External Parasites

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]External Parasites

From wiggly worms we go on to even more disgusting parasites of the insect variety. Thankfully, we have more effective controls these days which greatly increase our chances of staying bug free; [/font]​

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]All hail Advantage!!

Fleas

Fleas are horrid little creatures with a life span of 6 weeks to a year or more under certain conditions. Fleas and tapeworms enjoy a complimentary existence ~ so if you find either, be very watchful for the other. Many dogs suffer an allergic reaction (to the saliva of the flea) called flea bite dermatitis. Fleas will not leave their host willingly, though you will make an adequate substitute host. If your dog does get fleas you will shortly know about it; they rapidly multiply and will infest [/font]​

all the areas of your home and yard.​

Treat your dog with a flea killing shampoo, and repeat once again in ten days. Treat your home with a flea spray and frequent vacuuming, disposing of the vacuum bag immediately each time. Treat your yard with insecticide; your vet can advise you of the ​

appropriate products to use.​

Once flea free keep your dog that way by using Advantage or Frontline (which is a small vial of oil applied between the shoulder blades once monthly). The oil distributes itself through the haircoat with the movement of the dog and after a short time will not be washed off with water. After about 24 hours the coat will not be at all greasy to touch even at the point of application, and Advantage will kill all biting insects for up to about 30 days.​

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Keeping Fido free of the fleas will go a long way to seeing ​

that your home, your property, and your person does ​

not become a hangout for fleas.


Ticks

Ticks jump on your pet from grassy or wooded areas to gorge themselves on a bloodmeal and then drop off until they are hungry again. Ticks carry a number of terrible diseases, some of them transmittable to humans (such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever). Remove a tick with a tweezer by grasping it firmly as close to it's head as you can get and pulling with a firm, even pressure directly out. There are also specific tick removal devices readily available on the market at any pet supply store. Be sure to wear gloves when dealing with ticks, and kill it dead once it's out. If the head should break off, do not panic. In most cases it will fester out without further incident; you may wish to apply some hydrogen peroxide to the site. ​

Frontline and ProTICall are effective against ticks as well.

Lice

Lice are very difficult to see; they are very small and white, and don't move around much. It will be easier to see their "nits" or eggs which appear as white to yellowy bumps up the length of hair shafts. Thankfully, these things also respond well to most flea preparations.


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