How to identify fleas and ticks on your dog or cat

“The images are mindboggling even for us, trained veterinarians,” shares Dr. Ross Antonio Banayo, one of our technical managers in the Philippines. “When pet owners see parasites crawling on their animals in real time, they get goosebumps. They keep thinking ‘how come I never noticed this?’. The images make us discuss tailored protection strategies, openly and in detail”.

How do I identify fleas and ticks on my dog? And mites and lice?

With these questions in mind, our IT and technical veterinary teams joined forces to think about creative solutions. The idea? Test a portable smart scanner, a digital microscope, in new ways – a pilot project for improving parasite detection. The goal? Making the diagnosis of pet parasitic infections easier and more precise, encouraging dialogue about the importance of prevention. “Project Vision – Tick off the Parasites” embraced a wireless device able to magnify parasites up to 220 times. Connected to a mobile app, the portable device – which looks like a pocket flashlight – shows high-definition pictures and videos in real time. 

Suddenly, veterinarians and pet owners could really see magnified images of parasites crawling around their pet’s skin and ears.  So far, around 90 veterinarian clinics in Vietnam and Philippines have enrolled in Project Vision to integrate the smart scanners into every pet health checkup.

“This is a game-changer as it dramatically increases speed and precision of parasitic diagnosis, really helping veterinarians offer better care,” says Bui My Thuy Khanh, Associate Technical & Sales Manager for Companion Animals in Vietnam. “Furthermore, parasites are usually not easy to spot, but when people see, in detail, the images of such horrible creatures moving like little monsters around the skin of their pets, it evokes an immediate call for action. The images stick to the memory and make pet owners think of prevention”.

What’s the safest flea and ticks treatment for pets?

Fleas, ticks and several other external and internal parasites are a threat in every season. For this reason, prevention is the most important step to keep pets free from infections – a very common problem to every pet, even a growing one, considering climate change. The higher the temperatures, the bigger is the probability of parasitic infections.

By visualizing the problem, we shift the focus to prevention. We support veterinarians in better performing their work and offering better, individual care. 

“Providing the best care to our beloved pets goes beyond having a leading portfolio of preventive solutions. For us, it means supporting veterinarians and encouraging more pet owners to speak with their vets and raise the importance of prevention. Project Vision underscores the need for effective protection for our pets. Wherever and whenever they need it,” says Dr. Armin Wiesler, our Head of Animal Health for the ASKAN region (ASEAN, Korea, Australia and New Zeland).