How to Recognize and Treat Dog Fleas & Ticks Problems

     Dog fleas and ticks are two common dog parasite problems. That is why you should have a reliable tick and flea product for dogs when you have pet dogs. Aside from having a flea product for dogs you should also know how to determine whether your dog has ticks or fleas. It is also important to know that a flea product for dogs may have to be used with another product to make treatment more successful.

Check and Treat Flea Infestation

Fleas are in various types. But dog fleas are different from those that bite humans and cats. They would bite the dogs and inject saliva while doing so. During this process, blood clotting is stopped and the fleas suck the blood. What is even worse is that the saliva can cause allergic reaction.
To determine whether your dog has fleas, you can use a flea comb which will remove the fleas and dead hair. Fleas look like black gritty material. You can also look for red small spots that look like pimples. There might be inflammation on the animals back. This may be due to the scratching which you will also observe in dogs that have fleas.

To solve the problem, you can start by cleaning the house as well as the areas where the dog stays in thoroughly. Spray some insecticides on these areas and the rest of its surroundings. Administer a flea product for dogs on your pet as well. There are medications which your dog can take and these are generally good for a month long protection against fleas. You can also make the dogs wear flea collars. If your dog is really badly affected, you can also spray your pet as well as vacuum him as well.

Check and Treat Tick Infestation

Dogs are generally infested by sheep tick. This type of tick typically has a large abdomen which is filled with blood as the tick bites. They generally are on the hair of your dog. But the mouth parts are usually into the skin so it can suck blood. Ticks are usually found in dog parts such as the underside of the dog as well as the forelegs and the head too.

If you find ticks in your dog you can start by removing them. Make sure that you take the head out when you do so though. If the head is still inside, you can apply warm compress to prevent infection. You should also apply antibacterial washes and creams.

One good trick in removing ticks is to allow their head to relax first. You can do so by dabbing alcohol into it. After a few minutes you can use a pair of fine pointed tweezers to extract them. It would be best to grip the part near the mouth and jerk it sharply.

If the infestation is quite bad and nothing seems to be working you can consult your vet. You may also have to wait and consistently do your pest control for some time to eradicate the ticks and fleas.