Fleas and other parasites have always to be given the top priority by dog owners. The all too common occurrences of flea bite allergy in the case of dogs causes worry to many dog owners every year. This is because flea bites can induce allergic reactions in the area bitten by the fleas. In these cases, the affected area becomes hairless due to the dog scratching itself vigorously.
Heavy flea infestations can cause severe dermatitis in dogs, because the dog will scratch and scratch the area until he bleeds and can also introduce infection. If the flea bites cause an allergic reaction or even dermatitis in your dog, he/she really ought to be taken to the veterinary doctor as soon as possible, because usually, the dog will be experiencing severe discomfort by this time.
The vet will sell you a cream to ease the itching and reduce the inflammation and some powder or a spray to kill the fleas. Prevention, however, is better than cure and medicated collars are available to treat and prevent an infestation of external blood-suckers like ticks and fleas.
Besides fleas, other parasites like ticks and lice plus internal parasites like hookworm, round worm, whip worms etc. can affect the well-being of your dog. For instance, if hookworms infect a dog, that dog will normally suffer from anaemia. The signs of anaemia become more prominent depending on the degree of infection by the hookworm.
Hookworm larvae can pass directly through the skin into the internal body and cause severe problems inside the infected dog. These dogs may have lesions on their paws and on their skin because of dermatitis. Often, skin rashes occur too in these cases and the infected animal may also have diarrhoea, which is flecked with blood.
Most dogs and all puppies get round worms, which is why dogs can sometimes be seen rubbing their bottoms along the floor. However, if round worms are present in very large numbers, infected puppies show a pot belly, which is easily noticeable by the dog’s owners themselves. A dose of piperazine salts can be given orally for the treatment of this problem. However, broad-spectrum anthelmintics like pyrantel pamoate, fenbendazole etc. are also given to treat this very common condition.
Many drugs have arrived on the market to treat fleas and other parasites, although nowadays, the medical agent called ivermectin seems to be preferred by many dog owners to clear up fleas and other parasites in dogs. This drug is available for injection or oral use and is now even available for external application too.
