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"Dog Parasites (flea, Tick, Worms, Etc.)"
Dog Parasites (Flea, Tick, Worms, etc.): Page 1
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Dog Flea: Detecting dog fleas
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 he is not playing
host to any type of parasite that could trigger the start of various
diseases and other several problems.
One very common parasite that causes serious irritation to your dog is
the dog flea. A dog flea causes severe irritation by sucking on your
dog's blood. Some dogs develop an allergy to the dog flea's saliva
which causes them to scratch uncontrollably, resulting in sore and
weeping skin. The dog flea is also responsible for the spread of
tapeworms if your dog happens to eat it.
The severity of a flea attack is rather unpredictable. The slightest
attack of the flea can cause mild itching and irritation even to a
well groomed dog. In fact, an extreme case of widespread infestation
from a relative of the dog flea was known to cause an unprecedented
crusade of death in Europe, during the time of the bubonic plagues.
These days, a dog flea attack is most likely due to a particular type
of dog flea called Ctenocephalides canis. This type of flea is a
tiny, jumping organism that can be seen on your dog's skin. These dog
fleas can easily hop on your dog while strolling around through
bushes and grass. The flea knows that your dog is an ample source of
blood, which is the main requirement of the dog flea to be able to lay
its eggs.
As soon as the dog flea is done satisfying its thirst, it will hop off
your dog and find its new home on a surface inside your house. The
dog flea usually stays on one area of your carpet or your bed and will
stay there to lay its eggs.
Dog fleas are not at all shy at having their presence detected. 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 unwelcome guests of dog fleas feasting on him.
Dog fleas are like tiny brown bouncing dots. Another sign of dog
fleas are black and white particles similar to sand. These are dog
flea eggs and waste material. When looking for dog fleas, start by
pushing the fur back around the neck, along the back, and on the rear
end and the belly. You may also use a fine-toothed comb to search for
dog fleas. Run the fine-toothed comb over the dog's coat and see if
you can catch these culprits.
Copyright 2006 by Jay Jennings. All rights reserved.
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