Ask Questions - Please feel free to ask worming and testing questions and an E-SQP will get back to you.





Thursday 30 August 2012


Buying Medicines on the Internet
Here is an extract of the current text on the VMD’s website regarding the newly introduced Accredited Internet retailer Scheme. We at www.wormers-direct.co.uk are delighted to be included on that list as we have always strived to maintain not only a great customer service but one that works within all legislation and codes of conduct. As we are totally committed to such a course of action we ask you to bear with us when filling in your order forms for our SQP’s to scrutinise.

“The Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme is the VMD's way of facilitating self regulation by UK based internet retailers selling veterinary medicines. It is a response to concerns about the increase in the number of internet retailers and the extent to which they comply with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR). Whilst the majority of websites based in the UK are run by qualified professionals, some sites breach the VMR by selling veterinary medicines:
  • without the advice of a veterinary surgeon, pharmacist or Suitably Qualified Person
  • that are not authorised for use in animals in the UK.
The VMD is issuing internet retailers who have met the accreditation scheme's requirements with a logo to indicate their accreditation. Internet retailers can then display the logo on their website. The logo contains a unique number. Customers can confirm accreditation by clicking on the logo to access the internet retailer database on the VMD's website.
The VMD's Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme will help you as an on-line buyer of veterinary medicines by:
  • showing you that the retailer has voluntarily applied for and has been granted accreditation
  • confirming that the VMD has inspected the website and found that it complies with the Accreditation Scheme's requirements and the Veterinary Medicines Regulations
  • reducing the risk of you buying unauthorised veterinary medicines
  • reducing the risk of you buying inappropriate or ineffective veterinary medicines for your animals.”
By clicking here you will be taken to our home page and the VMD accreditation logo is on the right hand side of the page, click it to view our individual accreditation

    SH Wetherald E-SQP

Friday 24 August 2012


Fleas 
There has certainly been an explosion of flea bites and infestations this year mainly due to the weather, wet and mild is meat and drink to fleas, but when you are treating your actual pets don't forget to treat the environment as well.
View a suitable spray here 

If there is a cat or dog in your house there are most certainly fleas as well. Adult fleas live on pets feeding on the blood, breeding and laying up to 50 eggs per day. The adult egg population represents only about 5% of the total the rest being eggs and developing larvae. Your pets acts as the distributor for these eggs kindly depositing them on their travels to end up in soft furnishings, carpets bedding and also in your car. The larvae like it dark, they are blind and worm like feeding on such things as human skin scales or flea faeces. They remain like this until they pupate. The pupae are the cocoons from which the adult will eventually hatch perhaps triggered by central heating or humidity. Mere vibration from humans and pets sometimes trigger the pupae to hatch into hungry adult fleas looking for a tasty meal of blood in as little as a week. Others not triggered to hatch may lay dormant for up to a year. Adults then lay eggs which develop into larvae then pupae and then the life cycle of the flea is complete.
As such a small proportion of the total flea population actually live on your pet it is absolutely vital to treat your home with  a household spray. Fleas are not only an irritant to your pets they can cause allergic skin reactions, skin lesions and infection. Also remember that the fleas can transmit tapeworm to your pets.






   SH Wetherald E-SQP
   Animal Medicines Advisor
   www.facebook.com/wormers

Wednesday 8 August 2012

Lungworm in horses (dictyocaulus arnfieldi)


Lungworm in horses (dictyocaulus arnfieldi)

                                       

The lifecycle of lungworms is different to other nematodes as adults settle in the lungs rather than the intestine. Eggs are laid then travel up the trachea, are swallowed and passed out in the faeces. Further development then takes place on the pasture, infective larvae are swallowed by horses or donkeys to further develop into egg laying adults.

It is extremely rare for lungworm larvae to develop to full maturity in horses as the horse is not a good host for that particular parasite.  Horses can be infected with lungworm but as they do not mature in to egg laying larvae in any numbers to sustain a population on the pastures.  Exceptions to this in horses can arise in very young or old horses and seriously depilated horses whose immune systems are impaired.

Up to 70% of donkeys carry lungworms often showing no clinical signs of infestation and it is in donkeys where the parasite reaches full maturity.  Donkeys do not always develop the symptomatic cough that is seen in horses but if horses are grazed along side donkeys then particular care must be taken to treat for lungworms accordingly with particular attention to foals as they can sustain permanent lung damage if infected.

Diagnosis can be done through the actual physical and clinical signs which might be moderate coughing,  a slightly increased respiratory rate or even severe persistent coughing and respiratory distress. Fecal egg counts can be used to determine lungworm levels but a sedimentation test is required so at least 3 times the amount of fecal matter needs to be supplied to the laboratory.


SH Wetherald E-SQP
Animal Medicines Advisor
simon@wormers-direct.co.uk
www.facebook.com/wormers