06/06/2024
Definitely keep checking regularly 💗🐾
All through the summer and into the autumn ticks and fleas are a real nuisance for our dogs:
Fleas
Itching is the first and main symptom. Excessive scratching can cause inflammation and infection, and sometimes dogs can suffer from allergic dermatitis. A severe flea infestation can lead to anaemia due to the extent of blood loss as the fleas feed.
Keep up to date with flea treatment and check your dog regularly so that you can catch a problem early. Fleas can also carry tapeworm eggs so, if your dog does get fleas, you will need to treat for worms too. Fleas only hop on and off the dog to feed so most of them will actually be living in the dog’s bedding and your carpets – you’ll need to treat your house, and probably more than once due to the length of the flea’s lifecycle..
Ticks
Ticks can carry many diseases and it’s possible for one tick to be carrying several at the same time. The most prevalent is Lyme Disease, although it’s actually still quite rare and generally less serious in dogs than in humans. That said, it is possible to cause damage to joints, kidneys, heart and nervous system. Watch for symptoms of swelling or pain in the joints and an elevated temperature, which can occur up to two months after infection.
Checking your dog regularly for ticks is important and so is the method of tick removal. Causing stress to the tick will likely cause it to regurgitate into the dog and increase the infection risk. Leaving it to fall off of its own accord will also increase the risk due to the length of time it is in the dog. You also don’t want to risk leaving the head/mouth parts behind which could result in an infection. The safest method of removing a tick is by using a tick twister/tick tool. They only cost a few pounds so are well worth the investment.
