How to Identify Fleas & Ticks

 

Overview
Though many people know that ticks and fleas are harmful to a pet's health, not everyone knows how to identify these parasites. Identification is important, since different parasites require different removal and treatment techniques. Pets should be checked for ticks and fleas after time spent with other dogs or outside, because even if you brush and bathe your animal regularly, it is still possible for him to get fleas or ticks. When you first spot a small insect crawling in your pet's fur, you'll need to check him thoroughly---if you've seen one bug, chances are that there are more hiding in the fur.
Step 1
Skim a comb over the top of your pet's hair, moving slowly from back to front. Only comb deeper into the fur if you don't notice any ticks on the first shallow pass. Shallow combing is important because you don't want to accidentally touch a tick with the comb, as you may crush the tick's body; the Camino Animal Clinic explains that this can "force harmful bacteria to leave the tick and enter the [pet's] bloodstream."
Step 2
Look for insects attached to the animal's skin as you're gently combing. Ticks latch on to your pet and typically don't move once they are attached. Ticks have small heads and spindly legs. The body will be flat if the tick has just recently latched on, or it will be puffy and engorged if the tick has been feeding on the animal's blood for a while. Ticks may be black, red, or brownish, ranging from 1/8 to 1/2 inch in size. The deer tick, which carries Lyme disease, is especially tiny and hard to detect. All adult ticks have eight legs, making them easy to distinguish since most insect species only have six legs.
Step 3
Remove the identified tick by grabbing the insect's head with a fine-tipped tweezers. As with combing, you'll want to avoid the tick's body; if you grab the body with your tweezers, you risk forcing bacteria into the bloodstream.
Step 4
Kill the removed tick by placing it in a container of rubbing alcohol.
Step 5
Clean the area where the tick was attached using a disinfectant. Also apply an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin.
Step 6
Wash your hands with antibacterial soap and water.
Step 7
Consult a veterinarian if the tick you removed was engorged; this means that the tick had been attached and feeding for quite a while, so your pet should be checked for Lyme disease and other illnesses.

Step 1
Examine your pet's belly, where fur is thinner, to get a good look at the animal's skin. Look for small red or pinkish circles measuring anywhere from 1/8 inch to 1/2 inch in diameter. These circular discolorations are most likely flea bites. Locating the bites is an easy way to initially identify a flea problem before you've located the fleas themselves.
Step 2
Comb the animal's hair from back to front to get a better look at your animal's skin. Keep an eye open for small, oval-shaped specks. Fleas are very tiny, measuring less than a 1/4 inch long, and even if you're looking directly at the flea, it can be hard to tell if the small brown object is truly an insect or if it is just a piece of soil or flea feces.
Step 3
Watch for movement to confirm that the brown speck is really a flea. Fleas often scurry from exposed skin to more furry areas of the animal to hide. In addition to preferring thicker fur, fleas tend to hide near "crevasses" in the animal, such as near the animal's joints, near the base of the tail, or in neck folds. Even if you find a dead flea, you should still continue searching for movement until you identify a live flea infestation.
Step 4
Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap after you've positively identified the fleas and consult a veterinarian immediately, as recommended by the FDA. In almost every situation, you'll want to give the animal a flea bath using a flea-removal product, but a veterinarian's advice is necessary for selecting the best product for your animal.

How to Treat Dog Mites

 

Overview
Mites are insects that live on your dog. Microscopic members of the arachnid family, mites burrow under your dog's skin and lay their eggs. In small quantities, your dog won't even notice they are there. However, when the population begins to grow, the result can be inflamed, reddened patches of skin and incessant scratching. In the case of ear mites, a noticeable odor may come from the dog's ears, while the ear canals appear red and irritated.
Step 1
Treat ear mites with mineral oil. Using a small eyedropper, place 3 to 5 drops of warm mineral oil into the dog's ear canal. Gently massage the dog's ear to help work the oil in. Wait 2 hours, then wipe the dog's ear out with a cotton swab, tissue or cotton ball. Repeat this procedure twice a week for at least 3 weeks.
Step 2
Take care of skin mites with a soothing ointment. Combine 1 cup calamine lotion, 1 cup aloe vera gel, and 1 cup soluble sulphur. Mix until well blended, then transfer the remedy to a large pan. Add 1 gallon distilled water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and allow the contents to simmer for 30 minutes. Allow the contents to cool, then apply the resulting mite treatment to your dog's fur. Make sure the dog is well coated, including the feet and the skin between the toes. Do not rinse the treatment off; allow the dog to dry naturally. Repeat the procedure once a week for 3 to 4 weeks.
Step 3
Save yourself some money by washing your dog in medicated shampoo and then coating him with petroleum jelly. The thick coating of jelly smothers the skin mites and alleviates skin irritation. Shampoo the dog and reapply the petroleum jelly, ensuring you have completely covered the tail and exterior of the ears, every other day for at least 2 weeks.
Step 4
Rub an over-the-counter acne cream over the affected areas. Check the label to be certain the medication's active ingredient is benzoyl peroxide. A 5 percent concentration should be enough to kill any surface mites. Apply the acne cream three times a week for 2 weeks.
Step 5
Get rid of harvest mites with using a prescription preventative medication such as Revolution or Frontline. This medication is applied once a month and will protect your dog from mites and fleas. The contents are applied directly to the skin, between the dog's shoulder blades, and within 2 hours can be safely exposed to water with no need for reapplication.

Signs & Symptoms of Dehydration in Puppies

 

Taking care of a new puppy presents many challenges, such as house training and discipline. One of the challenges you may not have thought about is keeping your puppy properly hydrated. Dehydration can quickly go from a discomfort to a serious problem. There are a few signs and symptoms to watch out for when your puppy is dehydrated.

Dehydration in Nursing Puppies
Before your puppies have been weaned, they will be getting the nutrients and liquids they need from their mother. But even on an all-liquid diet, your puppies may still need to consume more fluids, especially in hot climates. If your dog experiences any of the following symptoms, you should take them to your vet or get them on a milk supplement product right away. Symptoms to watch for in newborn puppies include low weight and neck skin that stays stiff when gently pinched. If the litter is abnormally large, keep a close eye on all the puppies.

Older Puppies
After your puppy is weaned, they will need to drink more water, as their food will no longer be in liquid form. In addition to the neck pinch test, there are other symptoms you can look for. Your puppy may be dehydrated if it is lethargic, has dry or sunken eyes or a dry mouth and nose. Dehydrated puppies may also have a delay in capillary fill time, meaning that if you press your index finger into the gumline of your puppy, it takes a few moments for the blood to refill the area. If your dog is severely hydrated, it is important to only let them drink a little water at a time, so they don't get sick. Some pet owners recommend Pedialyte or non-flavored water enhanced with electrolytes for severely dehydrated dogs.

Warning Signs
In addition to the signs and symptoms listed above, there are a few other things to watch out for. If your puppy has had loose stools, a high fever or vomiting, they will likely need to consume a lot of water to stay properly hydrated. Dehydration leads to loss of crucial minerals your puppy needs to stay healthy. If you live in a hot climate, make sure your dog has constant access to cool, clean water. Adding wet food to your dog's diet in the hottest months of the year will add valuable moisture into their diets.

Spaying and neutering

Spaying and neutering of dogs are highly wanted if you don’t want to breed the dogs and however, these activities need to be carried out by qualified veterinarians specialized in pet care and management. Anesthesia is required along with due surgical procedures for carrying out the spaying and neutering.

One has to understand first the terms like spaying or neutering. Both are related to the surgical approaches of sterilization in case of females and males respectively. However, the term neutering is also related to such procedures in both sexes. Accidental pregnancies that are not wanted can be highly minimized by these procedures.

Spaying and neutering helps to prevent occurrence of pyometra, which is a common reproductive disorder-giving problem to the dog owners. In male dogs, the neutering helps to prevent the occurrence of prostate enlargement or cancer. Hence, these help to minimize the incidences of reproductive disorders in dogs.

By these spaying and neutering, the male dog’s desire in search of female dog in heat is highly minimized and hence, wandering of male dog is reduced. The animal becomes calm also by these surgical remedies. Territorial behavior of these animals is also highly minimized by these in case of male dogs.

Spaying of your dog before the occurrence of first heat is the best one to avoid the incidence of breast cancer. If the dog is spayed after the first heat, the chances of occurrence of breast cancer in them is more and has been proved by research. Younger group of dogs need to be subjected to these operations to avoid complications in future.

Many veterinarians prefer the spaying and neutering of dogs only at the age of five to six years. However, these can be performed even at the age of three to five years. Postoperative care needs to be followed meticulously to avoid the occurrence of infections by microbial organisms.

Spaying and neutering courtesy of Dog Articles