Keep your pet healthy this Spring

As many pet owners are aware, there are a few key things that you need to look out for as the weather gets warmer and Spring settles in. Now depending on whether your beloved pet is a dog or a cat, these differ somewhat. Here are three main things to look out for:

1.  Have you prepared for the start of tick season?

Warmer weather not only brings more people and pets back outside, but also two of the most hated parasites of all: ticks and fleas. Other than irritating your dog or cat, ticks can cause diseases by transmitting bacteria and microbes such as Lyme disease. Ticks are also a threat to humans as they may fall of your pet and attach themselves to you. After every walk with your dog, or as soon as your cat comes back inside, you should do a quick fur check to see if you can spot anything. Ticks look similar to a spider with an egg shaped bit at the back. Ticks vary in size so have a thorough look. For pets with long fur, run your hand through it to check for unusual little lumps. These parasites tend to attach themselves around the head, neck and feet most often. To remove them, we would definitely recommend to buy a tick remover tool as it is the safest and easiest way to prevent a further spreading of diseases.

2. Itchy skin? Grass mites may be the problem

We often see increased cases of itching for both dogs and cats in summer. There are several causes for this, but in many cases it can be traced back to so called ‘grass mites’ or ‘harvest mites.’ Skin problems caused by harvest mites and other parasites can occur for all animals from March onwards, particularly in warm and dry weather. Harvest mites are known to cause severe itching through their bites. 

There are some very effective repellents that can simply be sprayed on to your pet’s fur before going outside, that are 100% natural and have been found to be effective to reduce that type of itching. AniForte Itchy Skin Spray has been developed by our vets and nutritionists specifically for this very common issue.

3. Detox your pet!

Spring is the perfect time to detox your pet. Take a close look at what you have been feeding your dog or cat. What stage of life are they in? And most importantly: are they getting all the nutrients they need?

The key things we would look out for are:

• No artificial additives

• No artificial vitamins (this is a big one and most pet food have them but they often cause allergies)

• No colourings or artificial preservatives

• The right protein / carb / fat ratio

• Are you supplementing certain ingredients to counteract medical conditions your pet may have?

Of course we can recommend our ‘PureNature’ range of pet food and our 100% natural supplements. If you have any more detailed questions, feel free to reach out to us at hello@aniforte.co.uk and ask away. Our nutritionists are always happy to assist!