You have to get rid of heart worm, fleas and other parasites in dogs whenever they raise their ugly heads by using the relevant medication on them. Many products have come onto the market to protect dogs from heart worms, fleas and other parasites like hook worms, whip worms, round worms, lice, ticks etc.
Of the heart worms, fleas and other parasites, fleas can produce a hyper sensitive reaction in the affected animal. Animals infected with fleas scratch their bodies very vigorously. Frequently the scratching becomes so severe that the skin becomes super-sensitive and dermatitis is the result in the affected areas.
The result of a serious flea infestation is often that your dog can not lie down for long or sleep comfortably because of the constant flea bites. So, your dog looks as if has some serious skin issues. If the the animal is not properly attended to for these flea bites, there could be a secondary bacterial attack in these areas and there may even be a rotten smell emanating from the affected area of your dog’s skin.
You need to observe your pet closely in order prevent a serious outbreak. It is essential to prevent such an outbreak as they are extremely distressing to dogs. Similarly, the skin of the animal needs to be checked regularly for the presence of ticks and lice. In order to do this properly, you need to look at the dog’s skin by separating the dog’s hairs. The easiest way to achieve this is by slowly back-combing or ruffling the dog’s hair.
Often, if your animal is anaemic, and he is not infested with fleas, you need to check for hookworm. Symptoms of hookworm are anaemia, loose stools and a pot belly. The dog’s owner may notice these symptoms themselves, however, to be honest, the dog needs to undergo a routine health check at the vet’s involving faecal and hematological examinations.
There are many commercial products available on the market, some of which are effective for dealing with all these conditions by a single dose. Drugs like ivermectin are highly efficacious and are available in injection, oral and solution forms. The latter should be put directly on the dog’s skin. These drugs can lead to the prevention of these conditions too.
Therefore, the best strategy to follow is to keep a sharp eye on your dog. This could most easily be done at bath time and when you are brushing him. You can use an anti-flea and anti-tick shampoo, which will keep these pests under control, if used as stated on the bottle. Couple this with regular grooming with a lice comb and the use of a flea collar should keep your pet tick, lice, and flea free.
