Train the Dog Blog

We all dislike to think that we have insects feeding and living off us. Mosquitoes are bad enough, but fleas, ticks and lice are even worse. They do not simply come over for dinner, they actually move in. Dogs and cats are usually responsible for bringing fleas into our homes, but ticks and lice we can bring ourselves as well.

If you suspect an infestation or an immanent infestation of fleas or other bugs in your home, you ought to do something about it right away. The first thing to do is tie the dog up in the garden and clean up the house. Place your bedding and any loose covers, like cushion or chair covers, on a boil wash. Then get out the vacuum cleaner, put a large shake of flea powder into the bag and vacuum the whole house – even the chairs and the curtains.

Then take a large can of insecticide containing 0.5% permethrin and spray every textile that you can see. This will kill all bugs and will keep your house insect free for about six months. Think twice if you have fish or cats as permethrin will kill them too, although it is wholly safe for humans and dogs.

So, now you can turn your attention to Fido. Fleas are by far the most common issue, but some areas where there are deer, may have a lot of ticks too. If you dog has ticks, make certain that you keep your grass short. Ticks like long grass.

Fleas and ticks often produce an allergic reaction in dogs which drives them mad. They bite and scratch themselves until their fur falls out and their skin bleeds.

If you dog has a condition like this, you should wash him with a medicated shampoo, dust him with flea powder, put a flea collar on him and put a little oil on his sore skin. If he still will not leave it alone, you may have to get him a ruff for a few days until his skin heals over. For maintenance, a regular bath and a dusting should be sufficient.

Worms are another horrible thought. Picture having worms living inside you. I know that we do all have parasites within us, but they are supposed to be there. I am talking about the ones that are not meant to be in there like: tape worms, round worms, hook worms and whip worms. A bad hook infection can even render your dog anaemic.

Hook worm larvae can enter through the skin, so when you are washing or brushing him, be on the look out for what looks like small cuts. Often the dogs stools will be runny and tinged with blood. These are dangerous pests and need to be treated immediately.

The other worms are less dangerous and all puppies have round worms. Round worms and bits of dead tape worm in the stools are a sign of infection. A pot belly in a puppy is also a call to action. Worms are not difficult to treat and you should worm your dog every six months with a tablet. Not all of these worming tablets are appropriate for puppies though.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on quite a few subjects, but is currently concerned with natural tick repellent. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at tick Repellent For Dogs.

It is heart-breaking for dog lovers who care about their pets to watch them scratching constantly. Itchy skin can become such an irritation that a dog will pull all its hair out of a patch and then still scratch its skin red raw. If this happens to your dog, then you know that something is radically wrong.

It could be a matter of canine dry skin, but this is very unlikely, if your dog is on a healthy diet. No, nine times out of ten, it has to do with an infestation of fleas or, less commonly, ticks. Therefore if you see that your dog is continuously scratching a spot, inspect it. That spot will normally be on the dog’s back just in front of its tail – one of the favourite places for fleas to collect.

So, the first thing to do is look for fleas and comb most of them out. This can best be carried out in the garden or you may get an infestation in your house as well, although if your dog has fleas this badly, then your house is probably already infested.

Once you are certain that the itchy skin issue has to do with fleas, you can get on and take care of your dog. Go to your vet’s or your pet shop (which is almost certainly cheaper) and get an insecticidal shampoo and flea powder for your dog and a permethrin based insecticide for your house. If they have a soothing canine skin cream, a small tube of that will come in handy too.

Leave the dog in the garden and get out the vacuum cleaner. Open the bag and give it a good squirt of permethrin or flea powder and zip it up. Vacuum clean your house from top to bottom in order to pick up fleas and any loose eggs.

Do not overlook the furniture and the curtains. When you have finished, spray the curtains, furniture and carpets with permethrin and put your own bedding on a boil wash.

Then take your dogs basket and blanket outside and shut the door. Do not go back in for an hour at least. In the meantime, shake out the dog’s basket and blanket and dust it with flea powder. Now you can turn your attention to your dog.

Give him a thorough bath in the insecticidal shampoo following the directions on the label. When he is dry, rub some skin cream or olive oil on to his red bald spot. It is better not to use human skin cream because it contains chemicals and your dog will lick it off, unless you put a ruff around its neck.

You may have to do all this twice in order to kill the new hatchlings, but some insecticides will kill the eggs as well. When you have got your dog back to normal, brush and bathe him more often in the future and be vigilant for fleas.

Another constant source of annoyance to dogs is mosquitoes. Mosquitoes normally bite dogs on the snout and the undercarriage and they suffer the same problems from bites as we do, except they do not whine about it.

Do not apply DEET or any chemical because the dog will lick it off and it is not to be taken internally. Instead, try a lemon based natural fragrance as mosquitoes detest the smell of citrus. Put a few dabs here and there every hour or two when the dog is outside after dark.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on quite a few topics, but is at present involved with indoor mosquito repellent. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Mosquito Repellent For Dogs.