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Written by Mel Collins
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TREATING TICKS AND FLEAS
Spring is here and summer is on its way so it is very important to start protecting your dogs from ticks and fleas. Fleas are small, black insects which live in the bedding and coats of dogs, cats and other animals and feed on their blood. You must check your dogs coat regularly for fleas. You may find fleas or just small black specks which are the flea dirt (faeces) to confirm just drop some dirt onto a wet piece of cotton wool it will turn red as the blood dissolves. Some dogs can tolerate the presence of fleas and may not scratch others may scratch continually. Some may even have a severe allergic reaction to both flea bites and flea saliva resulting in intense scratching and chewing of neck, ears, thighs and base of the tail. In severe cases your dog’s skin can start to discolour and scale, hair loss may be apparent and secondary bacterial infections may occur.
Adult fleas lay their eggs on the dog which can fall off onto surrounding carpets and bedding. Eggs will hatch and produce larvae that feed on flea faeces and organic matter found in the environment. After a pupation period the adult flea will be encouraged to emerge from the pupa by warmth, vibrations or by exhaled breath (carbon dioxide). This new adult flea may well bite humans before jumping off to find a more suitable hairy host and from now on the cycle will continue. To control fleas, you must treat all your cats and dogs on the same day. There are a range of treatments available on the market; some kill the fleas immediately whereas others only kill the flea when it bites. You must also treat your home, paying particular attention to areas used frequently by your pet. Regular vacuuming and washing your pets bedding are also important in stopping the cycle.
Ticks are small, light grey, rounded insects which feed from the blood of animals, they can vary in size, but when engorged they can be as big as a pea. If left untreated an infestation of ticks can cause anaemia or even kill your pet. They can be carriers of Lymes disease which they will transmit to its host through a bite. It is important to check your pets for ticks paying attention to areas where the fur is thinner. They are usually found around the ears, face or abdomen, but can be found anywhere on the body. Ticks only feed at certain times of their life and peak activity is between the months of March to June and from August to November. As with fleas some dogs can have allergic reactions to the bites. When removing a tick from your dog’s body, it is important that the mouthparts do not remain in your dog’s skin as this may cause irritation, infection and abscess and for this reason it is always best to get your vet to remove the tick. There are many insecticide sprays and shampoos available on the market that will kill ticks and if you use these regularly, they can help prevent infestation.
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