Fleas are more often observed during the warmer months; yet, since we maintain our houses pleasant and warm throughout the winter, we continue to encounter fleas throughout the year. Your pet is only home to a tiny portion of the adult flea population that may be on your premises. It is imperative that in addition to treating your animal directly for fleas, you also disinfect the surroundings. Flea eggs and larvae reside in the environment and may remain viable for up to a year. Carpets should be vacuumed and cleaned on a regular basis, and you should use the hottest cycle possible when washing your pet’s bedding.

Fleas have a propensity to hop onto your pet in order to feed, and then they will immediately leap off again. Flea saliva may cause a skin disorder in dogs and cats known as flea allergy dermatitis, or FAD for short. This illness can also occur in humans. The treatment of FAD may be difficult; thus, it is recommended that you see a veterinarian.

How to Tell If Your Dog Has Ticks or Not

Ticks are a regular issue for dog owners to deal with and a major worry for them since many dogs spend so much time outside. Fleas and ticks may become a significant annoyance as well as a possible health risk for your dog if treatment is not administered. Ticks are parasites that feed on the blood of their hosts and attach themselves securely into the skin and tissue of dogs using small but sharp teeth.

Ticks are capable of transmitting blood-borne diseases due to the fact that they are able to enter the bloodstream. The larval and nymph stages of the tick are incredibly tiny and easy to overlook because of their inconspicuous size. The adult tick has a length of about 3 millimeters and can be seen by almost everyone. The larvae and nymphs are roughly half the size of the adult and are difficult to distinguish from one another. Tick bites leave welts and bruises in the vicinity of the puncture site on dogs. Additionally, the tick will often still be linked to the host. Ticks on dogs may be treated in a number of different ways, including oral medications or through tick collars.

How to Tell If Your Dog Has Fleas or Not

Fleas are notoriously irritating parasites that are mostly responsible for your dog scratching himself incessantly. In the event that your dog is allergic to the flea saliva, the itching might be relentless. Scratching too much may cause skin infections, and fleas on dogs can potentially contribute to the spread of a variety of illnesses. Because fleas are tiny approximately one to two millimeters in length, it might be difficult to find fleas on your dog; nevertheless, there are various techniques to check for fleas on your dog, including the following:

Look for areas of the dog’s neck, tummy, or hindquarters that have skin that is red and inflamed.

To get a better look at your dog’s skin, comb his or her hair starting from the rear and working your way forward. Flea combs may be purchased at pet supply shops, but in all honesty, any comb with fine teeth will suffice.

Fleas might be difficult to locate, but the flea filth they leave behind can be checked for with fairly ease. Simply drench a cotton ball in water, split the hair on your pet’s rear, and apply the cotton ball directly on the exposed flesh there. If the cotton ball begins to take on black specks that are surrounded by a reddish region, this may be flea filth and might be an indication that your pet has fleas.

Caution is recommended since the use of some non-veterinary brands of flea medications for dogs on cats may result in fatalities. Always see a doctor for recommendations on the most effective flea treatments for your animal companion. Please give us a call so that we can have a conversation about an effective flea control program for your pet.

Getting Rid of Ticks

The Paralysis Tick, also known as Ixodes holocyclus, should be the primary worry for pet owners since it may cause paralysis and death in as little as two to four days after attachment. Even though Paralysis Ticks are only found natively in a limited number of locations (mostly along the coastal eastern shore of Australia), they are able to attach themselves to animals that travel through these places during the warmer months, especially if they are permitted to run through brush. It’s also possible for ticks to catch a journey home with you or a neighbor in things like automobiles, carpets, towels, or plants. Remove a tick as soon as you find it attached to a pet, even if the animal is not showing any indications of being paralyzed by the tick.

The treatment for tick paralysis involves locating and eliminating any ticks that may be present. This may include thoroughly clipping the animal or using medicine to kill any leftover ticks after the animal has been clipped. During the recuperation process, an antiserum made from ticks is given to the patient in order to neutralize the toxin, and supportive care is also offered.

This may end up being rather pricey in compared to what it would have cost to employ tick prevention in the beginning. However, there is no tick prevention method that is 100 percent successful, and frequent inspections of your pet must be part of the preventative routine. Once you get back home from a trip through tick-infested areas, you should not stop looking for ticks on your pet; rather, you should keep looking daily for at least a week after you get back. Feel your pet’s whole body with your fingertips, paying particular attention to the areas just under the collar, on the face, and all down the front of the animal. Make sure that you give everything a thorough look, especially between the ears, between the toes, and under the lips.

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