Advocate worming & flea treatment...

Just need a bit of advice really...

My two had been scratching a bit recently & i assumed it may be fleas, what with them being taken out & roaming fields & coming into contact with other dogs, so I went to the vet last saturday as they were due their monthly worming session & mentioned the scratching.

They gave me advocate 1ml tubes for my girls to distribute on their skin behind their necks.

Well I was a bit dubious to start of with because I couldn't figure how they would deal with worms inside them but i read the label & administered it to them.

Low & behold they are still scratching, I haven't seen any worms in their poo (might not have had any though) & Angel is scratching worse than ever.

And they are scratching their bum on the floor!

Now I have read & posted on the topic on this forum regarding bum scratching & good advice was given on what alternatives it might be but their diets are pretty much consistent, no junk etc so I'm thinking could it be worms as the treatment may not have worked?

I'm going to take them to the vets I think to get a check over but hey they sold me the treatment they thought would work in the 1st place!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I can, in all confidence, tell you that bum scratching being related to worms is an out and out wivestale. Some may think the scooting is also related to fleas but again I can assure you it's not. The main site that would be affected with fleas is chewing on the lower back, at the base of the tail and scratching at the neck. If they do have fleas and manage to ingest any while grooming/chewing themselves they can and will get tapeworm. Fleas and tapeworm go hand in hand. The tapeworm needs an intermediate host to finish the maturation process into an adult worm and the flea is its only intermediate host. Keeping your pet flea free goes a long way to keeping it worm free. With using the drops for fleas the results are not immediate but the pups should be flea free within roughly a week if they have any at all. My dog gets a well balanced, consistent diet also but, just as with people, have variations in how there bodies work from one day/ week/ month to the next. When I notice Kane on occasion rubbing or scooting his bum on the ground I add a couple tablespoons of bran (like for baking) to his meal. I usually only need to add it to the 1 meal and it seems to eliminate the problem again. Some vets say that regular anal gland expression is good but do not let them do it. Once the glands start getting regularly expressed in such an unnatural way they start to fill up and get infected regularly. If you want me to clarify anything else on this subject feel free to ask. Hope this helps.
Deb

Great post deb lots of info there, when you say bran whats that I dont cook so I do not know what that is and why do you give the bran?

In the baking section at ASDA Mike, either where you would buy flour or else in the organic section. Can also buy it from the health food shops. But remember to only use a couple tablespoons and only when you see theres a scooting prob. BM's push against the anal glands as they come out thereby expressing them naturally a little each and everytime they go but if they become a bit impacted, they will become a bit enflamed and itchy (like a hemmoroid if you've ever had one) hence the bum scratching for relief. Firming up the BM's pushes harder against the enflamed glands and Wha-la! instant relief.

Debs that is brilliant info, thanx ever so much for taking the time to type all that & pass on your expertise! I can honestly say it is much appreciated. Thank you so much! xo

Now off to asda I go... xo