Ticks, fleas and worms: how and when to treat your pet in Moldova

Parasites are the most common reason for vet visits after vaccinations. Moldova has a warm climate: ticks are active most of the year, mosquitoes carry heartworm, and fleas live happily in flats all year round. Below are general rules based on the European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP). Your veterinarian chooses the product and dose.

Ticks

Ticks become active when daytime temperatures stay above +5 °C. In Moldova that usually means March to November, and in a mild winter almost all year. They transmit babesiosis (piroplasmosis) in dogs, a dangerous disease that can be fatal within days without treatment.

• Protect your dog throughout the warm season without breaks: tablets, spot-on drops or a collar, following the product label.
• After a walk in a park, forest or long grass, check the neck, ears, armpits and groin.
• Lethargy, refusing food, fever or dark urine after a tick bite mean you should see a vet the same day.

Cats are bitten less often, but cats that go outdoors need protection too. Never give dog products to cats: some of them are toxic to cats.

Fleas

Fleas don't live only outdoors: they come in on shoes and breed in carpets and floor gaps. Most modern tick products also protect against fleas. If fleas have already appeared, treat every animal in the home at the same time and vacuum the places where they sleep.

Worms

Pets pick up worms from soil, raw meat, fleas and other animals. Some worms can pass to people, especially children.

• Puppies and kittens — from 2 weeks, every 2 weeks until 8 weeks, then monthly until 6 months.
• Adult pets, if you don't know the exact risk — at least 4 times a year, i.e. every 3 months.
• More often, monthly, for dogs that hunt, eat raw meat or live with small children.

Heartworm

Heartworms (Dirofilaria) are parasitic worms spread by mosquitoes. In Moldova they occur in both dogs and people. Prevention is a monthly product from May to October, while mosquitoes are active, plus one more month. Before the first course in an adult dog, your vet may suggest a blood test.

How not to lose track of dates

Every product has its own interval: a tick tablet works for 1 or 3 months, spot-on drops for a month, dewormers every 3 months. It's easy to forget what was given and when.

In micamic treatments go into the «Health» section: the product, the date and the next due date. There are suggested intervals for cats and dogs, and a reminder appears on your home screen and in the calendar a few days before.