is to remind your customer to worm their dog at least every three months (four times a year).
• Puppies should be wormed more frequently, ideally every two weeks up to the age of three months of age and then every three months thereafter.
• Most dogs are not fussy eaters and will readily swallow a worming tablet with their meal. To be sure they’ve eaten the tablet with their food, the owner should not give their dog its whole meal – they will be hungry enough to scoff down the small amount that they’ve been given, including the tablet!
• If a dog is a reluctant tablet-taker your customers can try wrapping the tablet in a favorite treat or coating it with butter (most dogs like butter and it helps the tablet slip down).
• Don’t forget the flea control! Fleas are often infected with larvae of the flea tapeworm which can be transferred to the dog by swallowing. In order to control worms your customer needs to control fleas. They should opt for a flea treatment that kills both adult fleas and flea larvae in order to break the flea cycle.
For more information on worming tablet options visit www.drontal.com and to hear Emma Milne talking about the importance of worming dogs regularly watch her new video on You Tube http://youtu.be/jKbMAsjbHtk
