IF you are bringing a pet to France one of the things you need to be aware of are the dangers posed by ticks and other insects.
Diseases such as leishmaniasis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and heartworm can prove fatal so precautions should be taken.
It is possible to buy Frontline spray-on and spot treatment that can be applied to cats and dogs, make sure your pet doesn’t try and shake it off once applied.
But also make a habit of looking over your pet for the distinctive tick, there is a larger black variety and a small red coloured one.
If they have bit your pet and you are worried about leaving a part of the body in the skin, smother it with antiseptic cream and it should soon die.
There are certain areas of France more prone to ticks and the manufacturer of Frontline, Merial, has some useful information of their website – the south west of France is an area particularly affected as well as the central region.
The Merial site has a page with details about the risk of diseases and what to look out for.