Feeling an Itch?

 

 

If you share your house with a cat or dog, you may have unknowingly invited a number of more unwanted creatures into your home environment. For much as we may love them, our pets are prone to picking up parasites such as fleas, ticks and worms. And as well as being harmful to your pet’s health, many parasites can also be transmitted to humans, causing a range of symptoms. The good news is that with a trip to the vets and the doctor or pharmacist, most parasites can be easily dealt with.

 

Fleas

Fleas are one of the most common parasites which dogs and cats pick up – particularly in warmer months. They breed quickly and can spread throughout your home and will feed on both your pet’s blood and human blood. If you are bitten by fleas it can be very itchy and uncomfortable but your pharmacist will be able to recommend treatment to ease the discomfort. You will of course need to use a vet-approved flea treatment to treat your pet and ensure that carpets and bedding are cleared of all fleas and their eggs.

 

Ticks

Fleas are not the only critter that pet owners need to be aware of. Ticks also feed on animal and human blood and can carry diseases. Ticks are more common in wooded areas and in tall grasses, so if your pet spends time in these types of habitat, check their fur regularly for ticks.

 

Worms

There are a number of different worms which can affect dogs and cats including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. These intestinal parasites can cause a variety of symptoms which are uncomfortable for your pet. The worms can be passed on to humans too and depending on the type of worm, you may notice symptoms ranging from a sore throat and cough to stomach pains or nausea. If you suspect you have picked up a worm from your pet, it’s important to ask your doctor for advice.

 

Mites
If your dog or cat has mites, it can lead to scabies – a highly contagious skin condition that is caused by the mites burrowing under the skin. Scabies can be passed not only from animal to human but also from human to human and it can take several weeks for symptoms to appear after contact with an infected person or animal. It’s important to speak to your doctor if you suspect you have scabies. If left untreated it can lead to more serious skin conditions. Treatment for scabies is usually straightforward and creams are available that kill the scabies mite.

 

The best way to avoid parasitic infestations is to take preventative action. Your vet can advise about treatments that will help prevent your pet from picking up fleas, mites, ticks and worms before they have the chance to become a problem.

 

Keeping a pet brings a lot of fun and enjoyment to families and although unpleasant, parasites can be managed, meaning that you can continue to share your home with your pet. By ensuring that your pet and your home are clean, and by keeping up-to-date with preventative medication you’ll help to keep the critters at bay.

 

For further advice, visit the Companion Animal Parasite Council’s website at: www.capcvet.org

Categories: Fleas, human blood, nbsp, parasites, Scabies, ticks

Scabies: How is it Transmitted, Tested and Treated?

Scabies is a skin infection caused by tiny parasitic mites, which burrow into your skin and lay eggs. These mites are smaller than the head of a pin, but when there are many of them in your skin, they can affect your wellbeing more seriously with crusted scabies – a more rare and severe form of the condition. This tends to affect the wellness of older people, and people with certain illnesses like HIV, but does that make scabies a sexually transmitted disease (STI)?

As the transmission of scabies requires close physical contact, sex is a possible way to pass the skin infection on. However, any form of close body contact can allow scabies to easily pass from person to person, and it’s possible for children to get scabies through close body contact. When not on the body, the mites can live for up to 72 hours so scabies can be spread via your clothing, bedding and towels. On the body, the mites can inhabit your genital area, your hands, between your fingers, on your wrists and elbows, underneath your arms, on your abdomen, on your breasts and around the nipples in women, on your feet and ankles and around your buttocks.

Scabies does present with certain symptoms, but often people are not aware of them, or don’t experience them very strongly. You can come into contact with scabies but not see any visible signs of infection until six weeks later. However, symptoms for scabies do exist, and they are the same for men and women. You may notice intense itching in the affected areas, which may be more noticeable at night, in bed or after a hot bath or shower. The affected areas may also show signs of inflammation or raw, broken skin, usually caused by scratching, and you could experience an itchy red rash or tiny spots, but many people confuse this symptom with other conditions, such as eczema.

Though it’s impossible to see scabies with the naked eye, the mites sometimes leave visible fine, silvery lines where they have burrowed. However, even if you can’t see these lines, but think you may have been infected, it’s important to get tested. You can ask a pharmacist, or get tested for free at your GP, genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics and sexual health clinics. If you do have scabies, it can be treated with a cream that your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will advise you on, but make sure you inform them if you think you might be pregnant or if you are breastfeeding, as this will affect the type of treatment you’re given. Also, remember to wash all bedding, clothing and towels on a very hot cycle, and get all members of your household and sexual partners treated at the same time.

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Categories: Scabies, Symptoms, Transmission