Our dogs are constant victims of the dreaded flea, and its partner-in-crime, the tick. These parasites wreak havoc on your dog’s skin. Fleas are especially bad because not only will they feast on your dog’s skin, they’ll feast on yours as well, getting into your carpet, your sofa and even your bed if you sleep with your dog.
According to Greenville Veterinary Clinic, “During warm-weather months, fleas lurk in fields and wooded areas, looking to drink your pet’s blood. These tiny wingless insects jump onto your pets, feast on their blood, and lay eggs, which can often end up all over your home. One flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day. Under ideal conditions, 25 fertile females can multiply into nearly half a million offspring in a month.”
How Can I Find Fleas on My Dog?
Unlike the tick, that is somewhat easier to find, the flea takes a little more work. According
to Dogbreedinfo.com, “The first thing you need to do is look for flea feces. This will be small grains of what appears to be dirt. If you take this ‘dirt’ and rub it between your fingers with a small amount of water and it turns red you’ve found your proof. This is because flea feces contain dried blood.”
Petsandparasites.org says you need to look for flea dirt, or flea feces, in your dog’s fur. “To check for flea dirt, briskly comb or rub a section of the hair on your dog’s back while your dog is sitting or lying on a white piece of paper. If your dog has fleas, black flecks that look like dirt (as a result, we use the term “flea dirt”) will fall onto the paper.”
Once you have properly identified the parasite, seek treatment immediately. You’ll also need to clean your dog’s bed and all of his favorite places, including the carpet, the couch and your bed.
Vetinfo.com recommends the following treatments:
Topical insecticides, which will kill the adult fleas. You can also try natural treatments to get rid of fleas.
You should also get additional treatment to get rid of the flea eggs. Also get some shampoos or flea powders.
Cleaning the house and bleaching the dog’s bedding is essential in getting rid of all the remaining flea eggs and to make sure that the fleas won’t be back in two weeks.
Some preventive measures may also be taken; a monthly flea prevention treatment may be administered.
How Can I Find Ticks on My Dog?
Ticks are blood-sucking creatures known for carrying life threatening diseases such as Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
According to tickinfo.com, “Ticks generally are not born with disease agents but rather acquire them during various feedings. They then pass the disease on to other animals and mankind during subsequent feedings. When an infection moves from an animal host to a human it is called zoonosise. Lyme disease, babiosisos, erlichiosious and tularemia are examples of such diseases.”
There are two types of ticks most commonly found on dogs – the brown dog tick and the American dog tick. The deer tick and the western black legged tick can also be found on dogs.
Ticks have four life development stages: the egg, the larvae, nymph and adult. According to lawestvector.org, “Ticks belong to the class Arachnida, which includes spiders, scorpions and mites. The larvae have six legs while the nymphs and the adults have eight. Ticks are divided into two families, ‘soft’ ticks and ‘hard’ ticks. The only source of nutrition that ticks use is the blood sucked from their hosts.”
How Do I Remove a Tick?
Ticks are easier to spot than fleas, which is a good thing, but that doesn’t mean it will be easier to find them. If your dog has been outside, you’ll need to give him a thorough examination.
Use a flea comb to check areas that have a thick concentration of fur. Vetinfo.com suggests that you “look between toes as well as around the ears, face, mouth, tail, genitals and armpits, where ticks like to congregate.”
If you notice your dog chewing on a particular place, check it. Ticks will often irritate your dog and cause him to bite the area where the tick is located. Unfortunately, if the tick is carrying a disease, it can take up to 24 hours before you or your dog notices, which is why it’s very important you check your dog over as soon as he comes inside.
Luckily there are a few ways to pull a tick off of your dog’s skin, but not all of them are effective and you will need to be very careful as to not damage your dog’s skin, or worse, not get rid of the tick.
Vetinfo.com suggests the following methods to remove a tick:
If you don’t have tweezers, put liquid soap on a cotton ball and use it to cover the tick for 15 seconds, which should cause the tick to release when you remove the cotton ball.
If you suspect you have removed the tick’s body without its head, use a sterile needle to remove the head like you would remove a splinter. Use antiseptic to cleanse the area with the bite. Wash your hands and the potentially infected area.
PHOTOS: by_nicholas, Caroldermoid, Borislav Dopudja
Find A Vet HOW TO articles are intended for informational purposes only. You should always consult with your veterinarian about any health issues affecting your dog.
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Category : Fleas and Ticks &HOW TO
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