How Fleas And Ticks Can Affect Your Dog
27 Jan 2012
Fleas are tiny brown bugs that live on your dog’s skin and feed by sucking your dog’s blood. If you part your dog’s fur you can see them jumping. Fleas can’t fly, but they can jump a long distance and travel easily from one pet to another. They sting the skin and make your dog uncomfortable - though not all scratching dogs have fleas.
The bite of the flea is a strong allergen that will set up a serious allergic response in a susceptible dog. In such a case the dog will lose a good deal of hair, particularly above the tail, and develop scaly skin on his back. He will potentially scratch himself so persistently the skin bleeds. This condition is known as fleabite dermatitis. Apart froms irritating the skin, the flea is the intermediate host of the tapeworm - an internal parasite.
Ticks are about size of a pinhead, and have a tendency to inhabit the parts of the dog where the hair is thin. They will burrow into your dog’s skin and eat their blood. When they’re swollen with blood, ticks expand to approximately the size of a pea. After the tick is finished its meal, it will lay its eggs into a crack or cleft, and drop off animal. Mostly with pets, you can only find a few ticks, which you can easily remove with tweezers or suffocate with petroleum jelly. Another good key is to spray an insect repellant onto the head of the tweasers before you attempt to remove the tick - this will frequently cause the tick to release it’s hold on your dog’s skin making allowances for easy removal.
Some ticks are dangerous and so it is vital that you protect you dog especially in the sumer months when ticks are most prelevant. Many spot on flea treatments will give the best flea treatment for dogs and will also protect against the commonest ticks.
Fleas and ticks can wreak havoc in your pet’s life, causing anything from mild scratching and pain thru to grim illness and sometimes death. Once fleas enter your surroundings, they spread and multiply at a strong rate. The best flea treatments for dogs vary on your preferences with several different products you can use to shed fleas and ticks from your pet as well as your house. Nevertheless it is advisable to ask your vet or a pro before really using any of these products as they can be deadly to your pet, other pets or even you.
The Pet Lovers Network is an internet space for pet owners to hang out, pose questions and brag about their pets. We offer the latest current information on pet care products and services as well as info on all things pet. Check our article on flea remedies for dogs
