Dogs’ Heart Worm, Fleas and other Parasites
Out of the heart worms, fleas and other parasites, fleas can produce a super-sensitive over-reaction in the infected dog. Animals infected with fleas scratch their bodies very vigorously. Often the scratching is so bad that the skin becomes super-sensitive and dermatitis is the result in the affected areas of skin.
The result is often that your dog can not lie down for long or sleep comfortably due to the constant bites by the fleas. Therefore, your dog looks as if has some severe skin issues. If the your dog is not properly attended to for these flea bites, there will often be secondary bacterial invasions in these areas and there may even be a bad smell coming from your dog’s affected skin.
You have to observe your pet closely in order prevent a serious infestation of fleas. However, it is essential to prevent such a serious infestation as they are extremely distressing to your pet. Similarly, the skin of the animal has to be checked often for the presence of ticks and lice. In order to do this properly, you need to inspect the dog’s skin by separating the dog’s hairs. The easiest way to achieve this is by slowly back-combing or ruffling the animal’s hair.
Usually, if your pet is anaemic, and it is not he result of being plagued by too many fleas, you need to rule out hookworm. Symptoms of hookworm are usually anaemia, loose stools and a pot belly. The dog’s owner may recognize these symptoms by themselves, however, speaking honestly, the dog ought to have a routine health check at the vet’s, which involves both faecal and hematological examinations.
There are many commercial products on the market. Some of which are useful for dealing with all these conditions by a single dose. Drugs like ivermectin are highly effective and are available in injection, oral and solution forms. The latter should be applied directly to the skin. These drugs can lead to the prevention of these conditions too.
So, the best strategy to follow is to keep a keen eye on your dog. This could most easily be done at bath time and when you are brushing him. You can use an anti-flea and anti-tick shampoo, which will keep these pests under control, if used as stated on the bottle. Couple this with frequent grooming with a lice comb and the use of a flea collar should keep your pet tick, lice, and flea free.