Archives : Dog Health

Fleas; Your Dog’s Arch Enemy

This is one of the worst years in my memory for fleas, at least here in the South!  The irony for me is that I am from the North West and I never grew up having to worry about fleas or the carnage they wreak on pets.  In the North West, it gets too cold during the winter for fleas to survive so they don’t pose much of a problem for house pets.  Even when I was a veterinary technician in Denver, Colorado we didn’t see problems with fleas in dogs or cats unless they were actively around wild life.  Truth be told, I hardly recognized fleas when I moved to Georgia four years ago however the education was rapid!

Perhaps the most interesting thing I learned about the flea, is that it can’t be plucked and squished with your fingers.  Fleas have an extremely hard exoskeleton that protects them from being squished and killed easily.  Fleas must be killed by rolling them between your fingers and then squeezing them in between two fingernails, or crushing them between two hard objects.   Fleas can also be killed by using adhesive tape, drowning in water and direct contact with anti-flea pesticides.

Fleas can survive two months to a year between meals. A flea population is unevenly distributed, with 50% eggs, 35% larvae, 10% pupae, and 5% adults. Their total life cycle can take as little as two weeks, but may be as long as many months if conditions are favorable. Female fleas can lay 500 or more eggs over their life, allowing for phenomenal growth rates.

It is a common Myth at fleas don’t bite people.  Fleas often bite people and can cause itching and rashes and even skin infections in some people.

Prior to an Infestation

Educate yourself about flea products, not all products are created equal.  Flea collars are ineffective and do little to no good for most pets.  Sprays and flea baths can be effective if the product is made by a good manufacturer, however if you use topical flea medications like Frontline® frequent baths can wash away the expensive prescription medication you are using.

Speak to your local veterinarian about prescription products to help keep your best friend flea free.  The recommendation of products depends on your vet, your pet and the dynamics of your particular geographical area and the propensity for flea infestation.  Prescription products are the best, and there is even a monthly pill that can be given to help your pet be more comfortable.  Even ONE flea can cause severe reaction, itching and allergies in some dogs.

After an Infestation

Once you have recognized fleas on your pet and you have sought the assistance of your vet to help kill the fleas on your pet, it is time to deal with the problem so that it doesn’t get worse or continue to plague you.

First is to treat your pet and give him some relief.  If untreated a flea infestation can lead to severe skin infection in pets.

Next you must treat the area your pet goes and resides.  You must treat the residence inside and outside to see improvement in this predicament.  There are products you can get to spray or bomb inside (pets, humans and fish must be removed in order to use indoor bombs) or you can contact a local pest company.

You must also treat the yard and any outdoor area your pet goes.  You can also find products at your local store to treat the outdoor area, or again you can contact a pest company that will treat the area for you.

The MOST IMPORTANT PART

You must treat the inside and the outside area once weekly with whatever product you desire weekly for at least 3 weeks.  Because there are many lifecycles of the flea, you must kill each lifecycle.  When you initially treat the area, you will kill the adult flea but not necessarily the pupae or the eggs which can be very resistant to insecticides.  Care must be taken for several weeks to kill all of the fleas and their offspring in the environment both indoors and out.

Flea infestation can cause severe problems for the humans and the pets in the environment.  Speak to your vet and come up with a plan to keep your home flea free, and if an infestation does erupt just be diligent in making sure all fleas have been killed and good luck!

Help! I Found a Lump on My Dog

I often get asked by pet owners what to do when they find a lump on their dog.  So I thought I would share some tips of the trade for you, that I learned while I was working as a vet tech.

1. First:  mark the area with a black sharpie if you have a light colored dog, a silver sharpie for a dark colored dog or, (my favorite) shave the area
   

   2 Lumps Marked and Shaved

2. Next: make note of the size of the lump by measuring it and writing it down, you can also take a photo for your records
3. Then: schedule an appointment to see your veterinarian

Often people feel lumps on their dog, but are unable to find them again when they come into the vet clinic.  Although a good vet can be adept at finding a large lump, and even some small bumps, they do not know your dog’s body like you do and stress and lack of time can make it more difficult for you to locate the area while in your vet’s office.  Shaving is my favorite way to help me locate and monitor a lump, because it is the easiest to relocate.

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Dog's Trust launches canine Christmas menu

We all need to be reminded, especially during the holidays, of just how dangerous it can be to give your dog certain human foods, no matter how good the intention.

Press Association

Feeding dogs human food at Christmas can seriously damage their health, leading canine charity the Dogs Trust has warned.

Speaking at the launch of the Doggy Christmas Menu, a veterinary-approved list of foods safe for consumption by the animals, Dogs Trust veterinary director Chris Laurence said feeding dogs with turkey bones, grapes, mince pies, Christmas puddings, cheese and alcohol could lead to poisoning or even death. Read the rest of this entry »

Will Vaccines keep your pet from getting the flu?

I don’t know about you guys, but when this whole swine flu “epidemic” started to get national attention, I looked at some of the facts and thought, “this really isn’t a big deal”.

The reason I don’t think it’s a big deal is because our bodies create better natural imunity to diseases when we actually get the disease, instead of just getting the vaccine for the disease.

That’s why a lot of older people aren’t getting sick with the flu right now, because the swine flu swept through our nation several decades ago and while a lot of people got sick, all those people are now more imune then a vaccine could ever make them.

And I think it’s the same with dogs…  which is why I don’t give my dog the “kennel cough” vaccine before he goes to doggy day care when I board him.  Because getting sick is sometimes the best thing for our pets.
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