The importance of regular flea treatment.

Todays post is Reblogged from The Misadventures of Misaki with there kind permission.

Today’s post is from The Pet Medicine Company

 A flea infestation is more than just some mild discomfort for your dog. Left untreated, fleas can be a serious health hazard. While it would be nice to ignore the problem and just let it go away, the reality of the situation is that without a proper dog flea treatment, these pests will stay around for a long time. If you’re wondering how to approach a flea treatment for dogs in your household, consider the information below before making your final decision.

Symptoms of a Flea Infestation

 Contrary to popular belief, flea infestations in pets aren’t always easy to identify. Dogs scratch for a variety of reasons, including dry skin and certain types of allergies. Despite that, scratching is still the first sign that your dog might have a flea infestation. Chewing can also be common, where the dog seems to spend a lot of time nibbling at the hindquarters or paws. Other signs include red pimples or bumps that weren’t there before. These are usually located along the underbelly, near the groin, and at the base of the tail. These bumps are flea bites and indicate that the dog might have an infestation you need to deal with.

The Dangers Posed by Fleas

 Fleas are more than just an itchy nuisance. Without a proper flea treatment for dogs, these parasites can cause some major health problems. This can include making the dog more susceptible to other dangerous parasites, such as tapeworms or heartworms. The skin irritation caused by an infestation can cause rashes and hair loss. Because the fleas are feeding on your pet’s blood, there is a risk of anaemia, which can cause additional health complications and even death. The threat posed by fleas isn’t restricted just to dogs, either. While fleas don’t nest in humans, other parasites caused by the fleas can go from pets to their owners. Tapeworms, for example, can be passed from dogs to humans.

Treatment and Prevention

 There are multiple goals for any flea treatment for dogs. Adult fleas need to be killed, their eggs need to be removed, and any eggs or dander in the home must also be removed. Several flea treatment products are available to help this happen. Products such as Frontline and Revolution are extremely popular, although other similar products can also be effective. It’s important to keep applying the flea treatment on a monthly basis for at least six to nine months. This will ensure that all the fleas are dead and that any newborn fleas from eggs that might have been missed get killed off as well. You should also vacuum frequently and wash your pet’s bedding to eliminate flea dander and eggs.

Fleas are a problem that almost every dog has to deal with. However, you can limit the damage done by these parasites if you use preventive care, keep your pet’s environment clean, and stay vigilant. Finding the right flea treatment for your pets will also help keep them healthy for years to come.

Many thanks for the information The Pet Medicine Company

Related Post. Oral Dog Hygiene.

Oral dog hygiene (Guest Post)

A lovely lady called Laura Barns who is doing some work for Vet Medic Pharmacy reached out to me about doing a guest post, this months topic is about Oral health I hope you all enjoy.

How to Optimise your Dog’s Oral Health

Good teeth can promote good health in your dog, so it’s vital that their teeth, gums and mouth are as healthy as possible. It’s also important not to leave your pooch’s dental health in the hands of the vet that you only see once or twice a year – being proactive when it comes to their teeth will help them greatly.

Therefore we thought we’d compile some tips for how you can help your furry friend’s teeth so that they have a long and happy life. You should also notice a dramatic improvement in their breath, too, which will be a good sign that their oral health and hygiene levels are getting better.

Give them chew toys

One of the simplest ways to improve your dog’s oral health is to give them dentist-approved chew toys for them to play with. Look for rope-based toys and items with ridges that will help scrape away plaque and tartar build up as they enjoy themselves. You can get some dental friendly dog toys quite cheaply, too.

Give them other fun things to chew that will also help their health in general, such as crunchy raw fruit and vegetables like apples, carrots and broccoli. This will work in the same way as the tough; crunchiness will help scrape some of the build up on their teeth, as well as being a healthy alternative to sugary treats.

Keep an eye on their diet

Optimising their diet so that it is really healthy will be useful for their teeth as well as their general health. Ensure that any health problems are solved as swiftly as possible – you can even get prescriptions for pets online – so that your pooch has no problem eating and digesting the foods that will make them healthy and happy.

Avoid always opting for the cheapest dog food available as these brands usually contain the most sugar. Get clued up on ways in which food manufacturers are labelling sugar in the ingredients too; they may use words such as glucose, fructose and molasses to disguise this pesky additive.

Brush their teeth regularly

Just like our teeth, the best thing you can do for your dog’s teeth is to brush them regularly with high quality products. This may take some getting used to for both you and your pooch, but if you are consistent and patient, it should not be a problem for too long. Ease them in to the process by familiarising them with your hands being near your mouth. As they get more comfortable, bring in the tooth brush, and when are ok with this, add some toothpaste to it.

Some pet experts advise brushing their teeth daily, but a few times a week should be ok if you are taking other steps to look after them, too. If you don’t brush them daily, ensure that when you do brush that you are thorough and spend time on both the teeth and gums, just like you would when brushing your own teeth.

I hope you all enjoyed reading the article and hopefully I will be able to get more informative/educational posts up on a once a month basis.

Many thanks to Laura Barns and Vet Medic Pharmacy.