Here’s why you should prevent you dog from ticks and fleas

Gina
- July 10, 2022

Apart from worrying about keeping your dogs dry during the rainy season, one other issue that pawrents should be aware of are ticks and fleas! Humidity is the best condition for their eggs to hatch. It’s important to understand the symptoms and how to deal with these diseases for your dog’s safety! 🩹

First of all, you should know that ticks and fleas are not the same species. Ticks are bigger, they live on dogs’ skin and suck their blood. Fleas are smaller and also they’re hoppers.

What both these species have in common is that they bring diseases to our dogs, it could range from simple itchiness to deadly diseases. Pet parents should understand the symptoms and how to treat them.

Flea Allergy Dermatitis

It’s a severe allergy to flea’s saliva that leads to itchy, redness, oozing lesions or hot spots. Commonly located around their spine or where fleas are located. How to treat your dogs is to get rid of fleas. The hot spots will not be cured as long as there are fleas living on your dog.

Anemia

This is caused by many fleas and ticks living on your dog’s skin, they bite and suck blood from the dog and that leads to Anemia.

Blood Parasite: Ehrlichiosis: E. Canis

This disease is developed in dogs that get bitten by an infected tick and transmit the E. canis bacteria into the host’s bloodstream and replicate in their monocytes, causing the infected dog to have symptoms of lethargy, weakness, weight loss, amenia, lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly.

Blood Parasite: Babesiosis

Babesiosis bacteria is transmitted into a dog’s body by getting bitten by ticks and replicated in the host’s red blood cell, which can lead to death.

Blood Parasite: Hepatozoonosis (H. Canis)

The cause of this disease is from accidentally swallowing the infected tick. The symptoms are fever, weight loss, decreased appetite, and muscle weakness.

Dipylidium Caninum

It is a common tapeworm that comes from dogs that swallow fleas that ate the parasite egg. The parasite will replicate in the dog’s intestine and detach cucumber seeds-like proglottids with the host’s feces. The symptoms are diarrhea, ascites from losing protein and nutrient to parasites, weight loss and itchiness around their anal area. You might notice the symtoms when your dogs try to scrap their anal region across the grass because they’re itchy.

If your dog has these mentioned symptoms. Even if you’re not sure, it’s best to take them in for a check up with the veterinarian for immediate treatment and our beloved paw friends’ well being.

The veterinarian from ‘Chulalongkorn Small Animal Teaching Hospital’ also recommended that pawrents can choose anti-flea medication, heartworm and gastrointestinal parasite medication that’s suitable for the health of your pets. You should also consult with your pet’s veterinarian about how to prevent your dogs from diseases.

This article is reviewed by the veterinarian from Small Animal Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University (CUVET)

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