{"id":1636,"date":"2026-06-30T15:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T14:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.608vets.com\/news\/?p=1636"},"modified":"2026-07-01T15:29:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:29:43","slug":"parasites-in-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.608vets.com\/news\/parasites-in-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Parasites in Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Why flea, tick and worm protection matters more than ever in Solihull.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Summer is peak season for parasites. Fleas, ticks and worms are more active in warm conditions and can affect pets quickly, even those that spend most of their time indoors. Owners around woodland walks like Brueton Park\u00a0tend to see a real jump in tick encounters from May onwards.<\/p>\n<p>Parasites are not just irritating, they can cause serious health problems if left untreated.<\/p>\n<h2>Why summer increases parasite risk<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Fleas breed faster in warm weather<\/li>\n<li>Ticks are more active in grass and woodland<\/li>\n<li>Pets spend more time outdoors<\/li>\n<li>Parasites can be brought into the home on clothing or shoes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once established, fleas can be difficult to eliminate from the home environment.<\/p>\n<h2>Problems parasites can cause<\/h2>\n<p>Parasites may lead to<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Intense itching and skin infections<\/li>\n<li>Allergic reactions<\/li>\n<li>Transmission of disease<\/li>\n<li>Weight loss or digestive issues<\/li>\n<li>Anaemia in severe cases<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Cats and dogs can be affected differently, and some treatments safe for dogs are dangerous for cats.<\/p>\n<p>Lungworm is a particular risk for dogs in the UK and is worth flagging on its own. It is picked up from contact with slugs and snails, including the very small ones that can be hidden in toys left outside, water bowls, or on grass after rain. Untreated lungworm in dogs can cause coughing, breathing difficulties and serious bleeding problems. Year round prevention chosen by your vet is the best protection.<\/p>\n<h2>A really important safety note for cat owners<\/h2>\n<p>Never use a dog flea or tick product on a cat, even a small amount or a one-off. Many dog spot-on treatments contain a chemical called permethrin, which is highly toxic to cats and can cause severe tremors, seizures and, in some cases, death. The same risk applies if your cat grooms or sleeps next to a recently treated dog. If you think your cat has been exposed, please contact your vet straight away. It is genuinely time critical.<\/p>\n<p>Always use products that are clearly licensed for cats, and ideally prescribed or recommended by your veterinary practice rather than picked up at random from a shop or online. The team at 608 Vets can talk you through the right flea treatment for cats for your household, especially if you have a mixed cat-and-dog home.<\/p>\n<h2>Choosing the right protection<\/h2>\n<p>With so many products available, it can be confusing to know what works. The veterinary team at 608 Vets in Solihull will help you sort the genuinely effective from the vet-prescribed flea treatment alternatives that often need to be paired with a separate worming product.<\/p>\n<p>Your vet can help by<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Recommending safe and effective treatments<\/li>\n<li>Tailoring parasite control to your pet&#8217;s lifestyle<\/li>\n<li>Advising on year round protection<\/li>\n<li>Helping you avoid ineffective or unsafe products<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Regular, vet recommended parasite control protects both your pet and your home.<\/p>\n<h2>When to speak to your vet<\/h2>\n<p>If your pet is scratching more than usual, has visible fleas, or you are unsure about your current treatment, book a chat with 608 Vets. Early advice helps prevent bigger problems later. You can book online <a href=\"contact-us\/book-an-appointment\">here<\/a>\u00a0or call us on <a href=\"tel:01217053044\">0121 705 3044<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Quick answers<\/h2>\n<div class=\"faq-list\" data-clickingmad-faqs data-options='{\"category\":\"more-water\",\"openFirstQuestion\":false,\"onlyAllowOneOpen\":true,\"includeStructuredData\":true,\"class\":\"\"}' data-instance-id=\"1\"><div class=\"faq-item\"><h3 class=\"faq-question\">Why is my cat not drinking water?<\/h3><div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>Many cats prefer moving water, dislike bowls placed near food or litter, and have low natural thirst drives. Try a ceramic or metal bowl, a fountain, or adding a wet meal to boost overall fluid intake.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"faq-item\"><h3 class=\"faq-question\">When should I worry about my dog drinking too much water?<\/h3><div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>A clear, sustained increase in drinking can be an early sign of kidney disease, diabetes, or Cushing&#8217;s disease in dogs. If your dog is suddenly emptying their bowl much faster than usual, book a vet check.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"faq-item\"><h3 class=\"faq-question\">Can older cats benefit from a water fountain?<\/h3><div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>Yes. Older cats with early kidney disease often drink more readily from flowing water. Fountains are a simple, low-cost way to support hydration in senior cats. Your vet may also recommend a renal diet alongside.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"faq-item\"><h3 class=\"faq-question\">How much water should my dog drink in a day?<\/h3><div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>As a rough guide, dogs need around 50 to 60 ml of water per kg of body weight per day. Active or hot-weather days will be higher. Wet food contributes towards this.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<h2>How to book and contact us<\/h2>\n<p>To book online or check availability, visit\u00a0<a href=\"contact-us\/book-an-appointment\">here<\/a>. You can also call us on\u00a0<a href=\"tel:01217053044\">0121 705 3044<\/a>, or pop into 608 Vets:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Solihull |\u00a0<a href=\"tel:0121 705 3044\"><span class=\"phone\">0121 705 3044<\/span><\/a><span class=\"contact-separator\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"about-608\/our-surgeries\/solihull\">View our opening hours<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Bentley Heath |\u00a0<a class=\"tracklocationtel\" href=\"tel:01564 774246\">01564 774246<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"about-608\/our-surgeries\/bentley-heath\">View our opening hours<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Acocks Green |\u00a0<a class=\"tracklocationtel\" href=\"tel:0121 706 1870\">0121 706 1870<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"about-608\/our-surgeries\/acocks-green\">View our opening hours<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For out-of-hours emergencies please call\u00a0<a href=\"tel:01217053044\">0121 705 3044<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why flea, tick and worm protection matters more than ever in Solihull. Summer is peak season for parasites. Fleas, ticks&hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.608vets.com\/news\/faq\/how-much-water-should-my-dog-drink-in-a-day\/\" class=\"cta\">Read more&hellip;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 4.9.9 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.608vets.com\/news\/faq\/how-much-water-should-my-dog-drink-in-a-day\/\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO (AIOSEO) 4.9.9\" \/>\n\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"aioseo-schema\">\n\t\t\t{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/faq\\\/how-much-water-should-my-dog-drink-in-a-day\\\/#breadcrumblist\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news#listItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/category\\\/general-news\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"General News\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/category\\\/general-news\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"General News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/category\\\/general-news\\\/\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/parasites-in-summer\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Parasites in Summer\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news#listItem\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/parasites-in-summer\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Parasites in Summer\",\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/category\\\/general-news\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"General News\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"608 Vets News\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/08\\\/default-image.png\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/faq\\\/how-much-water-should-my-dog-drink-in-a-day\\\/#organizationLogo\",\"width\":403,\"height\":264},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/faq\\\/how-much-water-should-my-dog-drink-in-a-day\\\/#organizationLogo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/faq\\\/how-much-water-should-my-dog-drink-in-a-day\\\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.608vets.com\\\/news\\\/faq\\\/how-much-water-should-my-dog-drink-in-a-day\\\/\",\"name\":\"How much water should my dog drink in a day? 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