External Dog Parasites: Fleas, Fly, Ticks, Mites, Lyce
Fleas are usually only an annoyance for most canines. However, if they are not taken care of, these blood sucking parasites can actually cause life threatening blood loss in puppies and in severely infested adult dogs. There are a number of shampoos, medicines, and topical creams and applications that can get rid of smaller to medium infestations. (The best thing to do of course is to consult your veterinarian about it). In some cases fleas have caused allergic reactions, have transmitted disease and even caused anemia.
Flies/Fly-attacks: Flies can actually and are a bigger problem than most people know. This is especially true for dogs that are forced to live outside. Fly-attack is when numerous biting flies attack the edges of the dog's ears. This causes rawness, scabs, and if nothing is done about it, infection. This area must be cleaned very carefully with warm water and hydrogen peroxide. In more extreme cases veterinary care may be necessary. The way to prevent this is by applying fly repellant to the dog. Of course, the surest way to prevent this is by bringing the dog indoors.
Lice can infest dogs by the thousands. This will cause severe itching and discomfort. The dog will need veterinary intervention to get rid of them.
Mites is a parasite that causes an illness that is called mange. Demodectic or "red" mange causes small and hairless, irritated patches on the dog's coat. Sarcoptic mange or "scabies" produce extreme itching along with hair loss. Mites sometimes also enter the ears of the dog where they cause a big amount of discomfort and unavoidably produce bacterial infections. A veterinarian must treat mites as soon as possible.
If your dog has ticks remove them with tweezers. Try to avoid touching the fleas as they can transmit disease to humans. Ticks can be killed by immersing them in alcohol. It's a good idea to check your dog for ticks after you have taken a walk in the woods. Deer ticks can transmit Lyme disease, and this can lead to neurological and cardiac failure in the infected host.
