Ticks, fleas and sand flies: why parasite cover differs on the Mediterranean

The most common mistake among owners who move to Alanya from northern Europe, or stay for long periods, is carrying over the protection schedule they are used to. The mild climate changes two things: the season gets longer, and a new species joins the list.

The season does not end in winter here

Ticks and fleas stay active as long as temperatures remain above a certain threshold. Alanya's winters do not stay below that threshold for long, so parasite activity continues for most of the year. Pausing protection from October to March is a reasonable habit in the north; the same calendar leaves a gap of several months here.

In practice: what decides the timing and interval of protection here should be the vet who sees your animal, not the calendar of the country you came from.

Sand flies and leishmania

There is a risk on the Mediterranean coast with no real equivalent in the north: the sand fly. It can carry the parasite known as leishmania, and it matters particularly for dogs. It is noticeably smaller than a mosquito, so it can pass through standard insect screens.

A few things worth knowing: sand flies are mainly active between dusk and dawn; the disease can show signs months or even years after the bite, so "nothing happened last summer" is not reassurance. The signs are subtle — weight loss, skin problems, abnormally long nails, lethargy.

On the prevention side, repellent collars and spot-on products are discussed together with reducing time spent outdoors in the evening. Which product is appropriate is for the vet to decide — and this matters especially, because some parasite products made for dogs are lethal to cats.

The daily check: two minutes

Using a product does not make checking unnecessary. After a walk, run your hand through the coat and look at these areas:

• Ear margins and inside the ears
• The neck and under the collar
• Armpits and groin
• Between the paws and the skin between the toes
• The base of the tail

If you find a tick

Do not tug at it or try to twist it off; if the mouthparts stay in the skin they cause inflammation. Do not crush it, burn it, or pour oil or alcohol on it — these can make the tick empty its contents into the animal. Use a proper tick tool, grip as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out; if you are unsure, go to a clinic — it takes two minutes.

Watch the area afterwards. If you see lethargy, loss of appetite or fever in the following days, call the clinic.

Buying products from a pet shop

You can buy preventive products from the pet shops in the directory, but check the species and weight match. Applying a product labelled "for dogs" to a cat can, depending on the active ingredient, cause acute poisoning. If you are unsure, ask a clinic before you buy.

This page is general information. Product choice, dosage and application interval are set only by the vet who sees the animal; drug names and doses are deliberately not given here.