Spring tick alert: How to protect your dog and cat properly 🐾
Spring in Switzerland! The mild temperatures are drawing us and our pets back out into the countryside more often. But as the woods and meadows come to life, some old acquaintances are also returning: ticks.
🩺 Prevention pays off because we’re here to help you look after your cat or dog’s health. 🐶🐱
The benefits of simpego pet insurance
Protect yourself against unexpected vet bills with our 100% digital cover for dogs and cats. We contribute up to CHF 200 per year towards preventive measures such as tick protection, vaccinations and worming treatments.
Benefit from fair premiums, immediate cover with no waiting period for accidents and preventative care, as well as coverage of emergency costs outside regular surgery hours. Simple and efficient!
In the latest episode of our Radio 1 Animal Health Talk, vet Meret Sannemann discusses why these little arachnids are active almost all year round and how you can best protect your pets from them.
🎙️ Listen to the podcast episode now [in Swiss German]
Hibernation for ticks? Not a chance! 🌲
Many pet owners hope that ticks disappear completely in winter. Unfortunately, however, this is a misconception. Although we tend to see slightly fewer ticks during the colder months, they are remaining active for longer and longer thanks to increasingly milder temperatures. The Zurich area in particular is considered a hotbed of ticks, with very high numbers found there. As ticks can transmit dangerous diseases, effective prevention is crucial.
How to prevent tick bites 🛡️
Fortunately, there are some excellent, state-of-the-art products on the market today to protect your pet.
- For dogs: There are some very effective chewable tablets available (such as those containing the active ingredient fluralaner, like Bravecto). These provide long-lasting protection against various external parasites and are usually eaten by dogs without any trouble, just like a treat.
- For the cat: For cats, so-called spot-on treatments, which are simply applied to the back of the neck, have proven effective.
- Physical protection: Tick collars can also be an option. However, the most important thing is to check your dog manually: give your dog a thorough brush after every walk and check its coat for ticks. When your cat is curled up on your lap in the evening, you can feel for any small lumps whilst stroking it.
⚠️ Life-threatening danger to cats: take care with permethrin!
When choosing spot-on treatments, be sure to check the ingredients!
Permethrin is often used very successfully on dogs, but it is highly toxic to cats. Never use a product intended for dogs on your cat, and if in doubt, always seek advice from your vet.
Help, a tick! What now? 🕷️
Despite taking every precaution, a tick may still latch on. Although the risk of the animal falling seriously ill straight away is not 100%, swift action is required.
Interestingly, seriously ill animals rarely end up in the veterinary hospital directly as a result of a tick bite. What A&E departments do see very frequently, however, are pet owners who find a tick on their pet and are unable to remove it themselves. With the right medical aid, such as special tick tweezers, you can grasp the tick firmly by the head and carefully twist or pull it out.
Tip for at home: If your dog brings ticks home from the woods, they can sometimes fall off and crawl around your home. A robot vacuum cleaner or regular vacuuming is a simple but effective way to protect you and your family.
Financial peace of mind with simpego pet insurance 💙
An unexpected trip to the vet – whether it’s for emergency tick removal or because the bite has caused an infection – can quickly become expensive. With simpego pet insurance, you’re fully prepared for such situations.
- Treatment in the event of illness or accident: We cover the cost of general veterinary treatment.
- Emergency treatment: If a tick needs to be removed by a vet outside of normal consultation hours, we’ll cover the cost. Depending on your level of cover, we’ll reimburse up to CHF 12,000 (Standard), CHF 3,000 (Basic) or CHF 6,000 (Comprehensive) per year.
- Prevention pays off: We support you with preventive healthcare! With our Standard and Basic Cover packages, we contribute up to CHF 150 and CHF 200 per year respectively towards preventive treatments. These include, amongst other things, flea and worm treatments, vaccinations and the annual veterinary check-up.
💙 Financially secure
Illness & Accident
We cover general veterinary treatment so that your pet can get well again quickly.
Emergency treatment
Does your pet need treatment outside of surgery hours? Depending on your cover, we reimburse up to CHF 6,000 (Standard), CHF 12,000 (Comprehensive Cover) or CHF 3,000 (Basic Cover) per year.
Prevention pays off
In the Standard and Basic Cover packages, we contribute up to CHF 150 or CHF 200 per year towards flea/worm treatments, tick protection and the annual check-up.
Don’t miss out on this important health check-up. Get your pet covered today and enjoy a worry-free spring!
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