Fleas are the most common external parasites for both cats and dogs. Adult fleas can live for seven to 14 days and will divide their time between living on your cat to feed and returning to the carpet to lay eggs. Females lay a large amount of eggs every day, which fall to the ground and hatch into tiny larvae that burrow into carpets and upholstery. They then develop into pupae, remaining dormant for many months. When they sense warmth and vibration, the adult fleas emerge and jump onto a passing host - your cat - to start the life cycle again.

The most obvious sign is persistent scratching. Fleas are dark brown and 1mm or 2mm long. You may find them - as well as tiny black specks of flea dirt - in your cat or dog;s coat during combing. High humidity and temperatures make late summer the peak season for fleas, but central heating in winter means you need to de-flea throughout the year.

Use a combination of topical products to kill adult fleas (adulticide) and an insect development inhibitor (or growth regulator) to prevent the eggs from developing into adults.

Oral suspensions are very effective and generally safe for both weaned kittens, puppies and pregnant cats and dogs , but please check with your vet. These involve a liquid dose containing an insect growth inhibitor, which is fed to your pet once a month. When a flea bites your pet, it ingests the compound and becomes sterilised, stopping the flea life cycle. This is an environmental control only (the flea still lives on for seven to 14 days). You may also need to use a topical insecticide before starting the treatment.

Drop-ons are more immediate and easily applied in liquid form to your pets neck once a month, via a small pipette. The liquid spreads over the body surface, killing fleas before they can lay new eggs. Other effective products include pumps, and sprays. We highly recommend Frontline, Advantage, Advantix, Advocate for the treatment of fleas, however you should consult with your vet on your pets condition first. There are number of products from Johnson’s Pet which can aid with the treatment too.

Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when using any anti-flea product, checking that it's safe for puppies, kittens, elderly, ill or pregnant cats or dogs where relevant .

Due to the nature of the problem, you'll need to treat your home as well as your cat or dog. For example, flea eggs can survive for long periods in carpets and cracks between the floorboards. Use a household flea spray, recommended by your vet, at least once a year. If you suffer an infestation, use your vacuum-cleaner to bring the eggs and immature fleas in your carpets and upholstery to the surface. Kill the fleas with a household spray so they stop hooking onto the carpet, and then re-vacuum. When you're finished, spray the vacuum cleaner with flea spray and throw away any vacuum bags. If you don't spray the vacuum cleaner, you run the risk of redistributing the same flea eggs back onto the carpet through the exhaust of the vacuum next time you use it.

Pets can become infected with a wide range of parasitic worms, many that can be passed to humans, with rare, but very probable serious health consequences. Here in the UK, the major human health risk is from the roundworm ‘Toxocara spp.’ and the tapeworm: ‘E. Granulosus’. There is no way of preventing your pet from coming into contact with these parasites which is why regular worming is the one practical method of control.

There are a number of different species of worm that can infect cats and dogs in the UK with the most popular being roundworms.

In the UK, about 2-3% of people are believed to be infected with roundworm at some stage in their lives. The risk of serious human harm as a result of a roundworm infection caught from a cat or dog is remote. Nevertheless, 12 people annually in the UK suffer eye damage as a result of a roundworm infection: caused when the eggs develop into larvae and circulate to the back of the eye. So, whilst the risk may be small, the consequences can be severe.

Your cat may suffer from vomiting or diarrhoea, and their coat may lose condition. A cat with tapeworms may spend more time than usual cleaning its bottom, since the egg-filled worm segments irritate it. You may even find segments in the cat’s bedding - they are pale in colour, and about the size of a grain of rice. A heavy roundworm infection may cause the cat’s stomach to appear swollen and distended; this is particularly noticeable in kittens.

In general, though, by the time symptoms are noticeable your cat’s health is already being damaged, and the worms have reached maturity. This means that they will be producing eggs and creating a reservoir of infection in the environment. It is better to worm your cat with Drontal on a regular basis, before the symptoms become obvious.

It’s not always easy to determine whether a dog is infected with worms. The most obvious sign is "scooting" - that is, dragging its bottom along the ground. This may indicate tapeworm infection. The dog does it because the egg filled segments shed by the mature tapeworms are expelled via the anus and irritate the dog's bottom.

Since a roundworm infection in humans holds such potentially serious consequences, it is important to ensure that your pet is not shedding eggs into the environment, particularly if it exercises in public areas. One way to be sure that your cat or dog is not infecting the environment with roundworm is by worming your pet regularly, with a product licensed specifically to remove this species of parasite, for instance Drontal.  Worming with Drontal at least every three months will reduce the risk, but your vet will be able to evaluate your pet's and your family's requirements and advise you on a specific worming routine.

In general, though, by the time symptoms are visible, the worms have reached maturity, and are already damaging your dog’s health. That’s why it’s far better to follow veterinary advice on a specific worming routine, before the symptoms become obvious.

Unfortunately, there is no tablet or injection you can give a dog which will prevent worm infection. The best you can do is to kill any worms which may be present, on a regular basis. To avoid worms reaching maturity and affecting your pet's health, and to reduce public health risks, you should worm your pet regularly.

For more information on worming & Drontal click Here.