Watercubs & Kivisilmän

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Dog Parasites (Flea, Tick, Worms..)
 

Every time you give your dog his regular grooming session, it is very important that you carefully examine his coat and skin.  Aside from making sure that the coat and skin are clean and have a pleasant smell to them, you should also check to make sure that there aren’t any parasites in the coat. You should always keep an eye on his feces to make sure they look normal. Most parasites can be spotted by eye, even though some may require a vet’s look at them.


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Dog Fleas:

One very common parasite that causes serious irritation to your dog is the dog flea.  If you notice your dog scratching, biting, and shaking as if it is trying to get rid of something that is irritating him, chances are he may have fleas. A dog flea causes severe irritation by sucking on your dog's blood.

These dog fleas can easily hop on your dog while strolling around through bushes and grass. The most common type of dog flea is a tiny, brown, jumping “dot” that can be seen on your dog's skin. Flea eggs are black and white particles similar to sand. You may also use a fine-toothed comb to search for dog fleas. The dog flea is also responsible for the spread of tapeworms.

Before you begin with dog flea treatment on your dog, you have to first treat your house.  Begin by thoroughly cleaning the 

areas where your dog sleeps and where he usually goes to relax.   Wash all the bedding and then place it in a hot dryer.  The next 

step in dog flea treatment is to vacuum every surface possible (all furniture, rugs, carpets, and drapes). Another important part of the 

dog flea treatment is to wax the floor.  This step of the dog flea treatment increases the chance of killing stray fleas as well as

their eggs. After you have finished with the dog flea treatment around your house, the next step is to treat your dog.  The most

successful way to treat your dog is to use an insecticide dip. Administer the dog flea treatment about twice per month until you are 
sure that your dog is free of fleas. 

Dog Lice:

Signs that your dog is infected with dog lice are heavy, intense scratching, and irritation that often results in bald patches. Dog lice 

are flat, gray, wingless parasites that are about a twelfth of an inch long. Dog lice are very slow movers. Although dog lice are relatively 

large, you are more likely to spot their eggs in your dog's hair. Lice eggs are easier to see because they are attached to the dog's 
hair and look like white tiny flakes of dust. Dog lice only affect the dogs in your home and are not capable of surviving off of cats 
and humans. 

Some dog lice bite the skin and feed on skin flakes; others feed on your dog's blood. Blood sucking lice causes severe irritation 

because they penetrate the skin of your dog in order to feed.

You can get rid of dog lice by bathing your dog is with an insecticide. You may require you to cut off matted hair and wash your 

dog about once every week with the insecticide. This procedure is then repeated until the itching is gone and there are no more 

visible lice eggs.  

To prevent further lice infestation and make sure that all the lice eggs have been completely eliminated, it is a wise idea to throw 

away all bedding that your dog has lain on during lice infestation and to disinfect the area where he sleeps.   

Ear Mites:

If your dog has been scratching his ears a lot lately or if, or if there is a lot of dark discoloration on the ear, your dog might have 

ear mites. Ear mites are feed on skin particles inside your dog's ear. They have tentacles that irritate the ear canal, making your 

dog vulnerable to bacterial or fungi infection. Ear mites are very contagious.  They have the tendency to frequently wander away 

from the dog's ear and into the dog's coat until eventually landing into another dog's ears. 

Symptoms of ear mites include excessive scratching of the ear, head shaking, constant rubbing of the ear against the wall or any 

objects, and a waxy, dark-colored discharge.  The ear may also look dark and crusty and usually emits a foul smelling odor. If you 

think that your dog has a problem with ear mites, take him to the vet as soon as possible.  Early treatment is crucial to prevent a 

more serious ear infection.  Treatment includes washing out the debris with an insecticidal preparation that will kill the mites.  Your 
vet will also instruct you to continue on with the treatment at home on a daily basis usually for three weeks. 

Dog worms:

Worms are dog parasites that inhabit the intestines of many animals. They are commonly found in puppies and young dogs and are 

usually not a life threatening problem. 

The tapeworm is a dog parasite that grows in the small intestine. Each worm has a head that remains attached to the intestine as 

well as dozens of egg filled segments that break off and pass out along with the feces.  These passed segments look like rice grains 

or cream colored maggots.  They are about a quarter to one half of an inch long and are visible in the fresh stool or around the dog's 

anus. 

Roundworms are dog parasites that inhabit the dog's small intestines and also the large intestines.  This type of dog parasite 

infests mostly young puppies.  Infestation from this dog parasite is not apparent and would need to be diagnosed by a vet by means 

of examining

the feces.  

Hookworms are another variety of a dog parasite. This dog parasite is mostly found in areas where crowded and unsanitary 

conditions exist. Severe hookworm infestation is serious

because the worms suck the animal's blood and cause anemia. 

The Whipworm is a dog parasite that remains dormant for a long time.  However, if symptoms exist, it is usually a persistent watery 

diarrhea.  

We recommend a monthly deworming treatment (for example Drontal or Flubenol) for a growing puppy until 12 months. This is so that if 

the dog gets worms during his growth phase, they will not have time to have an adverse effect on his growth before they are removed. 

After the dog is older, we recommend you to deworm him two times a year (spring and autumn), or more often if necessary.

Dog ticks:

Dog ticks cause irritation and illness in their victims. Ticks feed on blood. They usually attach themselves around the areas of the head, 

chest, belly, and front legs. Although ticks are very small, they expand to about 50 times their normal size after they have finished feeding.  

Dog ticks are also responsible for Lyme disease. Ticks come from high, dense vegetation along roadsides and paths.

When removing the tick, never use a match or anything that can burn your dog. The most effective way of removing a tick is by using 

a pair of tweezers and aiming for the tick's head, while gently twisting and pulling it out.  This way, the tick comes out in one piece 
and doesn’t have a chance a spilling out the toxic in the dog. Try not to pull the tick with your fingers because it could be carrying a 
disease that is toxic to you.  

You can protect your pet's coat by spraying it with insecticides or using pipettes on the skin that can kill ticks on contact. Some examples 

are Frontline, Exspot, Stronghold. You should use the pipettes on the dog as instructed in the packets provided, especially during spring 

and summer months (from April to September, depending on the weather and climate), when the ticks are more active. These tick 
treatments will also remove fleas and mites.

Mink oil is a fairly efficient way of protecting your dog from ticks. For an effective protection spray the dog at least once a week. Mink oil 

protection is not allowed for dog shows, however you can use it after the shows. If you live in, or travel to heavily tick infested areas, 

we recommend you to use pipettes.

Using a dog flea/tick collar is not effective and only provides local protection. Dogs who wear flea/tick collars must have their necks 

checked regularly for inflammation. Checking the neck is important to make sure that your dog is not allergic or sensitive to the chemicals 

in the dog flea treatment collar.  

(c) Salmelin