External and Internal Parasites in Dogs
Dogs are truly man’s best friend. Dog owners speak highly of their pets saying that their dogs offer them unconditional love and there are many famous quotations and sayings expressing how loyal dogs are to man. Unfortunately, dogs sometimes suffer from health issues that we aren’t aware of that may cause them great discomfort and even death. Sometimes these issues are caused by parasites. Parasites are not only extremely annoying to a pet, they can also cause serious health problems.
The most well known parasites that affect dogs and other pets are mites, ticks and fleas. Fleas can cause allergies in your pet resulting in a lot of discomfort. Ticks are known to carry dangerous diseases and can sometimes be lethal.
If your dog develops an inflammation from flea bites, he will be in severe discomfort and pain. A vicious cycle develops in which the dog scratches himself in an attempt to rid himself of the fleas and the fleas dig in deeper causing even more itching. The only way to bring relief to your suffering pet is to kill the pests.
There are commercially available shampoos and dips for ridding dogs of external parasites but some of these may be toxic and can cause serious side effects in your dog. The best plan of action is to visit your vet who may prescribe a “spot on” flea treatment for your dog. This involves placing a few drops of flea medication on the dog’s scruff or back of the neck. Spot on treatments usually get rid of any flea problem your pet may be having while also inhibiting and halting fleas from breeding and multiplying. While some spot on treatments claim to kill ticks as well, you may find that you will have to remove ticks manually.
Your vet is likely to use a chemically based treatment, but there are also natural flea treatments that can work also.
A popular myth about ticks is that they will unlatch themselves from your pet if they are exposed to smoke. Not only is this incorrect, it can also result in severe burns to your pet so it is something you should never try. If you find a tick on your dog you should use tweezers and try to grab the tick from its head to remove it. Never pull on the body of a tick or you may leave its head embedded in your pet and this can cause a serious infection. Alcohol also helps in that it causes the tick to loosen its grip so it’s a good idea to use a wipe or swab containing alcohol before attempting to remove a tick with tweezers.
External parasites are easier to discover than internal parasites. Internal parasites can sometimes be deadly to your pet and you should learn to identify symptoms that your pet may be harboring internal parasites. The most common types of internal parasites are worms that attach themselves to your dog’s intestines and leech nutrients, preventing your dog from benefiting from his food. With time, these worms and parasites can make your dog very sick.
If you find your dog “scooting” or dragging his behind on the carpet, this may be a sign that the dog is suffering from internal parasites. A stool sample should be taken to the vet to diagnose the situation. If your dog licks his anal region excessively this could also be a sign of an internal parasite infestation.
Some internal parasites can be contagious to humans and cause serious problems so you should always carefully monitor your pet’s health and make sure to consult with your vet on a regular basis to avoid any potential health problems.
Some internal parasites can be contagious to humans and cause serious problems so you should always carefully monitor your pet’s health and make sure to consult with your vet on a regular basis to avoid any potential health problems.
Some internal parasites can be contagious to humans and cause serious problems so you should always carefully monitor your pet’s health and make sure to consult with your vet on a regular basis to avoid any potential health problems.
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