Warmer weather brings out the ticks and fleas and in some areas of the country our parasite season is longer due to our seasons not being as defined as they used to be. Here is some useful information about these parasites, signs that your pet has them and things you can do to prevent your dog from getting ticks and fleas. Fleas and Your DogFleas are parasites and they live, feed and breed on your dog which is the host animal; but they can also affect humans and it doesn’t take long for them to make themselves at home on your property. Let’s look at the things we can do to prevent these creatures from infesting your home and your pet: How do fleas show up on dogs in the first place?Dogs can easily pick up these parasites from other pets as fleas can jump very easily from one dog to another. However, your dog primarily picks up fleas from the environment that it comes into contact with such as yards, homes parks or areas where other flea-infested pets or other animals have been. Fleas- signs to look out for:
How to protect your dog from fleas.Fleas thrive in shady, wet, warm and humid environments. So, keeping this in mind there are several ways you can help protect your dog from getting fleas such as:
Ticks and Your DogTicks are normally found in regions where there is a lot of bushland and native wildlife. These troublesome parasites can cause quite serious problems for your dog such as paralysis. The paralysis tick latches onto the dog and injects toxins into their system which progressively paralyses them normally from the hind legs forward. Symptoms of tick paralysis include:
Some more symptoms of common tick infestations
How does a dog get ticks?It extremely difficult to prevent your dog from being exposed to ticks; these creatures can latch onto to your dog when he/she goes out with you on walks, or during any other outdoor activities such as hiking etc. Dogs get a tick infestation because they are out in that open environment, walking through the high grass or woods. Ticks undergo questing (they crawl up onto low shrubs/grass and stay there). When a dog walks by or even when we walk past and brush against these ticks, they quickly dislodge and latch onto us. These parasites can live for well over a year without any food and they will just stay there waiting for a host to latch onto. The right way to check your dog for ticks
How to protect your dog from getting ticksSome of the things you can do to protect your dog from getting ticks include:
How to Remove A Tick Safely from Your DogTick Twisters are available to purchase at our K9 SWiM Wellness Centre, North Richmond If you liked this article you may also like these: |
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AuthorHi I'm Sharon Osmond the owner and founder of K9 Swim. The Splash Blog is where I share tips and information on dog's health and safety and some fun facts and stories. Categories
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February 2019
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