Personalised Parasite Plan
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Our bespoke, risk-based parasite plans

Parasite control: Our unique approach to protecting your pet, your family and our environment

Every pet is different – what they eat, where they go and what they do – so why should they be treated the same way?

All of the plans in our relaunched Lifetime Care Club include a bespoke, risk-based parasite control plan for your pet, using the latest diagnostic advances and tailored by our decades of experience of living and working in this unique and beautiful location of North Yorkshire.

With increasing evidence emerging about the development of drug resistance and the harmful effects of some parasite treatments on our ecosystem, we have thought long and hard about how best to protect your pet and your family whilst also caring for our environment.

Parasite treatments tailored to your pet’s lifestyle

Our relaunched Lifetime Care Club offers all our patients an individual parasite risk assessment, developed exclusively by our veterinary team.This includes a comprehensive risk assessment questionnaire and an annual faecal screen.

With these results we can determine the most appropriate parasite prevention plan for you and your pet, which balances pet heath, human health and care for the environment.

We will work with you to help you understand the potential risks and benefits of different approaches, and to ensure we use parasite treatments responsibly and appropriately for your individual circumstances.

This may involve monitoring or testing if your pet is classed as low risk, or preventative treatment if your pet is at higher risk of infection.

We will reassess your risk level every year to make sure we continue to provide appropriate protection for your pet and your family if your circumstances change.

We believe that our bespoke risk-based plans allow us to provide the very best care for your pet and your family but also allow us to prescribe less medication if appropriate.

In this way we’re protecting fish stocks in the rivers Nidd, Ouse and Ure and bird life in the Yorkshire Dales and Moors just as much as we’re protecting the patients who come through our doors.

Part of our approach to sustainability

Our approach coupled with initiatives like this demonstrate our continued support for sustainable veterinary practices. Please click here to find out more.

 

FAQs

Why are you changing your approach to parasite control?
Since we first launched our LCC in 2017, we have offered a standard plan, which included regular preventative treatment for parasites, and a test and treat plan, which included testing to see if treatment was required. With growing concerns about drug resistance and the harmful effects of some parasite treatments on the environment, and the ongoing development of more reliable diagnostic testing options, we have now decided to combine the best parts of both these plans for all our patients. This allows us to use parasite treatments responsibly.
How does the new approach work?
We have developed a Parachex lifestyle questionnaire and a faecal sample kit which allows us to assess the specific risk of the different parasites in your pet. In this way, we can use a more targeted approach to parasite control, which may involve testing, preventative treatment or a combination of both. We’ll guide you through the risks and benefits of the different testing and treatment options to ensure effective appropriate parasite control for your individual circumstances.
What is faecal testing and why is it being recommended for my pet?

Faecal testing is a method of determining whether certain intestinal parasites are present in your pet. We are testing for roundworm and certain types of tapeworm (whipworm, hookworm, cystoisospora and flea tapeworm). Testing will help us to design a more targeted approach to parasite control, reducing unnecessary chemicals for both your pet and the environment.

Faecal testing also allows us to identify whether any of these intestinal parasites have developed resistance to the medications that are being used. Resistance can develop through regular use of medications, which can lead to those medications becoming less effective. If we learn about resistance, it allows us to prescribe an alternative product to treat your pet effectively.

Please note: A faecal test for intestinal parasites is a snapshot in time. The test will detect whether there is any evidence of parasites at the time the test is performed. There is a possibility that in between testing, your pet can pick up intestinal parasites from their environment or from other pets. If your pet’s lifestyle puts them at higher risk of picking up infection, we may recommend regular preventative treatment as an alternative to testing.

How do I collect a poo sample for faecal testing?
  • You will be sent a faecal sample kit through the post approximately 3 to 4 weeks before your pet's vaccination is due.
  • You must register your pet online with the PetPoint Health App before posting your sample.
  • To register your faecal sample – scan the barcode with your phone to link the tube to your pet.
  • Use the spoon attached to the brown lid to collect 1 heaped spoonful of fresh faeces. Place the spoon back into the sample tube and screw the lid on tightly. Wash your hands.
  • Insert the sample tube into the clear safeTpouch, peel off the yellow strip and press firmly to seal.
  • Place the tube and biohazard bag into the return envelope and post in any post Royal Mail post box. Post the sample on the day of collection.

    If your pet is a member of our Lifetime Care Club this faecal test is included as part of your plan.
Why don’t all pets have a faecal test before treatment?
It’s important to remember that some of the intestinal parasites that your pet can pick up may not be a particular problem for them but can potentially cause infection in vulnerable people that they come into contact with, such as children under 5 or immunocompromised individuals. Also, there are some intestinal parasites for which testing is not currently available or is unreliable. Therefore, if your pet is at higher risk of picking up infection, and depending on your individual circumstances, we may recommend regular preventative treatment rather than testing.
What else can I do to protect my pet and my family from parasites?

Always pick up after your dog and dispose of faeces responsibly. This can reduce the spread of any infection to other pets or humans. If your pet has been treated, this can reduce the amount of parasite treatment getting into the environment.

Always wear gloves or wash your hands after exposure to pet urine, faeces or areas where these may be, such as when gardening or cleaning out sandpits. Encourage good hand hygiene in children. This will minimise the risk of any infection being picked up by vulnerable individuals.

Cover children’s sandpits to avoid wildlife or stray pets from contaminating these areas.

What about testing for fleas and ticks?

If the lifestyle of your pet means they are at a low risk of picking up fleas and ticks, it may not be necessary to treat preventatively all year round. However, in this situation it is important to monitor your pet regularly. The most effective way of monitoring for fleas is by regular grooming with a flea comb and detecting flea faeces by wiping the combings onto damp white paper. Ticks can be found with visual inspection, although the small larval and nymph stages are harder to find, especially in thick coated animals. Our practice nurses can show you how to monitor your pet for fleas and ticks, and flea combs are available at all our branches.

Please note: Fleas and ticks have the potential to carry certain infections which can potentially be transmitted to vulnerable humans, so regular preventative treatment may be recommended rather than monitoring in this situation.