In cooler countries, parasite prevention is seasonal. In the UAE, it runs all year. The warm weather lets fleas, ticks and mosquitoes thrive twelve months a year, so flea, tick and worm cover is something your pet needs all year, not just in summer. Here is what to watch for, and how to stay ahead of it.
Ticks: the one to take most seriously
The brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) lives in the Gulf. It carries two blood infections, ehrlichiosis and babesiosis, which have been found in dogs across the region. Without treatment, both can be fatal. Ehrlichiosis affects the white blood cells, and babesiosis destroys red blood cells, which can leave a dog anaemic. Ticks are mainly a dog problem, but cats can carry them too.
How to check your pet for ticks
Check your pet after every walk, especially in grassy or sandy areas. Run your hands over their whole body, paying attention to the ears, between the toes, around the neck and in the groin. Ticks hold on firmly and can be hard to spot, especially on a dark coat.
If you find one, use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool. Grip the tick close to the skin and pull straight out, slowly. Clean the skin afterwards. If the area swells or stays sore, ask your vet to take a look.
Fleas: less dangerous, more persistent
A female flea lays dozens of eggs a day. They fall off your pet into carpets, bedding and furniture, where they grow into larvae and then pupae. The pupae can wait in your home for months, hatching when they sense warmth or movement. So treating your pet without treating the home rarely works: wash bedding and vacuum often while you clear an infestation.
For pets with a flea allergy, a single bite can set off intense itching, hair loss and skin infection. Stopping fleas before they arrive is far easier than treating an infestation and the skin problems that follow.
Heartworm and mosquitoes
Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes. The worms live in the heart and the large blood vessels of the lungs, and left untreated the disease can cause heart failure. Treating it once it is established is long and hard on a pet, while prevention is simple. Ask your vet whether heartworm prevention should be part of your pet's cover.
Your prevention options
Prevention comes as spot-on treatments, tablets and some longer-acting options. Many products cover fleas, ticks and worms together. Your vet will recommend the right one for your pet's species, size, lifestyle and risk. A puppy or kitten has four health checks in their first six months. That is when their vaccinations start, and their flea, tick and worm cover begins and then runs all year round. If you are bringing a pet into the UAE, they need treatment for worms, fleas and ticks in the 14 days before travel.
Cats need cover too
Indoor cats are not out of reach. Mosquitoes come into the home, and cat fleas are common all year. Talk to your vet about a plan for every pet in your household. One rule matters more than any other: never use a dog's flea and tick treatment on a cat. Many contain permethrin, which can kill a cat, and a cat can be poisoned just by rubbing against a freshly treated dog. If it happens, it is an emergency: our emergency page shows what to do right now.
When to call the vet
Tiredness, loss of appetite and fever can be signs of a tick-borne disease, so call your vet, especially if you have found a tick recently. A blood test, such as a full blood count, helps your vet find out what is going on, and our diagnostics page explains how it works. Very pale gums, collapse or difficulty breathing are an emergency. Vomiting or diarrhoea in a puppy, kitten, older or already unwell pet needs a vet within a few hours.
Consistency is everything
One missed dose can leave your pet open to infection. Set a monthly reminder on your phone, on the same date each month. Parasite cover sits alongside vaccinations and health checks in your pet's year, and our guide to preventive care puts it all together. For a new pet, the puppy vaccination schedule and kitten vaccination schedule show what else the first months bring.
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