The Fight Against Dog Parasites

Continuing with the hygienic issues, bear in mind that a dog can be attacked by two kinds of parasites: the external ones, in other words, fleas and ticks, and the internal ones, like worms. We all know how tortuous fleas can be for dogs, when you see them scratch themselves continuously but, besides, they are a danger to your dog's health because they transmit serious diseases and internal parasites. But, what can you do to avoid the transmission of these annoying pests when they're all over the place? The best weapon is cleanliness.

When you notice that your dog has fleas it is convenient to brush him energetically and carefully examine the stomach, the chest, the ears and all the other places where fleas like to gather. The inspection must be more laborious in dogs that have long hair, and they must be well washed in a warm bathtub, in which you have to dissolve antiseptic substances which have been recommended to you by the veterinarian. You have to take precautions in order not to cause any damage to the ears and eyes of your dog. The bath must also include the dog's head, place where the fleas flee to when the flood starts.

Since fleas reproduce in places where your dog lives, it will be necessary to disinfect, once in a while, the ground (especially if it wooden and has spaces in between the boards), the cloth on which the dog sleeps and everything else that comes in contact with the dog. Now, in these places, you shouldn't put a lot of strong-smelling disinfectant as you could affect your dog's sense of smell, a particularly serious problem for hunting dogs. Luckily, for dog owners, these typical fleas don't like human blood that much.

In the field it is possible for a dog to be attacked by ticks and, if you adopt a field dog, it is very probable that he will be afflicted. Ticks are very visible parasites – they are similar in shape and size to a watermelon seed. The tick will cling onto the dog by sticking its head under the skin, but, stupidly, it leaves the body out to open view. As they suck the blood out of the dog, they can, in the long run, produce a serious anemia and, in some cases, a pernicious splenomegaly (An abnormal enlargement of the spleen). Bear in mind that you shouldn't tear the tick off the body of the dog as it would leave the head inside the body and it would cause infection. To remove the entire tick, you have to get it wet by putting some drops of gasoline or petroleum on it. 2 or 3 drops are enough so that, a couple of minutes later, the tick can be removed with tweezers without causing any harm to your dog.