Cruelty To Animals (dogs), Part I

I am an animal lover. I like all animals, but I mainly like dogs; after all I have a houseful of them. I therefore do not understand how some people can be cruel to dogs. I have never known of a dog that asked to be mistreated.

We hear of it all the time or we see it on the news. Someone is found to have too many dogs at their house or on some other property. I know that this is not restricted to dogs, that many animals are mistreated. However, I am concentrating on dogs.

When dogs are kept in close confinement or in unsanitary conditions, they will become ill. Parasites are the first problem that comes to mind. There are many types of parasites that can infect dogs. Some of them are fleas, ticks, ear mites and worms of all kinds.

Fleas are a terrible plague for a dog; they, like most other pests, feed on the blood of the animal. Fleas are constantly laying eggs and leaving them on the dog. Many dogs are allergic to the saliva of fleas so when the fleas bite the animal, it can cause severe itching. Of course the dog will scratch, which will do no good. This cycle can become never ending for the animal. This is, in itself, a form of cruelty.

Ticks can deplete a dog's blood supply very quickly. If the infestation is bad enough, death can be the result. This is definitely cruelty.

Ear mites can infest all dogs, but in those dogs with long, floppy ears the infestation can become severe very quickly. The ear mites live mainly on the skin inside the ear and thrive on the tissue debris and wax from the dog's ear. This will cause the dog to shake his head as he tries to rid himself of this pest. They are extremely contagious and are a terrible nuisance to the dog.

Any time dogs are kept in close confines, they can develop respiratory conditions. One of the worst of these is kennel cough. It can be spread directly from animal to animal or from a contaminated surface to the dog. It is treatable, but if left untreated it usually turns into pneumonia. This too can cause death.

Worms of all types are another common problem. This can be true for all dogs, but those that are in crowded conditions, are affected more often. There are many types of worms that can infect dogs. Some of the common ones are: hookworms, round worms, tapeworms, whipworms and heart worms.

Hookworms are small parasites that live in the intestines. They are more prevalent in areas of high heat and humidity. They can kill a dog quickly.

Roundworms are another intestinal parasite. They are not so bad for adult dogs but very dangerous to puppies.

Whipworms and tapeworms are two more parasites that live in the dogs gut. Tapeworms are not as bad as whipworms, though they do affect the health of the dog. Both can be transmitted to humans.

Heartworms are the real killer of dogs as far as worms are concerned. They are caused by the animal being bitten by an infected mosquito. Once the dog is bitten, the larvae will mature into an adult and migrate to the heart and the area around the heart. They will reproduce to the point where the heart is full of worms, each reaching up to a foot in length. The treatment for heartworms is expensive and aggressive and many dogs die from this malady. Prevention is the key to success in this area and is less expensive than the treatment.

All the above are examples of cruelty to dogs that is caused by overcrowding. This is preventable. This is unnecessary.

We have three dogs and I would have more if I had more time to spend with them. I give our dogs a monthly treatment that prevents heartworms, kills fleas and controls intestinal worms.