Your dogs may love to play outdoors and tour around. Sadly, these ventures could lead your dog to certain bugs that could be hazardous to them. Pricking insects cannot only create irritation but also convey lethal illnesses like heartworms and allergic reactions.
There are several bugs known to live in dogs. If you want to save your pet from getting infected by these parasites, you should know the different kinds of bugs and how to prevent them.
Common Bugs That Live In Dogs
1. Fleas
If you notice small and dark shaded bugs roaming on the body of your pet dog, they are likely called fleas. Fleas are considered to be one of the most prevailing and dangerous bugs that could live in your dogs. These bugs are vile parasites that may trigger skin problems for your pet. Their bites can result in considerable health problems including tapeworm infections, allergic dermatitis, and anemia specifically in tiny puppies or sick animals.
However, fleas love smaller mammals like raccoons, opossums, and squirrels. Nonetheless, they are also go-getters who will transfer to a bigger animal host given the right states.
These bugs enjoy hiding in cool, shaded areas in the backyard and then leap on your pet dog if there is a chance. Once they are inside the house, fleas can immediately turn into a plague. A female flea can produce around 18 eggs each day which means that with just 10 fleas penetrating your dog, 180 eggs per day can be produced and more than 1,000 eggs per week, immediately resulting in a huge contagion in your residence.
The most effective manner of confirming whether your dog is affected by fleas is the use of a sheer-tooth comb and combing it in the entire part of the body but particularly focusing on portion close to the tail and lower back as these are the common flea zone.
The surest way of safeguarding your pet dog is by performing preventive measures. You can find several products available in the market such as flea shampoos, sprays, dips, topical application, and oral tablets. Your veterinarian should recommend an extended flea treatment program that could stop the fleas from regenerating and dampen them from penetrating in the future.
2. Ticks
While fleas are known to leap from one animal to another, ticks could differ as they linger themselves for quite a length of time to acquire a blood meal and eventually dwindle their ingenuous host to produce eggs. Although the majority of the tick bites do not create pain, they can still be alarming.
Ticks are small bugs and are brown. They have flat and oval bodies and can be seen in city parks and rural properties. Most of the time, these parasites want to conceal in the portion of your dog’s head, particularly around the neck and ears.
These bugs can funnel diseases like ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, and Mountain spotted fever. They are very hard to extricate, but if left uncured, the dog can experience paralysis and can result in death.
The threats brought by ticks on your pet dogs can be reduced with some preventive actions including tick collars, topical treatments, and periodic check-ups with a veterinarian. Regularly bathing your dog is an affordable way to shield him throughout the period when tick penetration is at its peak. Make sure that you are using a shampoo that has medicated components, which will overall assassinate ticks upon contact.
3. Bees
If there are plenty of flowers thriving in the garden, there is a good chance that you can find a flock of bees in them. Although these bugs are not deemed threatening for dogs, they may trigger severe complications if your pet develops an allergic reaction.
The usual part for the bees to prick is in the face or the throat if being swallowed. If your dog develops an allergic reaction, you will notice a lump to develop at the spot and hives may occur throughout the body. It is specifically risky if the bite exists close to the throat as the airways can be jeopardized and the breathing is restricted.
Unluckily, the most effective way to prevent your dog from getting a bee sting is to inhibit him from getting pricked. Bees are commonly more dynamic when dawn and twilight. Hence, you may choose to schedule your dog’s exercise in a less risky period.
If you are aware that your pet dog has an allergy to a bee sting, you may want to keep them distant from floral places and get rid of those flowers that emanate the most powerful odor.
4. Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are commonly perceived as outdoor pests; however, they can also survive indoors. It is not only the inflamed, tingling bites carried out by the female mosquitoes that you have to be concerned about. These bugs can also deliver pathogens that can trigger heartworms in your dogs. These parasites can lengthen up to a foot long and can severely damage the functionality of your dog’s lungs and heart.
Although it rarely happens, mosquitoes can infect your dog with Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, and West Nile Virus. Although the fur of your pet provides some shield, they remain susceptible in parts like the ears and nose, where you can see the skin exposed.
Pest Control and Protection for Dogs
The best tool in keeping your dog safe from hazardous bugs is responsible pet monitoring. Know your pet really well. After a few short weeks with your rescued pup or adopted furbaby, you should be familiar with his breathing patterns, energy levels, level of alertness, and heart rate. By learning these things, the instance your dog develops reactions or allergic behaviors to common bugs, you can react quickly with the best treatment protocol.
One of the cheapest ways to ensure your dogs and cats get protection against pesky fleas and ticks is a dog collar that’s effective for months. Here’s a list of our recommended flea and tick collar products for you to read about.
