Oral Flea Treatment is the easiest to administer out of flea treatment for your pets, and also the most effective. Oral flea treatment is 99.9% effective compared to the 88.4% effectiveness for Topical flea treatment. This makes it 11.5% more effective and gives a whole-body protection. Not only is it fast working – in some cases as fast as 15 minutes – it’s also out of your pets system in up to 3 days. This means you can use them in conjunction with other flea and worm treatments.
Different Oral Treatments
It’s important to read what you’re getting. What can seem like a bargain for £1 in the supermarket can actually be useless. This is because different treatments target different areas.
What to look out for:
If it treats just adult fleas or all ages
Whether it treats worms and what type – especially important as some only treat Roundworm or Tapeworm
If it’s for cats or dogs – dog treatment can be toxic to cats so keep an eye out for what you’re giving your pet
How long treatment works – some lasts up to every 2 weeks
Whether the tablets need to be swallowed or chewed
The main advantage of oral treatments is that there’s no sticky mess and the doses are better. This means that you won’t leave any dose behind like you do with topical flea treatment. However, oral treatment doesn’t include flea eggs and larvae which will fall off in your house and garden, so your house will need to be treated too to hopefully completely stop any further infestations.
How do you administer?
The key thing to remember when giving oral treatment is that the tablet shouldn’t be crushed. When the tablet’s crushed it becomes less likely to work or not even work at all, making the dose pointless. Try putting the tablet in their favourite food to get them to eat it in one. Equally, try giving hairball paste to your cat frequently. This way you can put the paste on the tablet to get your cat to eat it up with no problem.
Once the pill is consumed the chemicals enter the pets blood stream – which is non-toxic to your pet – and the blood becomes poisonous to fleas. This means that when fleas land on your pet and drink their blood the fleas will die shortly after.
Raw Food Diet may seem daunting at first for owners, but it’s not as hard as it initially seems! With the right balance of Meat, Vegetables, Fats and Carbohydrates your Dog can have a homemade meal that meets all of their daily needs that most shop-bought dog foods don’t. Besides knowing exactly what your Dog is eating and knowing that it’s fulfilling their daily needs, there are other advantages to feeding Raw Food.
Why feed raw food?
One of the first advantages of a Raw Food Diet is that your Dogs’ stools almost immediately improve, becoming more firm. This is due to no cereals being present in their food so more of the food digested is absorbed in the digestive tract, making the stool firmer and less frequent. Another benefit is that raw food doesn’t get extruded like some pet foods do – meaning that more of the original nutrients is retained and means that supplements don’t need to be added to the diet.
Other advantages include:
More palatable
Healthier
Better looking coat
what does a raw food diet need to contain?
1. Bones
Macro-minerals are the most important minerals within a dogs diet and are needed in the largest quantities, without them your Dog could die. These include Calcium; Phosphorus, Magnesium, Potassium and others. Bones contain enough minerals to mostly cover these needs. Bones should make up about 12-15% of a Dog’s daily diet.
Meaty bones that are good for this include:
Chicken or Duck wings, legs, necks or thighs
Lamb or Goat necks or ribs
Beef tail bones
2. Organs
Another good way of getting your Dog all their vitamins is through feeding them organs. Organs contain the most nutrients and without them your Dog could be missing some of the most important vitamins. Organs include Lungs, Kidney, Liver, Brain and other nutrient-rich organs. A third to a half of the Dogs diet should be a kind of a muscle meat from either Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Pork or Lamb. These provide important proteins that help with the build and repair of tissues and also allow new hormones and enzymes to be made.
3. Fat
Only slightly over 10% of the Dog’s diet should be made up of fat. Over-feeding fats can cause malnutrition of vitamins and minerals that other parts of their diet would normally supply. Fat is important for skin health and the immune system so it can’t be missed from a daily diet and is a must for making sure you don’t over or underfeed fat.
4. Fruit and Vegetables
Fruit and Vegetables are the more optional part of the diet, while your Dog could live without them but they can also source some important macro-minerals such as Magnesium from leafy green vegetables, for example. If you decide to feed Vegetables it should make up approximately 30% of a daily diet.
Finally, don’t forget to give your Dog some variety! The food might be more palatable but your Dog can still get bored of eating the same food every day – even if it is healthier for them.
Ken Wight’s Pet Food is our newest food in Shanklin Pet Stores catering to both Cats and Dogs with a wide range of flavours. A special blend in ingredients creates a unique and varying taste, aroma and texture in all of our foods meaning your pet is unlikely to ever get bored of it, all made from 100% natural and UK-sourced ingredients.
✓ Grain Free
✓ Added Vitamins, Minerals and Omega 3
✓ 50% Minimum Meat content
✓ Biodegradable bag
✓ Hypoallergenic
✓ Free from artificial colouring, flavours or preservatives
Available both in store and other stockists, it’s a must have.
Grain Free, Hypoallergenic and added Omega 3
Natural, complete and balanced, Ken Wight’s pet food is designed to be suitable for Dogs and Cats with grain sensitivities. This means that you don’t need to worry about bad reactions or runny stools as it is 100% natural.
Using high quality ingredients, our highly digestible food means more firm and less frequent stools – especially helpful in older, incontinent pets. This also means that more nutrients will be absorbed into your pet’s digestive tract and therefore their body.
Also with an excellent source of EPA & DHA – to support cognitive function, visual development and help to reduce the inflammation response – with added Sweet Potato to give a boost of Vitamin B.
Added Omega 3 and Fish Oil will give your pet a healthier skin and shiny coat – ultimately transforming your pet’s coat.
High Quality Protein fit for Humans
A human quality protein source that dogs will go out of their way for with a larger percentage than other pet foods. High quality protein is more bio-available and can be better absorbed by the body, making it ideal for your pet. This also means your dog is more unlikely to eat other dog’s’ faeces.
Dog’s eat other dog’s’ faeces as their digestive system is dependent on a specific mix of enzymes to break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats. There is some evidence that suggests that dog digestive systems haven’t quite caught up to modern diets that include less animal protein and far more carbohydrates and plant proteins. Some veterinary nutritionists have suggested that dogs eat stool to replenish enzymes so that they are better prepared to digest their food.
Reviews for ken wight’s pet food:
“Shanklin Pets in Clarendon Road Shanklin are well worth a visit . My two Chihuahua’s have been on Ken Wights grain free complete food for three weeks and they love it. They are bright eyed and bushy tailed. We can highly recommend it, give it a try” – Clare
“Two things. Firstly I’ve got my sticker from Shanklin Pet Shop so that’s great. Secondly the pet shop are promoting an island brand of cat food. Tried it on inky who’s as fussy as hell (the only cat I know who hates dreamies) and he loves it. So highly recommend can’t remember the exact name but something like Ken Wight. More Meat or fish and less rubbish and cheaper too” – Rachael
“Having been let down by a local pet food shop who strongly recommended Canidae dry dog food and now have decided not to stock it I was looking for a suitable alternative.
So I popped into Shanklin Pet Stores who could not have been more helpful. They suggested I try Ken Wight’s dry dog food which has similar ingredients and has a high fresh meat content and grain free. I was given a couple of free samples to try. Our dog can be a bit fussy and has quite a sensitive tummy but he loved it and no upset stomach. I will now be going over to Ken Wight’s dry dog food. Nice to support a local business as well” – Paul
We have plenty of flavours available – call 01983 863546 or visit our website to find your local stockist!
Shanklin Pet Stores The Beginning, Lets go back to where it all started, a small town on the isle of wight, shanklin pet stores stared its life as a storage area for no more than a builders ladder and tools, he build a simple roof between his house and his neighbours, over an 8ft wide alley, over time as his business grow so did his storage alleyway, it was added onto 5/6 times, until one day he added a shop front to it and it became a builders merchants, in 1965 the builders merchants shut down and made way for a pet shop and shanklin pet stores was founded, over the years the pet shop saw 3 owners come and go until 1998 when the Knight family took over, now the shop has entered its second generation its reaching out to the modern world by opening this on line shop. 50 years on and the shop remains the same, walking the length of the shops bizarre shape, 8ft wide by 90ft to 100ft long, you can still clearly see each different add on made over 90 years ago by an old builder
Spot-on flea treatment is normally applied to the back of your pets neck, this way the ingredients from the flea treatment can be absorbed into the skin without easy access for you pet. These usually last about a month, but can be different depending on the spot-on purchased.
Advantages and disadvantages:
Spot-on treatment costs less and lasts longer so can be great if you’re on a budget. It’ll also mean you won’t have to get a tablet down your pet’s throat, which to some owners will be a great relief. Spot on treatment can also be applied any time of the month and only needs to be applied once every 4 weeks, compared to the every 2 weeks for tablets and is also quick to work and easy to apply.
Although it sounds like a winning product, spot on treatment takes a couple days to completely absorb so can be dangerous to children or other pets in the process and can cause skin sensitivities.
Some other examples of disadvantages to spot on treatment:
Very dangerous if your pet ingests it
Harmful to humans
Has to be places in exactly the right position otherwise it won’t work or your pet will be able to lick and scratch at it
Some treatments need your pets to be bather before and/or after treatment
Efficiency of spot on treatment
Flea spot on treatment is almost impossible to be completely efficient due to a couple of factors. The first hurdle is that the pipette is the perfect dose for an animal of that size, however you’ll never be able to completely get it all out making it inefficient. It’s almost like trying to get all the toothpaste out of a tube – virtually impossible. Also, if your pet gets wet within 48 hours of application the treatment can completely wash off. Treatment can also wash off partially if you wash your pet halfway through the course – even if it’s just a splash in the sea. For the treatment to work the most efficiently, be sure to follow the instructions as close as possible as instructions tend to vary on individual products and keep your pet dry for as long as possible.
varying spot-on flea treatments
Depending on where you buy your treatment will depend on how strong it’ll be and how quickly it’ll work, with vet prescriptions being the strongest and supermarkets being the weakest. It’s best to buy treatments on your local pet specialist’s advice as they’ll be able to sell you treatment that’ll best suit the type of animal you own, including the weight, and also recommend how many doses are needed per treatment.
Fleas are flightless insects that live by consuming the blood of their hosts. Female fleas can consume about 15 times their body weight in blood every day. With an 8 inch vertical leap and a 3mm long body, fleas are both hard to catch and see and therefore can quickly become a problem.
The Flea Life Cycle
Mating occurs on host
Fleas lays 40-50 eggs a day
‘Flea dirt’ drops off host onto environment
Larvae hatch from eggs
They then consume ‘Flea dirt’
Larvae go through 3 stages and then spin a silken cocoon
Pupal development begins, taking anywhere from 8 days to 30 weeks
Flea waits in place for a suitable host
They begin feeding immediately and excrete ‘Flea dirt’
Mating occurs on host
Average lifespan of a flea:
Ideal conditions – 12 to 22 days
Average conditions – 30 days
Poor conditions – up to 1.5 years
Why are fleas a problem?
Besides causing severe discomfort including scratching, chewing, biting and restlessness, fleas can cause a number of serious problems such as Anemia and Tapeworm infections. As well as this, a common condition among cats and dogs is Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD), so it’s best to avoid fleas.
How to control your flea problem
Consult your local pet specialist – they’ll quickly be able to spot if you have a flea problem and will be able to give you a subscription to strong and appropriate flea treatments
Kill fleas on your dog/cat – getting rid of the fleas in your house is pointless if you still have fleas on your pet and vise versa, so it’s vital to rid all of them to stop the problem
Eliminate fleas in your home – either by contacting professionals to rid your house of fleas or doing it yourself, it’s important to clean every surface and everything thing in your house as fleas will be hiding everywhere and anywhere
Prevent future infestations – simply by taking tablets fortnightly or weekly in hotter periods, you can prevent another severe infestation
ONLINE SHOP CLOSED FROM TUESDAY 8TH OF JUNE TILL TUESDAY 15TH OF JUNE
Its that time once again, its time for shanklin pet stores summer holiday, we would like to thank everyone for their support over the last 6 months and now its time for us to have a weeks rest, due to the increase demand for our online shop, this year we will be closing it for a week so orders are not delayed for 7+days, these dates are not matching and are based on our own delivery pattern
ONLINE SHOP CLOSED FROM TUESDAY 8TH OF JUNE TILL TUESDAY 15TH OF JUNE
SHOP CLOSED FROM Monday 14th of June till Sunday 20th of June, reopen Monday 21st of June
holiday dates in June
Friday 11th -open 0900-1600
Saturday 12th – open 1000-1400
Sunday 13th – closed
Monday 14th – closed
Tuesday 15th – closed
wednesday 16th – closed
Thursday 17th – closed
Friday 18th – closed
Saturday 19th – closed
Sunday 20th – closed
Monday 21st – open 0800-1600
Tuesday 22nd – open 0900-1600
ONLINE SHOP CLOSED FROM TUESDAY 8TH OF JUNE TILL TUESDAY 15TH OF JUNE
SHOP CLOSED FROM Monday 14th of June till Sunday 20th of June, reopen Monday 21st of June
Fleas are going to start waking up soon as the temperature starts to rise outside, you will never cure fleas, you need to simply keep on top of flea treatment, even indoor pets can get fleas as WE go out side and bring them into our own homes, flea treatment must be done all year round, now humans and pets have moved from caves to houses, there’s no cold winter to kill fleas off like there was 1000 years ago, a warm house is like being out side in summer to fleas, fleas are now awake and active 356 days of the year, With ample food supply, the adult flea will often live up to 100 days. Newly emerged adult fleas live only about one week if a blood meal is not obtained. However, completely developed adult fleas can live for several months without eating, so long as they do not emerge from their puparia.
Fleas are holometabolous insects, going through the four life cycle stages of egg, larva, pupa, and imago (adult). Adult fleas must feed on blood before they can become capable of reproduction. Flea populations are evenly distributed, with about 50% eggs, 35% larvae, 10% pupae, and 5% adults
Eggs-The flea life cycle begins when the female lays after feeding. Eggs are laid in batches of up to 20 or so, usually on the host itself, which means that the eggs can easily roll onto the ground. Because of this, areas where the host rests and sleeps become one of the primary habitats of eggs and developing fleas. The eggs take around two days to two weeks to hatch
Larvae-Flea larvae emerge from the eggs to feed on any available organic material such as dead insects, feces, and vegetable matter. In laboratory studies, some dietary diversity seems necessary for proper larval development. Blood only diets allow only 12% of larvae to mature, whereas blood and yeast or dog chow diets allow almost all larvae to mature. They are blind and avoid sunlight, keeping to dark places like sand, cracks and crevices, and bedding
Pupate-Given an adequate supply of food, larvae will pupate and weave silken cocoons within 1–2 weeks after 3 larval stages. After another week or two, the adult fleas are fully developed and ready to emerge. They may remain resting during this period until they receive a signal that a host is near – vibrations (including sound), heat, and carbon dioxideare all stimuli indicating the probable presence of a host.Fleas are known to overwinter in the larval or pupal stages.
Adult flea-Given an adequate supply of food, larvae will pupate and weave silken cocoons within 1–2 weeks after 3 larval stages. After another week or two, the adult fleas are fully developed and ready to emerge. They may remain resting during this period until they receive a signal that a host is near – vibrations (including sound), heat, and carbon dioxideare all stimuli indicating the probable presence of a host. Fleas are known to overwinter in the larval or pupal stages.
Introduction
Bumblefoot, otherwise known as ulcerative pododermatitis, is the inflammation of the
bottom surface of feet in Rodents, Birds and Rabbits and refers to a certain stage within a
disease when red bumps and lumps start appearing on the feet. The disease is seen
commonly in domesticated pets and rarely seen in wild animals.
Causes
Typically most cases are caused by a wound getting infected from soiled beddings and cage
floors, leading to chronic inflammation and abscesses across the bottom of feet and often
these bumps and lumps can become enlarged causing further pain and discomfort.
Other causes include:
● Irregular cage surfaces
● Rough textured bedding
● Obesity & vitamin deficiencies
● Genetic predisposition
● Litter being dirty/wet
● Splinters
Prevention
Keeping the cage and bedding clean by using either a small animals or bird disinfectant – depending on the animal – as well as having a healthy balanced diet will help prevent Bumblefoot.
Wired cage floors have also been suggested as a cause of Bumblefoot, and as some upper
level floors are metal owners are advised to cover the floors with a solid surface such as
wood. Animals are still able to get Bumblefoot on solid surfaces, but as long as they’re kept
clean and urine on it is properly cleaned and stopped from pooling on the surface it’ll
minimise the risk from your pet getting it.
Checking the feet often will also help you keep on top of any cases the have started
occurring, allowing the problem to be treated early on quickly and efficiently.
Stages of Bumblefoot Stage 1 : Bumblefoot look like small pinkish or reddish areas or shiny patches that can show
up on top as well as on the bottom of the feet. Stage 2 : Increased redness, sores, inflammation and infection caused by losing the
protective scales on the bottom of the feet, leaving the skin open to bacteria. This stage
may need antibiotics to help fight a bad infection. Stage 3 : Any sore that has not been treated will turn dark brown-ish black. The animal will
be in a good deal of pain and will avoid any movement or activity that puts pressure on
their sore weak foot/feet. Permanent damage can be caused if left untreated and the foot
can become extremely distorted.
Treatment
If possible, visit your local vet to get it treated as soon as you notice the problem. As
treatment can be time-consuming and painful, it’s recommended that you try to prevent
Bumblefoot from occurring in the first place, or try to spot it in its earlier stages as it’ll be
easier to treat.
Treatment is relatively simple if you notice it within the first stages, just simply fill a basin
with warm water and Epsom Salts and soak the infected foot. Gently dry the foot
completely and slather on honey (which acts as an antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic
all in one) non-toxic Nu-Stock or spray with Vetericyn, cover with gauze and wrap with vet
wrap to secure the bandage.
However, if you can see a dark scab and Bumblefoot is in its final stages, see your local vet
or perform surgery yourself at home. Surgery basically consists of using a scalpel or biopsy
punch to cut out the scab and remove the underlying infected core which may or may not
have become hardened. Sometimes this core is attached to the scab making it a bit easier
to remove. Then, drain any pus and treat the wound as stated above.
If left untreated, Bumblefoot can spread up the leg and even to other tissues and bones,
ultimately causing death, so it’s best to seek treatment as soon as possible.
