Pet Wonderland

Animals, Fleas, Ticks and Worms

Posted on 30-11-09, under PET.

Fleas and other parasites have always to be awarded the top priority by dog owners. The all too common occurrences of flea bite allergy in the case of dogs causes concern 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 cause allergic reactions or dermatitis in the dog, it really ought to be taken to the vet, because on many occasions, the dog will be experiencing severe discomfort.

The vet will provide you a salve to soothe the itching and reduce the inflammation and some powder or a spray to kill the fleas. Prevention, however, is better than cure and medicated collars are available to treat and prevent an infestation of external blood-suckers like ticks and fleas.

Apart from fleas, other parasites like ticks and lice plus the internal parasites like hookworms, round worms, whip worms etc. can have an adverse effect on the the well-being of your dog. For instance, if hookworms have infected a dog, that dog will almost surely become anaemic soon. The signs of anaemia become more obvious according to the advancement of the hookworm infection.

Hookworm larvae can pass directly through the skin and cause problems inside the affected dogs. Such dogs may show cuts due to dermatitis on the paws and on the skin. Frequently, skin rashes are the result in such cases and the affected animal passes loose stools, which are tinged red 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 can be given orally for the cure of this condition. However, broad-spectrum anthelmintics like pyrantel pamoate, fenbendazole etc. are also given to treat this very common condition.

Lately, many drugs have come onto the market to treat fleas and other parasites. Nowadays, the medical agent called ivermectin is highly preferred by many dog owners to treat fleas and other parasites in dogs. This drug is available in injection form and oral form. The drug is available for external application also.

If you are experiencingproblems getting rid of fleas on your dogs, please follow the ‘fleas’ link or if you just want to read more about dogs, please go here: Man’ Best Friend – the Dog Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.

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