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Common External House-pet Parasites

 If you’ve got a dog, cat, or other common household mammal (spouse doesn’t count!) then you should be aware of the various types of external parasites that may bother it. There are three common parasitic threats that you need to be careful of: fleas, mites, and ticks. This article will show you how to combat all three.

First up, fleas. Although fleas tend to be more common when it’s warm and humid, they can be an year-round problem if you live in a suitable climate. Fleas live out their entire lives on their host (your pet.) Given their fast rate of reproduction, they’re not a pest that tends to go away on their own. Unfortunately, it’s not usually easy to tell that your pet has fleas until it starts to display signs of being uncomfortable. If your pet is scratching all the time, or if you notice flea dirt (black flea droppings on its coat), then there’s a good chance that it’s got an infestation that should be treated. Treatment is usually pretty easy -- depending on the severity of the infection, you may use small topical treatments such as spot-treating drops, or a whole-body treatment. Your vet can help to advise you on the treatment options for your pet.

Mites affect dogs of all ages, and (unlike fleas) are a year-round problem. The root cause of scabies, a mite infestation is a highly-contagious, moderate to severe problem. Fortunately, it’s usually quite treatable. Localized infections are often curable, and generalized mange can be controlled (if not treated) using modern medication. If your pet has mange, your physician can advise you on the types of treatment that will yield the best results.

Lastly, and perhaps most famously, are ticks. Ticks (like fleas) are seasonal -- they’re more common during the warmer summer months, but they’re often found in the fall and spring as well. Ticks tend to favor the ears, neck, and folds between the legs and body. Bites from ticks can cause irritation, and ticks are responsible for the spread of a number of rather nasty human diseases -- so you should get your pet treated at the first sign of infection. Prompt removal of the tick is important -- your vet can give you instructions on how to safely remove a tick from your pet.
By: Mr. U
Published: 10/01/08


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    4 Posted Comments:

    @ 8:16 pm 10/09/08 by Willow Sidhe
    Nice article. These are some things pet owners always have to look out for. Luckily it's getting colder here and the ticks are becoming scarce. Next spring it will happen all over again.
    Reply to this Comment

    @ 8:01 pm 10/10/08 by Ette_Rual
    good work. though reading it made me remember how i manually removed ear mites from my dog. *shivers*
    Reply to this Comment

    @ 7:29 pm 10/16/08 by yourstrulyisabel
    I am a pet lover and I always check my dogs for these nasty little creatures. But I didn't know that I can get disease from them. I'd better take extra precaution in treating and removing them. Nice article!
    Reply to this Comment

    @ 6:30 am 11/07/08 by Topper
    You should have included heart worms in your article. Heart worms are also a parasite. In colder climates heart worm meds are only given to dogs during warm months. In the south they are given year round as sometimes it isn't cold enough to kill the the parasite.

    Heartguard is one product you can get from your vet. It is given once/month and will protect your dog from possible infection.
    Reply to this Comment

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