Three basic external parasites in dogs can wreak havoc on a dog’s body: fleas, ticks, and skin mites. A fourth skin irritant, ringworm, is actually a fungus. While infestation is not fatal to your dog, these critters can certainly make his life miserable.
The best defence against these varmints is to keep an eye open for their appearance. if you see just one flea on your dog, chances are high that there are more.
Each of these troublemakers can be prevented and, should an outbreak occur, remedied. The sooner you recognize the specific parasites, the sooner you can start bringing your dog some relief.
Contents
FLEAS
The annoying predator needs a host to survive and presents health problems for people and dogs. There are more than 2,000 different species of fleas in the world, several in the United States and the Uk. When your dog acquires even one flea, he will act as if he has 2,000! Fleas are troublesome pests you’ll wish you and your pet never encountered.
Incredibly hardy, fleas are able to survive in almost any climate, but not at high altitudes. With the exception of high mountains, wherever you and your dog, expect to find fleas.
These tiny black or brown pests live for just three to four months, but during that time they reproduce, creating future generations that can make your pets miserable for years.
Besides scratching and biting at himself to get rid of fleas that have bitten him, your dog suffers from long-lasting damage. Fleas carry diseases such as plague and typhus and can give your dogs tapeworm.
The flea saliva alone creates a strong allergen for many dogs and causes flea-allergy dermatitis. Your dog’s coat can actually fall out if he is allergic to fleabites. Besides feeling very uncomfortable, a dog with severe flea-allergy dermatitis looks awful.
Fleas crawl along the dog’s skin, poking in and out of the fur looking for the right place to bite the host. Once they have a blood meal, they can begin to reproduce.
Just one female flea can lay 2,000 eggs during her life span. The eggs usually don’t stay on your dog but will fall off and take up residence in your backyard or inside the house in your carpet, furniture, floor crevices, and bedding.
When the eggs hatch, the new flea larvae will feast on debris buried deep in carpet pile or couch cushions where they will nest for up to a year. At that point, insecticides cannot harm the larvae. When the weather is warm(65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit) and the humidity is high(70 to 80 per cent), the fleas become active again.
It’s easy to tell when your dog has fleas because he will use his front teeth to bite closely at his own skin or will constantly scratch himself in an effort to rid himself of the irritating parasites. Rolling on the floor to ease the discomfort is another sign that he has fleas.
Prevention/elimination of fleas (basic external parasites in dogs)
Major flea control methods used by dog owner’s include flea traps, mechanical removal with vacuums, high-audio frequency sound generator, and drying agents—all of which have been used with varying degrees of success (kindly comment on ways you eliminate fleas from your pets, let’s know if you are doing it the right way).
Many advertisements extol the virtues of flea powders, dipping, and bathing; but the actual treatment is short-lived. Sprays work for a brief time on a dog with a short coat, but will not penetrate the dogs with long coat/hair(Yorkies).
ELIMINATION METHODS FOR FLEAS
1. A dip can be used once every two weeks. The dog must be bathed first, and then the flea dip is poured over him and cannot be rinsed off. A flea collar may prevent a few fleas from swarming near your dog’s head but won’t do much to stop fleas from congregating near his hindquarters.
2. A better line of defence is administering a pill containing lufenuron, which prevents flea eggs from maturing into adults. Given once a month, lufenuron is only effective when a flea bites your dog. The drug is passed to the flea via your dog’s bloodstream then affects eggs, preventing them from hatching.
DID YOU KNOW?
“Dogs have extremely sensitive hearing and a sense of smell up to 1,000 times better than humans to compensate for their relatively poor eyesight”
NOTE: Many people believe that filling your dog”s bedding with cedar chips and feeding him garlic will prevent fleas from setting up residence. Garlic, in fact, will make your dog sick.
TICKS
Another pest that is a dog’s worst enemy is the tick. A dog who has a large number of ticks can become anaemic or develop tick paralysis. Ticks are parasites that look like brown or black sesame seeds with eight legs attached.
If they are engorged with blood they’ve siphoned from your dog, they will appear round and bloated. They love to congregate in shady, wooded fields and bushes, although they are also known to exist in grasslands and in every type of weather condition.
Ticks carry diseases that can affect both dogs and people. Their saliva can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, tick paralysis, and Lyme disease. They cause anaemia, fever, depression, weakness, and wasting away.
Be sure to examine your dog after every visit outdoors thoroughly. Separate the long strands of hair and check his skin. The best defence against ticks is to avoid them, and quick removal is almost as good. The sooner a tick is removed the less likely it is to spread diseases.
Although many flea products will also rid your dog of ticks, they aren’t as effective. The product should be used more frequently than when treating fleas.
A permethrin spray or a broad-spectrum insect repellent is effective if you apply it before taking your dog for a walk in tick-infested areas. other IGR( Insect growth regulator) products break the flea and tick life cycles. several of the prescription topical remedies are quite effective against ticks.
SKIN MITES
Many reasons could account for your dog’s frantic scratching, but if you see any fleas, he may have mites. You would expect to see some culprit by separating the strands of hair in your dog’s coat, but you won’t see anything if your itchy dog has mites.
Mites are so small they can only be detected by skin scrapping done by a veterinarian. Looking at these scrapings under the microscope could reveal that several different types of mites are bothering your dog.
Sarcoptic mange mites, or scabies, can take up residence anywhere on your dog—most commonly around the elbow, hocks, ears, and face—-where they dig under the skin to lay their eggs. Mites irritate the skin uncontrollably, causing “mange”
Demodex mites cause demodectic mange. Demodex mites live on almost all dogs and are passed on by nursing mothers to their puppies. Very few dogs are bothered by a mite, but when a dog’s immune system doesn’t work well, the mite runs rampant, and the affected area becomes inflamed and hairless.
Symptoms first appear around the dog’s eyes, elbows, and paws. Most dogs require repeated dips to get well. because a weak immune system that allows Demodex to spread, may be inherited, dogs that develop this type of disease should not be bred.
RINGWORM
A misnamed ailment, ringworm is not a worm nut or a fungus. it is easily recognized by the distinctive red ring surrounding a circle of hair loss. The ring will form scabs and crusts that become painful sores.
In other cases, though, no ring forms, oily crust, and scabs appear. If your dog develops ringworm, it will be contagious to pets and people, especially to children. Avoid touching the area.
Detecting ringworm isn’t always easy, and to isolate this parasite, your veterinarian has to use ultraviolent and obtain skin scrapings, which are placed under a microscope. Once the ringworm is confirmed, the infected hair may be trimmed away and a special veterinarian-prescribes shampoo should be used.
Left untreated, the signs of ringworm will usually disappear on their own within three months, but many times the infection remains, and infectious spores are shed into the environment and to people and other pets. Because this disease is so easily spread, it should always be treated as directed by your veterinarian
COMMENT IF YOU LOVE THIS POST
For additional information visit:http://www.dogs.net
Thanks, I really love this article. It helped me
Thanks so much
My dog has a lot of ticks everytime, please what should I do?
There are various ways to eradicate ticks totally. Get diesel, engine oil( newly packed not used one) and camphor mix all in a bottle and leave for three days before using it on your dog. This is the best tick eliminator
I must thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this blog.
I am hoping to check out the same high-grade content by you in the future as well.
In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my very own blog now 😉
Thanks so much for your feedback, I will look forward on writing more outstanding articles. I go by Kareem nice to meet you
Hey there! This is my first visit to your blog!
We are a group of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a
community in the same niche. Your blog provided us useful information to work on.
You have done a extraordinary job!
I am so honored with your comment, thanks so much. I put in effort and time which made the article a bit different. Thanks for your feedback, you just gave me more motivation to do more extraordinary articles.
I’m really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your weblog.
Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself?
Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare
to see a nice blog like this one today.
it’s a free theme and I added CSS modification, thanks for your feedback. I look forward to writing more relevant posts
Good day! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are
you using for this website? I’m getting sick and tired of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform.
I would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good
platform.
Hello, I should let you know that WordPress is the best. Am using WordPress but I have a way of stoping hackers using a special cloud
Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your content
seem to be running off the screen in Safari. I’m not sure if this is a
formatting issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know.
The layout look great though! Hope you get the problem resolved soon. Cheers
Thank you so much. I will find a solution immediately, thanks once again
Its not my first time to visit this web site, i am visiting this website dailly and obtain fastidious information from here all the time.
Thanks so much, you are free to copyright but please don’t copy all my research. Thanks for visiting
I have been exploring for a little bit for any high-quality articles or weblog posts on this kind of house .
Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this website.
Studying this info So i’m satisfied to convey that I’ve
an incredibly excellent uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed.
I such a lot definitely will make sure to do
not overlook this site and give it a look regularly.
Thanks so much, your comment was helpful and motivational
Thanks for your motivation, I will keep it up
Excellent post. I used to be checking constantly this blog and I
am inspired! Extremely useful info specifically
the remaining phase 🙂 I handle such info much. I used to be seeking this certain info for a
long time. Thanks and best of luck.
☺️☺️Am so motivated by your comment. Thanks so much
Am so grateful for your feedback, merry Christmas
Quality posts is the crucial to interest the viewers to
pay a visit the web page, that’s what this website is providing.
No matter if some one searches for his required thing, so he/she desires to be available that in detail, therefore that thing is maintained over here.
Please let me know if you’re looking for a writer for your blog.
You have some really good posts and I think I would be a good asset.
If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d absolutely love
to write some content for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine.
Please shoot me an e-mail if interested. Cheers!
Thanks for your suggestion, it’s a new website and not yet earning. Input your email in the comment box
What’s up to all, how is everything, I think every one is getting more from this web
site, and your views are fastidious in support
of new people.
Hi, thanks for keeping an interactive comment
Howdy just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know
a few of the pictures aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its
a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the same outcome.
Thanks, I noticed that recently. In few days time it will be back to normal, I made some certain changes that’s why. Sorry for such inconvenience
Good day I am so glad I found your web site, I really found you by mistake, while I was
searching on Digg for something else, Anyhow I am here now and would just
like to say thanks for a fantastic post and a all
round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design),
I don’t have time to go through it all at the
moment but I have saved it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be
back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the fantastic work.
Am so grateful for your comment, thanks for the motivation
I enjoy reading through a post that will make people think.
Also, thanks for permitting me to comment!
wonderful publish, very informative. I’m wondering why the opposite
specialists of this sector do not realize
this. You must proceed your writing. I’m sure,
you’ve a great readers’ base already!
Thanks so much, am truly grateful
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my web site thus i came to “return the favor”.I am attempting to find things
to enhance my site!I suppose its ok to use a few of your
ideas!!
Feel free to email me at resourcesmadeeasy@gmail.com.Exchanging ideas is the basics of progress
No matter if some one searches for his necessary thing, so he/she
wishes to be available that in detail, therefore that thing is
maintained over here.
THANKS SO MUCH, I WILL KEEP MY EFFORTS UP. PLEASE CLICK THE NOTIFICATION BELL TO RECEIVE LATEST UPDATES ON THIS WEBSITE
Just want to say your article is as surprising.
The clearness in your post is just nice and i could assume you’re an expert on this subject.
Well with your permission allow me to grab your feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post.
Thanks a million and please keep up the enjoyable work.
Thanks for your feedback, I have an upcoming post which is more educative. Stay updated by clicking on the notification Bell. Thanks once again
What i do not understood is actually how you are no longer really a lot
more neatly-preferred than you may be now. You are
very intelligent. You realize thus considerably when it comes to this topic, produced me in my view imagine it from so
many numerous angles. Its like women and men don’t seem to
be interested unless it’s one thing to accomplish with Lady gaga!
Your individual stuffs excellent. At all times take care of it up!
Thanks so much, kindly click on the notification Bell to stay updated. Happy Christmas
I am extremely impressed along with your writing talents as neatly as with
the layout to your weblog. Is that this a paid subject or did you customize it your
self? Anyway stay up the nice quality writing, it is uncommon to look a great weblog like this one today..
Thanks for your question. It isn’t a paid subject, I ideally noticed the society don’t know the facts behind taking care of dogs
Hi, this weekend is nice designed for me, because this point
in time i am reading this enormous informative paragraph here at my home.
Thanks, stay updated for an upcoming post by clicking on the notification bell
Your method of describing the whole thing in this post
is genuinely pleasant, every one be capable of without difficulty be aware
of it, Thanks a lot.
Am highly appreciated, thanks for such adorable comment. Merry Christmas
My programmer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP.
I have always disliked the idea because of
the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less.
I’ve been using WordPress on a variety of websites for about a year and am concerned about switching to another platform.
I have heard fantastic things about blogengine.net.
Is there a way I can import all my wordpress content into it?
Any help would be really appreciated!
Blogengine.net isn’t better than WordPress, WordPress is the best. You don’t know how to run it probably, I use various external sources to protect my site
Awesome! Its actually amazing article, I have got much clear idea concerning from this piece of writing.
When I initially commented I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are
added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I
receive 4 emails with the same comment. Perhaps there is a means you are able to remove me from that
service? Kudos!
I don’t have such on my website but I will find a way. Thanks for your experience
It’s going to be finish of mine day, but before
end I am reading this great piece of writing to increase my
knowledge.
Thanks so much, merry Christmas
Hello there! I simply would like to offer you a huge
thumbs up for your excellent information you’ve got
right here on this post. I am returning to your site for more soon.
My brother recommended I might like this website.
He was totally right. This post truly made my day. You cann’t imagine
just how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!
You really make it seem really easy along with your
presentation but I in finding this matter to be really something that I feel I would never understand.
It kind of feels too complicated and very broad for me.
I am looking forward for your subsequent submit, I’ll try to get the hang of it!
It’s amazing to pay a visit this web site and reading the views of all mates on the topic of this paragraph, while I am
also zealous of getting experience.
Hello would you mind letting me know which web host you’re working with?
I’ve loaded your blog in 3 different browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot faster
then most. Can you suggest a good web hosting provider at a reasonable price?
Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!
Harmonweb
I am not sure where you’re getting your info, but good topic.
I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more.
Thanks for wonderful information I was looking for this info for my mission.
Thanks for such an adorable comment, merry christmas
Hello there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it is truly informative.
I’m gonna watch out for brussels. I’ll be grateful if you continue
this in future. Many people will be benefited from your writing.
Cheers!
Thanks for stopping-by, am so delightful of sure heartwarming motivation. Merry Christmas. I will keep up the good will
Nice article on dogs, I loveit
I pay a visit daily a few blogs and blogs to read articles, but this web site provides feature based content.
Thanks for such heartwarming compliment! You are always welcomed
Just wish to say your article is as astonishing.
The clarity on your submit is simply excellent and
i could suppose you’re a professional on this subject.
Well along with your permission allow me to clutch your feed to keep updated with impending post.
Thank you a million and please carry on the gratifying work.
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a very
well written article. I will make sure to bookmark it and return to read more of
your useful info. Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly
return.