Ticks are parasites which feed on the blood of mammals and can be mostly found in woodland and heath areas. When they feed, their bodies engorge with the blood.

• Unlike fleas, ticks do not usually cause your pets to itch, so a tick can remain on your pet for quite a while before being noticed.
• Ticks can carry some nasty diseases, such as Lyme disease, which can infect you as well as your pet.

Fleas are small wingless insects that survive on mammals and birds. They have strong claws preventing them from being dislodged, mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood, and hind legs which are extremely well suited to jumping.

• When fleas bite, they can cause irritation for your pet.
• They can carry a range of diseases, including being a carrier for tapeworms.
• Only 5% of fleas are seen on your pet. The rest are living in the environment.

Lice are another parasite that can live on and bite your pet. Just like headlice in people, lice can cause pets to become seriously itchy.

They can quickly scuttle onto your pet when they come into contact with another infected animal.

Tapeworms are flat, segmented worms which infect our pets.

• They can grow to be very long inside our pets, the most common species being Dipylidium caninum, which can reach up to 70cm.
• Tapeworms can cause weight loss as they ‘steal’ nutrientsfrom your pet.
• Fleas can carry tapeworms and pass them to your pet – another reason why flea control is so important.
• Tapeworms can also infect people.

Roundworms are parasites that live freely in the intestine, feeding off of partially digested intestinal contents.

• 1 adult female roundworm can produce 200,000 eggs a day!
• Puppies and kittens can become infected from their mother, which is why deworming your new young pet is so important.
• Large numbers of worms can cause weight loss, diarrhoea and gut blockages, especially in young animals.

Hookworms are usually found in the intestine. They suck blood and can cause anemia in pets.

• They can also cause diarrhoea and weight loss.
• Can burrow through the skin of your pet’s feet to infect them!
• Can survive in your pet’s intestine for up to 2 years.

Whipworms bury themselves into the lining ofyour pet’s gut, causing inflammation.

• They can survive and remain infective in the environment for years.11
• Kennelled dogs are particularly at risk.

Mites are tiny invertebrates who can cause upset and illness by burrowing and biting the bird’s skin or sucking blood.