Animals, Fleas, Ticks and Worms
Fleas and other parasites have always to be given the top priority by dog owners. The all too common incidences of flea bite allergy in the case of dogs causes worry to many dog owners every year. This is because flea bites can cause allergic reactions in the area bitten by the fleas. In these cases, the affected area becomes hairless due to the dog scratching itself vigorously.
Heavy flea infestations can cause severe dermatitis in dogs. If the flea bites produce an allergic reaction or even dermatitis in your dog, he/she really ought to be taken to the veterinary doctor, because mostly, the dog will be suffering severe discomfort by now.
The vet will provide you a cream to soothe the itching and reduce the inflammation and some powder or a spray to kill the fleas. Prevention is better than cure and medicated collars are available to treat and prevent an infestation of external parasites like ticks and fleas.
Besides fleas, other parasites like ticks and lice plus internal parasites like hookworm, round worm, whip worms etc. can affect the well-being of your dog. For instance, if hookworms infect a dog, that dog will usually be anaemic. The signs of anaemia become more evident according to the degree of infection by the hookworm.
Hookworm larvae can enter directly through the skin into the internal body and cause severe problems inside the infected dog. These dogs may reveal lesions on their paws and on their skin because of dermatitis. Often, skin rashes result too in these cases and the infected animal may also have diarrhoea, which is flecked with blood.
Most dogs and all puppies get round worms, which is why dogs can sometimes be seen rubbing their bottoms along the ground. However, if round worms are present in very large numbers, infected puppies show a pot belly, which is easily noticeable by the dog’s owners themselves. A dose of piperazine salts is given orally for the cure of this problem. However, broad-spectrum anthelmintics like pyrantel pamoate, fenbendazole etc. are also given to treat this very common condition.
There are many drugs on the market to treat fleas and other parasites these days, although medications including the drug ‘ivermectin’ seem to be preferred by many dog owners to clear up fleas and other parasites in dogs. This drug is available for injection or oral use but is now even available for external application too.
If you are experiencingproblems getting rid of fleas on your dogs, please follow the previous link, however if you just want to read more about dogs or training dogs, please go here: Man’ Best Friend – the Dog
