Protect Your Dog with Sentinel Spectrum

How does Sentinel Spectrum protect your dog against heartworm, worms & fleas?

Sentinel Spectrum for Dogs protects your dog against three main parasite groups, specifically: heartworm, intestinal worms and fleas. Control of these major parasites is important to maintain the health of both your pet and all the other members of your family.

Heartworm

Heartworm is a potentially fatal disease, with common outcomes including serious heart disease and organ failure. The majority of dogs infected with heartworm do not show any signs of disease for many years. Unfortunately by this stage the disease is often well advanced. If untreated, advanced cases can be fatal within 2-3 days of clinical signs first making becoming evident.

Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes, which means that potentially all dogs are at risk of being infected by this insidious parasite. Effective prevention is the only sensible option.

Sentinel Spectrum for dogs works in a similar manner to most other heartworm preventatives available by killing any larval stages which your pet may have been infected with during the course of the month between treatments.

Intestinal worms

Your dog needs to be protected from common intestinal worms such as hookworm, roundworm, whipworm, and tapeworm. These are picked up from the environment and passed between dogs through the faeces of infected dogs.

Treat with Sentinel Spectrum for Dogs every month in adult dogs to keep these parasites under control. For puppies, the recommended worming schedule is at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Sentinel Spectrum for Dogs can only be used from six (6) weeks of age. To ensure optimum health in pregnant bitches treat at mating and monthly thereafter with a tratment prior to whelping.

Some of the common intestinal parasites of dogs, along with the most common symptoms that they cause, are as follows:

• Hookworm Hookworm cause bloody diarrhoea, leading to serious anaemia, with many cases of infection becoming fatal. Hookworm larvae can also represent a health risk to humans, with larvae in the environment burrowing through skin and tissue that they come in contact. Hookworms are picked up from the environment from infected faeces and are especially dangerous for puppies and adult dogs.
• Roundworm Roundworms cause diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, poor growth, and give a potbellied appearance. Many puppies have them when born but they can infect dog of any age.
• Whipworm Whipworm are picked up from soil and from the faeces of infected dogs. Whipworms commonly cause bloody diarrhoea and anaemia and frequently evade detection.
• Tapeworm There are many different species of tapeworm which cause various levels of disease in both dogs and humans. This can range from mild irritation around the anal region to serious human health risks from hydatid tapeworm. Fleas commonly transmit tapeworm larvae between animals.

Fleas

Fleas can cause extreme discomfort to your dog, and an infestation can result in a serious skin condition known as Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD). FAD can cause serious damage to the skin, pain and discomfort to your dog, and introduce serious infections into the body. Heavy infestations of fleas can also represent a human health risk.

Sentinel Spectrum for Dogs contains lufenuron as the active ingredient which controls flea populations by preventing the development of eggs and larvae. It does not kill adult fleas.

For best results, start Sentinel for Dogs before fleas are seen on your dog and continue throughout the year without interruption. All dogs and cats within the household should be on an appropriate flea control product.

If fleas are already present, additional steps are required as Sentinel Spectrum for Dogs does not kill adult fleas. Treat your dog with a flea adulticide such as Capstar. Sentinel Spectrum for Dogs should then be started and maintained throughout the year. Initial treatment of the environment may be recommended in the case of a severe infestation of fleas.

Flea Allergy Dermatitis

Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) occurs when dogs and cats develop an allergy to flea saliva. Flea bites produce little response in a normal dog. However, in a dog with FAD, even a single flea bite may be enough to set off an immediate and prolonged allergic reaction, characterised by itching, redness and swelling.

Preventing flea bites in the first place is the easiest way to control FAD. The active ingredient in Sentinel Spectrum helps reduce the number of fleas in the environment to a negligible level. Sentinel Spectrum for Dogs has therefore been found to dramatically improve the symptoms of FAD within the first few months of treatment.

Important: The information provided in this article is for general information only and is subject to change. Always verify the accuracy of the above first with your primary care veterinarian or in the case of a product, by reading packet and prescribing information before administering it to your pet. The specific needs and circumstances of your pet have not been taken into account. Please refer to our Terms & Conditions for further information.