Flea Tick and Heartworm Prevention for Dogs

Can you tell the difference between mites, fungus, eczema and other dog skin diseases? The following article focuses on the symptoms and treatment of mites, fungus, eczema, and fleas.

Ectoparasites

Fleas vs Ticks vs Lice

Fleas

The flea, commonly known as the flea, is a parasitic bloodsucker. Dogs and cats have intensely itchy skin. The dog is irritable, gnawing, scratching and rubbing, resulting in pimples, erythema, hair loss, flaking, scabs and hyperpigmentation, and in severe cases, anaemia and emaciation. There are tar-like particles (flea excrement) on the roots of the dorsal coat.

flea excrement

Ticks

Ticks, also known as wall ticks or flat ticks, are parasites that bite and suck blood from the surface of the dog's body, causing restlessness and dermatitis and oedema. The neurotoxin in its secretions can cause nerve paralysis in dogs.

What Does an Embedded Tick Look Like on a Dog?

Embedded ticks on dogs sometimes look like small scabs or scars and can often go overlooked. Before the tick has eaten, it can be the size of a tiny apple seed, but they fill up and become engorged once they eat. At this stage, they can become as big as your little fingernail.

How to Treat Fleas on Puppies?

1. Spray the puppy with lemon juice mixed with water.

2. In the case of long-haired puppies, comb down with a flea comb.

3. Give the puppy a medicated bath with a herbal pack.

Lice

Lice disease, an ectoparasitic disease caused by lice bites, blood sucking and irritation of the skin by toxic secretions.

Recommended combination of medication for fleas, lice and ticks

Puainta® Topical Fipronil Drops for Fleas & Ticks in Dogs/Cats+Puainta® Quantum Silver Multifunctional Skin Spray

Scabies Mites vs Worm Mites

Affected dogs often exhibit restlessness due to intense itching, gnawing, causing hair loss, hair breakage or abrasions. Sometimes small nodules, bleeding spots or necrotic foci appear on the skin, causing purulent dermatitis in severe cases.

Scabies Mites

Symptoms of scabies mite disease: Initially, red spots appear on the skin, itchy parts of the disease, often scratching and rubbing, followed by hair loss and crusting.

Worm Mites

Symptoms of peristomal mite

Most commonly seen in dogs over 1 year of age

Localised around the eyes, mouth and extremities

Skin loss and thickening, itching is not intense

But secondary infection, inflammation, intense itching

How to Get Rid of Mites on Dogs

Recommended combination of medication for mites

Puainta® Natural Hot Spot Spray for Dogs+  Puainta® Allergic Itch Relief, Allergy Treatment + Quick Itch Relief

 

Parasites in The Body

Heartworm

Symptoms of Heartworm

Dogs infected with heartworm can become easily tired and lethargic. He may have a shallow cough and pant heavily after a little exercise. Sometimes the adult worms hide in the coronary arteries that supply the heart with nutrients and can easily overwhelm the dog's heart and cause it to go into shock and die.

The disease is transmitted between healthy dogs and infected dogs through the bite of mosquitoes. The larvae develop into adult worms in the dog's body in about 4 to 6 months and reproduce in the bloodstream as young filarial worms. The infection rate of stray dogs in the wild is currently over 30%. Fortunately, quarantine technology is now more advanced and the results can be known within two minutes of taking a little blood.

 

Tapeworm

Symptoms of Tapeworm

If you see maggot-like moving worms in your puppy's faeces, they are tapeworms. The tapeworm makes the puppy's anus itch so much that it sits on the floor and can only be detected by the owner's careful observation. It can cause malnutrition, emaciation, anaemia, gastrointestinal symptoms and neurological symptoms, and in severe cases can lead to general debilitating death.

Fleas are used as a vector for transmission, so puppies with fleas can also become infected with tapeworms. Avoiding recurrent tapeworm infections is sometimes not easy. The first step is to control fleas on dogs and cats, which often have tapeworm eggs in their stomachs. Secondly, transmission can also take place through the consumption of rodents, undercooked meat, fish and prawns.

Flea Tick and Heartworm Prevention for Dogs

The scientific approach to flea prevention is to prevent and kill fleas with a monthly in vitro dewormer. Regular flea prevention can effectively control tapeworm infections caused by fleas as an intermediary. In addition to controlling vectors such as fleas, dogs should also be given internal parasite medication every 3 months to prevent intestinal parasitic infections such as tapeworms.

• Internal anthelmintic: Use praziquantel at a dosage of 5-10 mg/kg body weight - once, orally.
• Prophylactic deworming: Prophylactic deworming should be carried out 4 times a year (1 time per quarter), and in breeding dogs within 3-4 weeks before breeding. Dogs should be isolated in a certain area during deworming so that excreted worms and faeces can be collected and thoroughly destroyed to prevent the spread of pathogens. Spring and autumn are the high incidence periods.
• Pay attention to cleanliness: keep the kennel and dog clean and often use insecticides to kill fleas and lice on the dog's body.

 

FAQ

Do Dogs Need Flea and Tick Medicine Every Month?

Some dewormers can be given once a month, while others are given once every three months.
For general prevention, external and internal deworming can be done every month, and internal deworming can be done once every one to three months.

Where Do Fleas Come From?

Fleas are good jumpers and like to live on hairy pets, especially in the summer when it's hot and the family pet is out walking and can get fleas from the grass.

How Do I Keep Ticks Off My Dog While Walking?

Ticks can be found all year round, especially in summer, and are generally not easy to see with the naked eye. People who have dogs at home should use a comb to give their dog a serious haircut after walking him, or give him a bath with pet shampoo to deodorise and prevent bugs. Keep lawns and bushes to a minimum.

Check regularly for worms cut your dog's coat short, short hairs make it easier to find worms, take regular medicated baths or use in vitro medication that is dripped on the neck (or sprayed on the body) to prevent ticks during the active tick season.

Do Dogs Need Flea and Tick Medicine in the Winter?

Fleas, ticks and mosquitoes are less active in winter when the weather is cold, but it is also important to prevent fleas in winter.

Can Humans Get Fleas and Ticks From Dogs?

In addition to ticks, fleas and ticks are common ectoparasites in dogs. They can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with the dog or by hatching eggs in the environment.