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Fleas may be the most common parasite in the dog world. Unfortunately this has led to some fleas that are resistant to modern anti-flea medication.
While we wouldn't wish the itching alone upon our pets, ticks also have the potential to transmit other parasites like tapeworms, and possibly diseases such as typhus.
Since ticks are parasites, by definition they need a host to survive. They are capable however of surviving alone for a few days, which is often how they are transmitted in an urban environment.
Flees can jump, no joke. They can leap much higher than we might expect for such a tiny thing, and as such can literally jump from one animal to another. If you dog has been out chasing squirrels, that's a possible contraction point.
To tell if your dog has fleas, examine them. The most telling sign is when that little bit of black dirt starts to move on its own.
Treatment:
If you find fleas on one of your pets, you have to treat all of your pets as though they have fleas. If you've got three dogs and five cats, it's at this point that my heart really goes out to you.
There are three phases of treatment: destruction of the adult fleas, elimination of the possibility of reproduction, and then preventative measures.
A flea bath is needed to kill the adult fleas and eggs on the animal your bathing, but as soon as you stop bathing, new fleas will jump onto your animal from the carpet, ground, other pets or their bed. So, immediately after a flea bath, you need to apply a protective ttreatment (it could be a topical solution, a dip, a spray, a powder or a collar) to prevent new fleas from jumping on and starting the process over again.
In addition, any carpeting, rugs dog beds, your own beds, anything that can harbor fleas, needs to be cleaned fully and completely.
Prevention of another infestation is not as difficult as the treatment. Medications exist currently that either interfere with flea development or reproduction. There are also durgs to actively kill fleas. Check with your vet for the latest in preventative flea control medications.
It's important to note that the flea medication made for your dog IS NOT SAFE for your cat, or other household pets. If you find fleas on one animal, yes, you must treat all animals in the house, but no, not with the same medication.
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| Basic Dog Health |
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| Adult Dog Care |
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