March 1 marks the “official” starting of flea and tick season. Are you prepared?
Fleas are the most tasteless external parasites that sway our dogs and, although they prefer dog blood, fleas are quite happy to dine on our ankles as well. And although ticks are not as common, they are potentially more dangerous, to us and to our dogs, because they can forward such diseases as Lyme and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Fleas and ticks thrive whenever and wherever the humidity is above 50 percent and the temperature is over 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dog Care
Diagnosing a potential flea infestation is relatively simple…your dog will scratch. Additionally, you can commonly verily see the itsybitsy critters, or see white and black grains, about the size of sand grains, in your dog‘s coat (these are the eggs and feces of fleas). Tick infestation can only be detected by looking one or more ticks on your dog‘s skin, so it’s a good idea to check for these parasites when you groom your dog some times a week. To remove a tick, use tweezers to grasp it as close as potential to your dog‘s skin, and then pull it out slowly. After removing the tick, clean the bite area with an antiseptic.
While your dog‘s reaction to flea infestation is commonly mild (scratching, itching), other sensitivities, such as an allergy to flea saliva, bacterial skin infections and, in very small puppies anemia, can result, so it’s all the time good to do anyone you can to help keep your dog flea-free. Ideally, treatment should begin before the flea season begins in your area (early spring).
Since the 1980s, pharmaceutical clubs have industrialized many new chemical treatments for controlling or preventing fleas and other external parasites, and there are some great products available today in the form of flea collars, pills, oral liquids, spray-on formulas, and extra shampoos. Look for products that consist of Igrs (insect increase regulators), Idis (insect development inhibitors), neurotransmitter inhibitors, simply occurring neurotoxins, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (Maois), or cell increase inhibitors.
Igrs and Idis (for example, Program) should be used only when your dog has no fleas, so now is the exquisite time to invest in these products. If your dog becomes infested with fleas, that’s when you use the topical products, such as Frontline, Advantage, or Revolution.
Remember, if a flea problem exists in your home, it is pointless to treat just your dog. Your dog‘s total environment (including the carpet, your dog‘s bedding, the yard, and even your car), as well as any other pets you have, must be treated in order to remove fleas in all stages of the life cycle.
Flea larvae is probably also living in your dog‘s bedding, as well as any furniture where your dog likes to lounge. It does no good to just get rid of the flea itself, you’ve got to treat your dog‘s environment for fleas that may be in discrete stages of the life cycle. A female flea lays up to 50 eggs a day, and these eggs are dislodged into your whole environment when your dog scratches, so on any given day, the fleas in your dog‘s environment (your home!) could be in distinct stages of their life cycle.
Professional carpeting treatment can be highly effective for preventing flea eggs and larvae from maturing, and many such treatments come with a one-year guarantee. Check with your carpeting cleaners about such a treatment.
Fortunately, most flea and tick infestations are relatively easy to diagnose, cause itsybitsy harm to our beloved dogs, and will retort to treatment. But it’s all the time up to us to make sure our dogs are protected.
Copyright 2006 by Lisa Pallardy.
Dog Care: holding Your Dog Safe From Fleas And Ticks
Related posts:
- Dog Care: Keeping Your Dog Safe From Fleas And Ticks
- Fleas & Ticks on Your Cat
- Treating Your Pet and Your Home for Fleas and Ticks
- Getting Rid of Fleas and Ticks-How to Keep Your Pet Irritation Free
- How to Fight and Prevent Fleas and Ticks
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