Fleas, worms and heartworm in a Perth climate
Perth's parasite year looks different from the east coast's. Paralysis ticks are an eastern seaboard problem, fleas run hardest from October to April, and heartworm is a year-round mosquito question that a single missed month reopens.
12months of heartworm cover from one injection
What happens
Fleas
One adult flea on the animal means a hundred eggs in the house. Treatment runs monthly through the warm half of the year and covers every animal in the household.
Intestinal worms
Three-monthly for adults, fortnightly for puppies until twelve weeks. Hydatid tapeworm matters for dogs on farms or with access to raw offal.
Heartworm
Mosquito-borne, and Perth has mosquitoes. A yearly injection at the annual check removes the missed-month problem that catches most owners on monthly tablets.
Ticks, and what lives here
Brown dog ticks are present in Perth and cause anaemia in a heavy burden. The paralysis tick that kills dogs on the east coast is absent from Western Australia, so cover here is a travel question.
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The Perth parasite calendar
What to expect month by month in this city. It is the seasonal shape our vets use when they set a household's routine, and it moves a few weeks either way with the rain.
- JanuaryPeak flea season. Heat stress risk is high, so check the footpath before walking.
- FebruaryPeak flea season continues. Mosquitoes active, so heartworm cover matters.
- MarchFleas still heavy. Grass seeds turn up in ears and paws after dry paddocks.
- AprilFlea pressure easing. A good month to reset the whole household.
- MayFirst rain moves rodents indoors, which raises leptospirosis exposure.
- JuneLow flea pressure. Worming and heartworm carry on unchanged.
- JulyQuietest month. Indoor flea populations survive in carpet and bedding.
- AugustLow, and the month to treat the house before spring rather than after it.
- SeptemberFlea numbers begin climbing. Start monthly cover now if it lapsed.
- OctoberFlea season opens properly. Mosquito numbers rise with the warmth.
- NovemberHigh flea pressure. Snake season starts, and Fremantle carries antivenom.
- DecemberHigh everything. Boarding kennels want vaccination certificates now.
Travelling east between October and March is the one time a Perth dog needs paralysis tick cover. Tell us where you are going and we will start it before you leave.
Where you can get this
6 of our six hospitals, because the equipment and the people it needs live in those buildings.
What it costs
From $28month
For a 20 kg dog on combined flea, worm and heartworm cover.
All consult feesQuestions we get asked
My cat never goes outside. Does it need flea treatment?
If there is a dog in the house, yes. Fleas arrive on the dog and breed in the carpet, and the indoor cat is where they end up.
Are supermarket flea treatments any good?
Some are effective and some cover only adult fleas, which leaves the eggs in the house. Bring the packet in and we will tell you which one you have.
Do I need tick prevention in Perth?
For brown dog ticks in a heavy year, sometimes. For paralysis ticks, only when you are travelling to Queensland, New South Wales or eastern Victoria.
What happens if heartworm cover lapses?
A blood test before restarting. Starting prevention in an infected dog can cause a serious reaction, so the test comes first.
How do I clear fleas out of the house?
Treat every animal for three consecutive months, wash bedding hot, and vacuum daily for a fortnight including under furniture. The carpet holds the other 95 per cent of the population.
Book parasite prevention
Available at Fremantle, Subiaco, Joondalup, Midland, Canning Vale, Rockingham.