A dog can be a loyal friend throughout life and can also be a loved family member. They can keep us warm on those cold nights, and comfort us when we are sick. More often than not however they themselves suffer from problems that we cannot see. These problems are parasites, and their effects can range from slightly annoying to severely harmful.
The most common forms of parasites on your dog are usually fleas, ticks, and mites. These are common to most furry house pets and can be extremely irritating. Some fleas and ticks may cause allergic reactions in your beloved family pet as well. The most common form of allergic reaction is inflammation of the skin.
If you ve ever had any kind of inflammation on your own body then you know how painful and itchy it can be. Now take a look at your dog who is covered in fur and has no way to tell you something s wrong other than excessive scratching. As we all know scratching can make it worse in most cases, and your animal will just exacerbate their condition. The best way to take care of this is to kill the parasites.
Some baths and dips are toxic and not only kill the fleas, ticks, and mites but also cause severe side effects in your pet. The safest method of treatment is to go to your vet and ask them for a medication that requires you to place a drop or two on their back. This will either slowly kill the parasites or prevent them from breeding. Ticks however may not respond well to medication and may need to be removed manually.
Contrary to popular belief the smell of smoke won t make them leave. A lit match might also burn your pet which is something you don t want to do. Typically you should inspect their fur and if you see one of the parasites use tweezers to grip at the head and gently pull. Alcohol has been shown to be effective at loosening their grip so applying it on a swab or wipe can also help.
Of course these are only the external problem. The most lethal parasites are the internal ones. These mostly consist of worms that attach themselves at various points in the intestinal tract and feed. As you can guess this is very harmful considering they take nutrients out of your pets system in order to sustain their own life. Unfortunately there is no outward sign of the problem unless you examine your pet s activities closely.
If they begin dragging their backside over the carpet in an attempt to scratch their anal area then you may want to get them to a vet. Some parasites will be excreted in fecal matter as well. If you suspect your dog is having problems then collect a sample and take it to your vet.
Remember to do this carefully as to avoid infection yourself. Usually medication is the only treatment for this problem. Regardless of what the problem is with your furry friend remember to get them to the vet on a regular basis. Their health is important and they can suffer just as much as humans can, they just don t have a voice to tell us.
Author Resource:
This article was written by Kelly Marshall of http://ohmydogsupplies.com - the dog supplies store featuring professional dog grooming supplies and tools to get the job done right the first time.
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