ASK THE VET

Q: Princess is a four-year-old neutered female shih tzu. She scratches all the time. We have used pills, sprays etc all the time. I have had these tiny black varmints on my bed. She sleeps with me and only goes outside for walks and the toilet. When we try to medicate her she will bite us. What do you suggest?

DORIS CHENEY A: I would try to establish what the “tiny black varmints” are. If they are moving and present on the dog they are likely to be parasites.

The most common is likely to be a flea. If they are not moving, I suggest put them on some white tissue paper and adding a drop or two of water to them. If the “black varmint” turns dark red, it is likely to be the faeces of a parasite, again most likely the flea.

If fleas are confirmed to be the cause of the irritation, the parasite control you currently have in place would appear to be ineffective.

This may be for a number of reasons such as Princess not swallowing the pills, the pills not been given frequently enough to prevent reinfestation or the sprays not being used properly.

Some treatments will not kill all stages of the flea lifecycle, in which case the problem may persist for months before becoming controlled.

A spot-on treatment may be more appropriate if pilling is difficult to achieve. I advise checking the products you are using with your vet as some parasite treatments are more effective than others and over-the-counter products are generally less effective in the face of a large parasite burden.

If Princess has a concurrant allergy, this may also be complicating things.

Please note that advice in this section is for general guidance, and if your pet is very unwell you should contact your veterinary surgeon as soon as possible as this advice does not replace the need for a clinical examination of your pet.

Rory Thomson is part of the team at St Clair Veterinary Care in Croft Road, Blyth. If you have a question, fill out the online form at chroniclelive.co.uk/askthevet