They bite, irritate, jump and suck your precious pet’s blood. These live on her skin, swim through her bloodstream and feast in her intestinal tract or other parts of her body. They’re parasites, and they’re out for one thing: free room and board. With early treatment, most parasitic infections aren’t life-threatening and can be treated with medication. Learn how to protect your pet from these despicable freeloaders.

Common Internal Cat & Dog Parasites

Worms: Hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms,–all kinds of worms can invade your pet’s intestinal tract and can cause diarrhea, vomiting or weight loss, but they can also be present in your pet’s body without any symptoms. Heartworms can inhabit your pet’s blood stream and heart and may eventually affect many different organs but your pet may initially be asymptomatic. For intestinal parasites, your veterinarian can perform a physical exam and test a fecal sample. If it is determined that your pet has one of these parasites, he may prescribe a deformer solution as treatment. For cat and dog heartworm, prevention is key. Heartworm infection is almost always preventable with medication. However, if a blood test confirms that your pet has heartworm, your veterinarian can advise you about treatment options.

Coccidian: One rare form of coccidian affects the liver and can cause appetite loss, diarrhea, liver failure or in severe cases, death. The more common form affects the intestines and can cause weight loss, watery or mucous-like diarrhea and dehydration–or your pet may not show any signs of infection.

Cryptosporidium: This intestinal parasite is usually ingested through contaminated food, water or feces. Symptoms include fever and diarrhea, and possibly lethargy.

Giardia: Dogs, cats and even humans can contract giardia by coming into contact with infected feces or contaminated water. Symptoms include diarrhea, gas, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting. Giardia can also be present with no obvious symptoms.
Common External Parasites

Fleas: These athletic bloodsucking bugs love to taste-test your pet. The result is itching, scratching, biting, chewing, hair loss or skin irritation. Anemia, tapeworms, and Flea Allergy Dermatitis in dogs and cats are all conditions that can stem from flea infestations. The best protection against fleas is using a combination of flea and tick preventative products year-round for your pet, home and yard.

Ticks: These bloodsucking arachnids can be found anywhere on your pet, but are more likely to be found on the ears, face, legs or belly. They can be carriers of serious diseases including Lyme disease in pets, so it’s important to check your pet regularly, and if one is found, remove it right away. To remove a tick safely from your pet, use a pair of pointed tweezers, hemostats or a tick removal tool to firmly grasp the tick at the head, which is closest to your pet’s skin. Pull the tick straight out using steady pressure, and place it in rubbing alcohol to kill it.

​Mites: These parasites frequently hide in the dark recesses of your pet’s ear canals or beneath her luxurious fur. If your pet is infested, you might notice thick scabs near the ears and face, scaly dandruff or a thinning coat. You may also notice your pet itching, scratching or shaking their head.
Prevention is key when it comes to internal and external parasites, prevention and early detection are vital. Anytime you add a new pet to the family, schedule an appointment right away with your veterinarian for a thorough physical examination, as well as any necessary vaccinations. Observe your pet regularly and make note of any changes in her skin and coat, her grooming behavior (such as increased itching or scratching) or her appetite.

Note that in some cases, symptoms are not always visible, which is another reason annual check-ups are so important. Always talk to your veterinarian about the most effective steps to keep parasites at bay. If treatment is needed, be sure to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations thoroughly. Other steps may need to be taken to protect everyone in your house, including other pets.

To help prevent health concerns in your dog, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of checking your dog regularly for any changes or signs of illness.  When checking your dog, it’s important to be vigilant, as your dog can’t tell you if they are feeling unwell.  If you notice anything out of the ordinary, contact your vet right away.

To help keep your dog healthy, we’ve put together an easy to follow checklist.

Health checklist

Body condition - You should just be able to... 

Have you ever endured the anguish of a pet slipping out the door and disappearing?  Despite our best intentions, dogs get out when we're sure they can't.  They run through open doors, dig under fences, hop out car windows and squeeze through tiny little cat doors that you'd swear couldn't accommodate a squirrel, much less your bouncy dog.  Unfortunately, 1 in 3 dogs get lost during their lifetimes and not all of them are recovered.

How can you beat the odds of this happening to your pet?  Number one priority: have your pet wear an ID tag with a phone number where you can be contacted.  Unfortunately, many people forget to check their dog's tags on a regular basis - they often rust, get scratched, or even come totally off, leaving no way for anyone who finds the dog to find you.  

More and more pet owners are opting to up their chances of recovering a lost pet by having their veterinarian implant an identifying microchip.  In combination with an ID tag, a microchip is your safest bet for getting your lost dog returned to you safely.  These tiny chips, when scanned, can be used to identify your dog and who he belongs to.  Anyone who's ever lost a dog knows that whatever helps you find him again is worth having.  In addition, many countries now require the implantation of an ISO-compliant microchip to allow a dog to enter without undergoing lengthy quarantine periods.

As part of our commitment to our customers, all puppies supplied by Perfect Pedigree Thailand come with an ISO-compliant microchip already implanted and registered in their new owner's name.

Exactly what is a microchip?
A microchip is...

Q. 
Which foods could be dangerous for my dog?

A.
Some foods which are edible for humans, and even other species of animals, can pose hazards for dogs because of their different metabolism. Some may cause only mild digestive upsets, whereas, others can cause severe illness, and even death. The following common food items should not be fed (intentionally or unintentionally) to dogs. This list is, of course, incomplete because we can not possibly list everything your dog should not eat.



Alcoholic beverages
Can cause intoxication, coma, and death.

Avocado
The leaves, seeds, fruit, and bark contain persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

Bones from fish, poultry, or other meat sources
Can cause obstruction or laceration of the digestive system.

Cat food
Generally too high in protein and fats.

Chocolate, coffee, tea, and other caffeine
Contain caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can cause...

Your puppy’s first meeting with other puppies is a lot like a child’s first day of school.  There will be all sorts of things for your pup to investigate and become familiar with including new sounds, sights and smells.  Of course, there will also be new friends waiting to greet your puppy and to help them learn to improve their social skills during play.

This experience can be very exciting, and loads of fun for pups and their parents.  Just like children at school, social interactions might at times also be a bit of a challenge for your puppy.  In order for this to be a fun, positive, and beneficial experience, you should know what to look for and how best to react to a variety of common puppy play group scenarios. 

Puppies will learn an enormous amount from the other pups, but your intervention and feedback is also important.  By monitoring your puppy’s behavior, and knowing how to best react, you can set your pup up for a successful experience.  Here are a couple of common scenarios you may see as well as some tips to make the most of these social occasions.

1. Let’s Get This Party Started!
Some puppies charge into their first play group with gusto and confidence.  They run right up to every other pup without hesitation and may even insist on play by pouncing and barking.  If your pup is on this end of the social spectrum, part of the benefit of socialisation is for them to learn how to tone down their play with those pups that are less receptive or concerned.  After all, not everyone is a fan of a more in your face sort of social encounter and your pup will do well to learn some self-control.  Of course, being of the same species, puppies are well equipped to learn from each other.  However, puppy parents should ...