Feeling Itchy? - Fleas and Ticks

Are you a bit itchy??

With no real cold snap last winter and the beautifully warm weather we have more fleas around than we might like.

If you spot the signs of itching on your pets or bite marks on yourself and they have not had their flea and tick treatment lately then you could have some extra houseguests. Most pet owners will instinctively treat their pets and their bedding, but many will miss the rest of the hiding spaces in the home.

In an ideal world you need to treat all the soft furnishings in the home, but washing everything is a bit of a mission and a half, so an easier option is to use a flea bomb/canister to treat the rooms and their contents.

If you find you have flea bites on yourself then a good wash, followed by a cold compress for 10-15mins, no scratching and then apply an antihistamine cream, calamine lotion or 1% hydrocortisone cream which are all available over the counter at a pharmacy.

Most flea treatments for our pets also work on ticks, but nothing is ever 100% effective.

If you need to remove a tick from either yourself or your pet the easiest tool you can use is a tick fork, personally I prefer these to the tweezers you get in many pet first aid kits. They are simple to use simply slip the fork under the tick so that it is flat against the skin and then twist and lift.Once you have removed the tick, check that none of it is left in the skin (I often check to see if the ticks legs are wiggling). Once removed take it outside and squash it. I would also dab the area that the tick was attached with a suitable antiseptic.

If you want to know more about fleas and ticks then speak to your vet or pet care professional for more information/advice.