Flea, Tick & Worm Guide
THE UNWANTED GUESTS WANT IN
Meet Flea, Tick and Worm. They’re looking for a meal, and they’ve got their sights and appetites set on your pet. Get to know these unwanted guests, check reported activity near you with Petwatch and find parasite protection to send them packing.
Tick
His drink of choice? The house red, straight from your pet.
Worm
Her idea of private dining’s inside your pet. No reservation needed.
Flea
He jumps into your pet’s coat, then invites the whole family over for a bite.
Ticks thirst for blood
Several ticks can affect Australian dogs and cats, including paralysis ticks, brown dog ticks, cattle ticks and bush ticks. Pets usually encounter them outdoors, particularly around dense vegetation. Brown dog ticks may also live indoors where dogs gather, such as kennels.
Ticks latch onto their hosts to drink blood. Their bites can cause irritation and swelling, and some transmit diseases such as canine ehrlichiosis and babesiosis.
Paralysis ticks
Paralysis ticks are the most dangerous ticks affecting dogs and cats in Australia. Found mainly along the east coast, they produce a neurotoxin that enters the bloodstream as they feed. This toxin causes progressive muscle weakness and, if untreated, can eventually prevent a pet from breathing.
Signs of tick paralysis may include:
Wobbliness or weakness, starting in the hind legs
Difficulty jumping
Vomiting or gagging
Change in their bark or meow
Difficulty swallowing
Difficulty breathing
Collapse
If you notice any signs of tick paralysis, contact your nearest vet or emergency hospital immediately.
Explore recommended flea, tick, and worm protection
Help keep your pet off the menu by keeping their flea, tick and worm protection up to date year-round.
Not sure which protection is right for your pet? Read our dog and cat parasite protection guides or ask your local Petbarn or Greencross Vets team for tailored advice.
Worms feed from within
Worms are the dinner guests who slip in unnoticed. Some steal nutrients from your pet’s gut, while heartworms can damage blood vessels around the heart and lungs. Keeping them off the guest list matters, even when your pet seems fine.
Heartworm
Heartworm can be a quiet invader because signs may not appear until the worms mature. Adults live in blood vessels around the heart and lungs, where growing numbers can obstruct blood flow and affect heart and lung function.
Symptoms of heartworm infestation include:
Coughing
Shortness of breath
Weakness or lethargy
Abdominal swelling
Reluctance to exercise
Weight loss
Heartworm is more common in dogs, although cats can also be affected. It spreads through the bite of a mosquito carrying heartworm larvae.
Intestinal worms
As the name suggests, intestinal worms live in the intestines. Common intestinal worms include roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms.
Signs in dogs and cats may include:
Scooting
Weight loss
Failure to thrive or grow as expected
Weakness or lethargy
Diarrhoea
Loss of appetite
Pets may get intestinal worms through ingesting eggs or larvae from the environment, walking in contaminated areas, eating infested meat or prey, or even their mother's milk.
Uninvited crawlers that leave a mark
Fleas, mites and lice are tiny invaders with no trouble making themselves at home on or in your pet’s skin and coat. They commonly cause itching and, in severe cases, may lead to hair loss, thickened skin and other health problems.
Fleas
Fleas are common parasites in dogs and cats. Pets usually pick them up from the environment, although fleas can also jump between animals. They breed quickly, so a few can soon become an infestation. Because fleas can survive in the environment, controlling an outbreak means treating your pets as well as cleaning and treating their surroundings.
Not seeing fleas does not mean they are not there. Itching or flea dirt, which looks like small black specks in the coat, may be the only signs your pet has fleas. Some pets are allergic to flea bites and can develop flea allergy dermatitis.
Mites
Most mites are microscopic, so the signs of an infestation are often easier to spot than the mites themselves. Common types of mites that affect dogs and cats include:
Ear mites: cause dark, waxy or crusty ear discharge, itchy ears, head shaking, rash or hair loss around the ear.
Demodex mites (demodectic mange): cause patchy hair loss, sometimes with mild itching or secondary skin infections.
Sarcoptes mites (sarcoptic mange or scabies): cause intense itching, red or crusty skin and hair loss. These mites are highly contagious and can also affect humans.
Lice
Lice are slow-moving stowaways that can cause severe itching, dandruff and patchy hair loss. You may see adult lice in the coat or nits, which look like small white specks attached to the hair shafts.
Pet lice may look like human head lice, but they are not the same parasite. Lice are highly host-specific: dog lice live on dogs and cat lice live on cats. Neither can live in human hair. And human lice can’t live in pet hair. They spread through direct contact or shared contaminated items such as grooming tools, clothing and bedding.
Learn more about how to take your pet off the menu
What’s the best parasite prevention for dogs? A comparison guide for dog flea, tick and worm protection
Parasites may be small, but the trouble they cause can be anything but. Regular protection helps keep fleas, ticks and worms off your dog and reduces the risk from parasites that can also affect people.
There is no single product that suits every dog or covers every parasite of concern. This guide compares common dog parasite prevention options available in Australia, including what they cover, how often they are used and important considerations you may with to discuss with your vet.
What’s the best parasite prevention for cats? A comparison guide for cat flea, tick, and worm protection
Parasites may be small, but the trouble they cause for your cat can be anything but. Regular protection helps keep fleas, ticks and worms off your cat and reduces the risk from parasites that can also affect people.
There is no single product that suits every cat or covers every parasite. This guide compares common options of parasite protection for cats available in Australia, including what they cover, how often they are used and important points to discuss with your vet.
How often should you worm your puppy? Puppy Worming Schedule
Worms are not the kind of guests you want settling in. Puppies can acquire intestinal worms from their mother and their environment. With their developing immune systems, they need more frequent treatment than adult dogs while they are growing.
Regular worming helps protect your puppy and reduces the chance of some parasites spreading to other pets or people. Follow our puppy worming schedule to understand when each dose is due and how to keep these unwanted guests off the list.
ALL Flea, Tick & Worm Guide ARTICLES
What’s the best parasite prevention for dogs? A comparison guide for dog flea, tick and worm protection
Parasites may be small, but the trouble they cause can be anything but. Regular protection helps keep fleas, ticks and worms off your dog and reduces the risk from parasites that can also affect people.
There is no single product that suits every dog or covers every parasite of concern. This guide compares common dog parasite prevention options available in Australia, including what they cover, how often they are used and important considerations you may with to discuss with your vet.
Intestinal worms in dogs: what you need to know
Intestinal worms in dogs are a common problem that can not only affect the health of your dog or puppy, but human members of your family, too. Understanding the facts about intestinal worms and learning how to protect your pet will make for healthier dogs and happier humans.
The ultimate guide to controlling fleas on dogs
Fleas can live on your dog and in your environment. While the irritation of fleas is usually more noticeable in spring and summer, in warmer climates around Australia fleas can stay active all year round and are a common problem even for the most well-groomed dog.
Paralysis tick prevention for cats: Everything you need to know
Ticks are a fact of life for Australians all over the country. And while certain ticks impact cats’ health differently, a paralysis tick is potentially life threatening to pets. Here, Dr Adam Sternberg of Greencross Vets shares advice on ticks so you can keep your cat safe and healthy.
