FLEAS RELEASE ME!
SEVEN REASONS TO PROTECT YOUR DOG FROM FLEAS AND OTHER EXTERNAL PARASITES
Ahhh…Spring and Summer! What joys await you: lazy days of enjoying the great outdoors with your faithful dog by your side. As you hike through the wilderness or walk in the city park, you begin slapping at pesky insects that seek to make you their dinner. What about Rover? Chances are, he’s being “bugged” too. Fleas have long been the bane of dogs and dog owners. Dogs are bothered by other external parasites as well: ticks, mosquitoes, flies, etc. What’s the big deal, you ask? Here are seven reasons that these pests are a big deal to your dog.
Fleas and other biting insects are a nuisance to your dog. At best, fleas and other biting insects cause your dog some discomfort. You don’t like to be bitten by these pests, and neither does your dog!
Fleas can survive through the winter in your house. If your dog has fleas, chances are you will have fleas in your home as well. They can hide and breed in your carpets, drapes, etc. and can be tough to get rid of. Remember, one female flea can lay hundreds of eggs on your pet (or in your carpet).
Fleas can cause allergy-related dermatitis. Many dogs are allergic to the saliva of fleas. If your dog is allergic, you may notice itchy, red bumps, raw, red skin (hot spots), swelling and hair loss. In an allergic dog, the irritation can be so itchy and painful he may scratch or bite at the spots, making them worse. Open lesions can become infected, causing more health problems.
Your dog can get tapeworm from fleas. If your dog is infested with fleas, chances are he will eventually swallow one of them in all that biting and scratching. If that flea has tapeworm larvae (and there’s a good chance it does) the flea can transmit tapeworms to your dog. It only takes one infected flea to accomplish this. You will know your dog has tapeworms if you see little white, slimy, wriggling segments that look like rice on his rear, feces, or on your chair, lap, bed, etc. after your dog gets up. A trip to the vet is required to eliminate the tapeworms. Tapeworms usually do not cause great harm to your pet, but they are disgusting to the pet owners!
Fleas can cause anemia. Because fleas feast on your dog’s blood, they can cause anemia. A single flea can bite your dog over 400 times in one day! Fleas are not light eaters, either. They typically consume more than their own body weight of your dog’s blood!
Ticks are another external parasite that can cause serious health issues. Ticks can spread disease to both you and your dog. They also feed on the blood of their host by embedding their head deep within your dog’s (or your) skin and feasting on the blood. Ticks can give your dog such diseases as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These diseases can make your dog extremely sick and even cause death.
Tags: pet, dog, pets, dog health, dogs, dog food, holistic dog food, homemade dog food
Tags: dog fleas, flea and ticks, flea prevention, flea treatment, fleas
