More than 70 percent of pet owners in Taiwan do not give their dogs or cats flea and tick medicine on a monthly basis, which poses high health risks to the pets, a veterinarian said.
Dr Yang’s Animal Hospital veterinarian Yang Ssu-yin (楊斯尹) on Friday said that fleas and ticks can affect pets’ health, and even if the pets do not go outside, owners can pass parasites to them through clothing and shoes.
Fleas are commonly found on carpets, beds and in dark and humid areas, and those found on a pet likely only account for 5 percent of the total flea population in a home, Yang said.
Photo: Weng Yu-huang, Taipei Times
In addition to making a pet uncomfortable and itchy, which results in skin scrapes and loss of hair, fleas can cause more serious health problems, such as diarrhea, anemia, loss of appetite and malnutrition, if the pet swallows a flea infested with tapeworm larvae, he said.
Ticks, which grow in similar conditions to fleas, lay 2,500 to 4,000 eggs at a time, he said.
Tick bites can lead to abscesses, anemia and the spread of communicable diseases, some of which can be fatal, he added.
To prevent transmitting parasites to pets, owners should avoid visiting places frequented by mice and stray cats or dogs, and clean the soles of their shoes each time they come home, Yang said.
Keeping a clean home is important, he said, adding that vacuuming is effective in removing fleas and ticks, and owners should also regularly place pets’ blankets and beds under the sun.
Flea and tick medications can be given orally, applied topically or administered through a collar-like product, but proper usage is key to optimal effectiveness, he said.
For example, flea and tick drops are effective and easy to use, but they must be applied regularly, Yang said, adding that due to Taiwan’s climate, it is recommended to apply them once every month.
Pet owners who use topical medications should monitor their pets to ensure they do not accidentally ingest it, he said.
For oral medication, Yang said that in his experience some dogs spit out the medicine and pet owners should ensure that they swallow it.
For people who use a fumigator to repel pests at home, owners should ensure that they and their pets do not stay inside during the process, he said, adding that furniture must be wiped clean afterward to avoid poisoning.
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
Yangmingshan National Park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) nature area has gone viral after a park livestream camera observed a couple in the throes of intimate congress, which was broadcast live on YouTube, drawing large late-night crowds and sparking a backlash over noise, bright lights and disruption to wildlife habitat. The area’s livestream footage appeared to show a couple engaging in sexual activity on a picnic table in the park on Friday last week, with the uncensored footage streamed publicly online. The footage quickly spread across social media, prompting a tide of visitors to travel to the site to “check in” and recreate the
Fast food chain McDonald's is to raise prices by up to NT$5 on some products at its restaurants across Taiwan, starting on Wednesday next week, the company announced today. The prices of all extra value meals and sharing boxes are to increase by NT$5, while breakfast combos and creamy corn soup would go up by NT$3, the company said in a statement. The price of the main items of those meals, if ordered individually, would remain the same. Meanwhile, the price of a medium-sized lemon iced tea and hot cappuccino would rise by NT$3, extra dipping sauces for chicken nuggets would go up
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) yesterday cited regulatory issues and national security concerns as an expert said that Taiwan is among the few Asian regions without Starlink. Lin made the remarks on Facebook after funP Innovation Group chief executive officer Nathan Chiu (邱繼弘) on Friday said Taiwan and four other countries in Asia — China, North Korea, Afghanistan and Syria — have no access to Starlink. Starlink has become available in 166 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, in the six years since it became commercial, he said. While China and North Korea block Starlink, Syria is not
RSS