Fleas, Ticks And Other Parasites
We all dislike to think that we have bugs feeding and living off us. Mosquitoes are awful enough, but fleas, ticks and lice are even worse. They do not simply come over for dinner, they actually move in. Dogs and cats are normally to blame for bringing fleas into our homes, but ticks and lice we can bring ourselves too.
If you suspect an infestation or an immanent infestation of fleas or other bugs in your home, you ought to do something about it right away. The first thing to do is tie the dog up in the yard and clean up the house. Put your bedding and any loose covers, like cushion or chair covers, on a boil wash. Then get out the vacuum cleaner, put a large shake of flea powder into the bag and vacuum the whole house – even the chairs and the curtains.
Then take a large can of insecticide containing 0.5% permethrin and spray every fabric that you can see. This will kill all bugs and will keep your house bug free for about six months. Think twice if you have fish or cats as permethrin will kill them too, although it is completely safe for humans and dogs.
So, now you can turn your attention to Fido. Fleas are by far the most common problem, but some areas where there are deer, may have a lot of ticks as well. If you dog has ticks, make sure that you cut your grass short. Ticks prefer long grass.
Fleas and ticks often produce an allergic reaction in dogs which drives them mad. They bite and scratch themselves until their hair falls out and their skin bleeds.
If you dog has a condition like this, you should wash him with a medicated shampoo, dust him with flea powder, put a flea collar on him and put a little oil on his sore skin. If he still will not leave it alone, you may have to get him a ruff for a few days until his skin heals over. For maintenance, a regular bath and a dusting should be sufficient.
Worms are another horrible thought. Imagine having worms living inside you. I know that we do all have parasites within us, but they are supposed to be there. I am talking about the ones that are not supposed to be in there like: tape worms, round worms, hook worms and whip worms. A bad hook infection can even make your dog anaemic.
Hook worm larvae can pass through the skin, so when you are bathing or brushing him, be on the look out for what looks like small cuts. Often the dogs stools will be runny and tinged with blood. These are dangerous pests and have to be treated immediately.
The other worms are less dangerous and all puppies have round worms. Round worms and bits of dead tape worm in the stools are a sign of infection. A pot belly in a puppy is also a call to action. Worms are not difficult to treat and you should worm your dog every six months with a tablet. Not all of these worming tablets are suitable for puppies though.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on quite a few subjects, but is currently concerned with natural tick repellent. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at tick Repellent For Dogs.