A thick glossy coat is an outward sign of a healthy well cared for pet. We all want our pets to look their best, to achieve this good skin and hair is essential. The condition of your pet's coat can be a beacon signalling many different types of health problems.  Some of these health problems will be directly affecting the skin, such as fleas, others will be a sign of internal disease, such as hormonal imbalance.

Feeling, observing and smelling your dog or cat will give you all the information you need to identify any problems they are having with their coat. Following these steps could help you identify some serious health concerns early.

Feel

Regular grooming and stroking of your pet will help you to notice the condition of their coat and if there are any changes. Look for evidence of parasites such as flea dirt, fleas or mites.  Feel your pet's skin to find lumps and bumps that may not be obvious under their hair. Stroking your pet may help you to find patches of spiky broken hairs caused from chewing an area that is itchy or painful.

Pay attention to areas of thinning hair, the pattern of hair loss can give a lot of information about the type of disease that may be causing it.

Observe

The overall appearance of your dog or cat can be a non-specific sign of disease, such as internal parasites causing a dull and dry coat.

Watching your pet's behaviour will also give you clues to potential problems, are they excessively scratching or biting a particular area?  This can be a sign of itchy skin. They may use textured surfaces to scratch themselves, such as rubbing their back on the carpet, or dragging their bottom along the grass. Some scratching and rubbing is normal but if you notice an increase in frequency then it is time to bring your pet to the vet.

Cats may increase the amount of time they spend grooming when they are itchy, the only sign you may observe is increased numbers of hairballs.

Most cases of ear disease will cause head shaking, rubbing and scratching. You may also notice your pet avoiding being stroked on their head if their ear is painful.

Smell

Smell is a good indicator of certain types of infection, particularly yeast infections of the ears or skin. Yeast infections are particularly common in dogs with overhanging ears like Cocker Spaniels, or deep skin folds and wrinkles like Shar Peis.

When you bring your pet to the vet they will be considering a long list of potential health conditions that affect the skin, including: Parasites, Bacteria and Fungal Infections, Allergies, Autoimmune Diseases, Tumours and Hormone Imbalances etc.

• To help narrow down the cause of your pet's problem the vet will look at the breed, sex, and age of your pet.
• They will ask you questions about what you have observed; is your pet itchy, have you noticed hair loss, if so, where? Does this problem occur at a particular time of year?
• The vet will ask questions about the general health of your pet, how they are eating and drinking, have you observed any vomiting and diarrhoea, weight loss etc. This is important as some skin conditions can be a symptom of internal disease.
• A full physical examination will be followed by a closer look at the skin, looking for evidence of parasites, taking samples such as hair plucks, skin scrapes or biopsies. Some of these samples can be looked at in the veterinary practice, others will need to be sent to a laboratory.
• If an internal disease is suspected then blood samples may be required. 

The most common reason a pet will have a skin complaint is parasites, so expect your vet to ask detailed questions about the parasite control you use on your pet and their environment.

If a pet with itchy skin is not treated promptly they can cause damage to an area of skin which then becomes infected with bacteria. These 'hot spots' are a common complication of skin allergies and untreated parasites, recovery often requires long periods of antibiotics and topical treatment.

To keep your pet's coat looking its best they should be fed a good quality balanced diet, groomed as often as required for their breed and coat type and have regular parasite control applied. Any concerns about their skin should be treated promptly by your vet.

Here at Protect My Pet we want to help you to help your pet look and feel their best.

We all want to protect our pets against fleas and the distress and ill health they cause. With a huge range of products and remedies claiming to fight fleas, it can be difficult to know what is best for your pet. Here at Protect My Pet, we want to make flea control as easy and effective as possible.

Where should I treat?

Understanding the flea life cycle is important when implementing effective treatment and prevention. For every flea living on your pet, one hundred immature fleas will be living in your home, typically on your pet's bedding, the sofa, carpet, and cracks in wooden floors. When treating your pet for a flea infestation, it is as important to kill the fleas in their surroundings as it is to kill the fleas on their body.

• Adult female fleas can lay fifty eggs per day on your cat or dog, these eggs slide off their fur and therefore accumulate anywhere your pet spends a lot of time. Regular vacuuming will help to prevent an accumulation of fleas by removing their eggs and larvae, the pupae stage may still remain protected in a sticky cocoon.

• Washing bedding at 60° will kill the various flea life stages, remember to also wash soft toys and any blankets that might be used in the car.

• Environmental flea sprays will stop eggs and larvae from developing into adults, typically these products are effective for 12 months after each application. Use a veterinary grade product such as Acclaim, Indorex or RIP Fleas Indoor Spray.

When should I treat?

Flea infestation can occur at any time of year, with a peak in numbers during the summer and autumn months. Flea pupae need warm temperatures in order to hatch into adults, this will occur all year round inside the home. Outdoor sources of fleas become more numerous in summer and autumn as the warmer weather encourages the pupae to hatch. Wildlife such as foxes and hedgehogs act as hosts and a food source for fleas, spreading their eggs in gardens and parks, where your pet may become contaminated.

We therefore recommend using a preventative product all year round.

Which product should I use?

There are many forms of flea killing products including topical applications, tablets, and collars. There are however a variety of efficacies within each of these categories. It is important to choose a product that is recommended by veterinarians, some of these products will only be available with a prescription.

Topical flea treatments, like Frontline and Advantage, should be applied between the shoulder blades, where it is difficult for your pet to lick. Take care that pets do not groom each other immediately after application. The active ingredient spreads across the body, ensuring that all the skin is protected, right down to the tip of your pet's tail. It is important to remember that getting wet within 48 hours of application will reduce the effectiveness of the product, so no baths or swimming should be allowed during this time.

Why might my flea treatment fail?

The most common reasons for continued flea infestation despite treatment are:
• Using a poor quality flea treatment product
• Product has been applied incorrectly or the interval between applications is longer than recommended.
• Topical product has been washed off within 48 hours of application
• Home environment is acting as a reservoir for reinfection
• Not all in-contact animals have been treated for fleas, this includes cats, dogs, rabbits and ferrets.

Flea Allergic Dermatitis

Flea saliva can act be an allergen to some cats and dogs. An individual that has previously been bitten by a flea can become sensitised to flea saliva and an allergic reaction then occurs to new flea bites. Flea allergies can occur in any breed or gender but is unlikely to occur in puppies and kittens less than 3 months old.
Whilst flea bites are irritating for all animals, those with an allergic hypersensitivity will show an exaggerated itchy response to the presence of fleas. These animals may have hair loss and broken, thickened skin due to self-inflicted trauma, often on the lower spine and tail base.
Dogs will occasionally show large areas of acute moist dermatitis, or 'hot spots'; these occur due to secondary infection in the areas of broken skin. These 'hot spots' may require a course of antibiotics to heal.
Cats with a flea allergy may show lesions on their head and neck, as well as their lower back and thighs. Owners often miss the signs of itchy skin in cats as they tend to over-groom rather than show the classic scratching with their hindlimbs.

Animals with a flea allergy should be seen by a veterinarian during any acute flare-up. It is very important that these pets are protected against any contact with fleas by the strict implementation of the flea preventative measures discussed above; regular application of a quality flea product, regular treatment of all in-contact animals and treating the environment.

Protect My Pet

Here at Protect My Pet we want you to be confident in your flea control. Using only veterinary recommended, market leading flea treatment products, we ensure your pet receives the correct dose at the correct time, helping you to protect your pet.

Ticks are unwelcome hitchhikers that most owners will find on their dogs from time to time, usually after a nice ramble across the countryside.

Ticks are blood-sucking parasites related to spiders, they will climb vegetation and wait for a mammal to pass by, this could be a deer, hedgehog, your dog or even you. Once they have jumped onto an animal the tick will find an area of thin skin, where they will grasp on and insert their mouthparts. They excrete anti-clotting agent to prevent blood clots from stopping the flow of their blood meal. Depending on the life stage of the tick, it could attach itself to your dog for a period of one to two weeks.

Ticks are normally inactive in winter, becoming active again in spring and early summer, their activity reduces through the summer months, and then there is a second peak of activity in the autumn.

How might my dog become infected with ticks?

In the United Kingdom, the most common species of tick likely to affect your dog is the sheep tick, Ixodes ricinus or the hedgehog tick, Ixodes hexagonus. Habitats such as heathland, moors, and woodland are favoured by ticks, there is an increased presence in deer parks due to the availability of hosts. Walking your dog in the countryside will mean they are at an increased risk of ticks.

How do I know if my dog has a tick?

Ticks can be tricky to spot amongst your dog's hair. The most common area to find a tick is on your dog's head and legs, although they can attach anywhere on an animal's body. Ticks will appear as grey or brown immobile growths or wart on your pet. As they feed on blood their bodies enlarge and they become easier to identify.

The bites of ticks can cause local irritation and inflammation, if they are scratched off and mouthparts are left buried in the skin a small abscess can result. When present in very large numbers they may cause substantial blood loss in young animals causing anaemia. However, the main danger of ticks is in the infections that they can carry.

Should I be concerned about tick-borne diseases?

Tick-borne disease is caused by infectious agents living within the tick, being transferred to your dog through the tick salivary fluids. Signs of a disease transmitted by ticks may appear either when the tick is still present or after it has dropped off. The incidence of tick-borne diseases in British dogs has been rising.

Lyme disease (borreliosis) is the only disease carried by UK ticks. Infected dogs may develop a fever, lose their appetite, or show signs of lethargy or arthritis. In chronic cases, Lyme disease can cause kidney, heart or nerve problems which can become fatal. These symptoms may not show for a long time after the infected tick has fallen off. If you are at all concerned that your dog is showing symptoms of Lyme disease book an appointment with your local vet. Humans can get Lyme disease too if bitten by an infected tick.

If your pet becomes ill after travelling abroad, ensure your vet is informed about where they have been in case they need to consider other tick-borne diseases not usually present in the United Kingdom.

How can I protect my dog from ticks?

Examine your dog's coat on a daily basis and completely remove any ticks you find as soon as possible.

Use a 'tick remover' to help you extract the tick. A tick remover is hook-shaped with a slot that slides either side of the tick. This should be gently twisted several times to remove the mouthparts from your dog. Once removed examine the tick before disposal to ensure the tick is intact and there are no mouthparts still present in your dog's skin. Gently clean the area after removal of the tick. If you are unsure if what you have found is a tick, or how to remove it, your local veterinary practice will be able to help.

Use a tick control product, such as Frontline Spot On, on a regular basis to reduce the number of ticks that can attach to your dog and reduce the chances of any ticks that do attach from spreading tick-borne diseases. You may use a tick control product all year round, but it is of the greatest importance during the peak activity times of spring and autumn. Protect My Pet will help to ensure you never miss a dose by having your tick preventative arriving in the post, just when it is needed.

Avoid walking your dog in areas known to have a large tick population, particularly at the times of year when ticks are known to be most active.

Humans can also be a food source for ticks, remember to protect yourself when walking in parks and woodlands. Tuck your trousers into socks and check your legs and ankles for ticks when you get home.

Sign up to Protect My Pet before the 31st May 2018 to receive a free tick remover tool. To redeem use code GoodByeTicks at the checkout.*