You love your pets and will always wish to keep them safe, but it is impossible to protect them from everything. When you become a new pet owner, it can be overwhelming to think about different risks that could affect your dog’s health. A few ailments are common amongst dogs, and at the top of the list would be fleas and ticks.
Fleas and ticks bite host animals and feed on their blood. In this process, they can cause itching and discomfort to the dog. But this is not all. If they carry diseases, your dog’s health may deteriorate and get serious. Hence, you cannot take it lightly. It is tough to keep these parasites off your pet, especially if they play a lot outdoors, but there are a few measures you can take to avoid that as much as possible. Keep reading to learn more about these parasites.
About Fleas
Fleas are another common parasite issue you will be familiar with if you own a dog. These parasites feed on your pet’s blood. They reproduce really quickly. Hence, the infestation could be tough to deal with. Their lifespan is only a few months, but a single adult female flea that enters your dog’s coat can lay up to 50 eggs per data. Flea infestation is really uncomfortable for your dog can.
You will see the pet scratching, biting, and licking a lot. It can get worse in double-coated dogs like Goldendoodle, even if you take all steps to keep the dog’s coat healthy, which includes using the best brush for Goldendoodle. But itchiness is not the only side effect, as it can cause other diseases like tapeworms, yersiniosis, and mycoplasma infection. If the infestation is bad, it can also cause your dog to become anemic due to severe blood loss.
About Ticks
One good news about ticks is they do not reproduce as quickly as fleas. Hence, you need not worry much about tick infestation at home, but that does not make them less dangerous. These parasites can become life-threatening with just one bite. Tick bites usually do not itch.
Hence, your pet will not even realize that a tick has latched on to it. In fact, if you find a tick on your body after a hike, you may not have felt it either. You need to physically remove the tick, or it will remain latched to the skin for several days and weeks. The longer it is attached, the higher the chances it can transmit life-threatening diseases.
Many tick species are common in the United States, such as the American dog tick, Lone star tick, brown dog tick, and black-legged tick. These ticks can spread diseases like Lyme disease, which is most common, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Because ticks don’t reproduce as quickly as fleas, you will most likely never have to worry about a tick infestation in your home. But that doesn’t mean ticks are any less dangerous. With these parasites, it only takes one bite to cause potentially life-threatening damage.
If your pet suffers from tick fever, it can result in loss of life, which is devastating. Hence, you should get it treated immediately.
Which Is More Dangerous?
You might still wonder which is more dangerous, tick or fleas? Either of them is terrible for your pet as they cannot just be irritating to fit the pet but also life-threatening as they can transmit worms that can cause heartworm diseases. Ticks pose a greater threat to your pet because they can transmit very harmful diseases.
Though flea infestation is tough to handle, death is not usually the outcome. But you will find ticks responsible for the death of several pets.
How Can You Prevent Ticks and Fleas
Now, as you know that these parasites pose a significant danger to your pet, let us understand how you can eliminate them or prevent them from happening. Making a precautionary plan instead of a remedial plan is the starter. If you ensure that you are taking precautions to prevent this from happening, you will be doing a great favor to the pet.
Keeping your dog indoors and in a clean environment will prevent it, but how can you stop your pet from enjoying nature?
As soon as your dog steps out in the wilderness or meets another pet, there are chances that it will come home with such parasites. You can do a few things to ensure their coat is clear of these parasites.
Keep Checking Their Coat Regularly
While petting the dog, just try to dig your finger inside the coat to keep a check. Using your fingers to check the pet’s coat is a good practice. If you find any bump on the skin, inspect the area immediately for ticks and fleas. Even if you find one of these parasites, you should immediately assume that there might be more of them; hence follow the steps of tick and flea treatment.
Use An Anti-Tick And Flea Shampoo To Groom Them
Several products in the market help prevent or get rid of ticks. You can use one of these to bathe your dog every month. Even when you send your dog to the groomer, insist they use these shampoos. Waterless anti-tick shampoos are also available that can be used weekly, reducing the chances of parasite infestation.
Brush The Pet Regularly With Special Tick-Comb
Some combs are specially designed to remove ticks from your pet’s fur. Brush your pet with this tick brush, which will make removing most of them from the pet’s fur easier.
Make Use Of Preventive Medication
Consult your vet to understand what medication you can use to prevent ticks or fleas infestation on your pet. If you take your dog on many hikes, your vet will recommend monthly medication, which could be the spot-on treatment that prevents these parasites for a month or a course of oral medication.
You must repeat the process monthly to ensure your pet stays clear of these parasites. Preventing any parasite infestation from happening is the best way out of this situation. But it is inevitable in most cases; hence, keep these tricks handy with you so that you can swiftly get into action when needed.