Fleas are a major worry that all dog owners will have to cope with. Anyone who owns a pet has almost certainly have faced the difficult job of having to get rid of dog fleas, a task which has usually proved to be easier said than done.
Fleas are not simply a bother because they bite and incite hours of frustrating scratching for your dog, but they may also cause more significant issues such as tapeworm infestations, flea bite dermatitis in dogs and in serious situations, anemia.
Owing to their astonishing resilience, fleas are terribly problematic to keep under control. The female flea might lay more than 2,000 eggs in her life, which means that infections can come briskly and the eggs that are laid may continue to exist for many months in nature while just waiting for a timely target. Consequently, it's vital to control both the fleas on the animal in addition to the fleas living in the dog's living area. The best locations to search for fleas are sand, bed linens, rugs and carpeting.
The Best Ways to Exterminate Fleas
To properly institute a plan of flea control for dogs both on your pet and in his or her environment, it is pertinent to be aware of the flea's life cycle. There are 4 phases which form the life cycle of the flea. Like most insects, the fleas commences from the egg phase, transforms into larva, and then advances into the pupa stage prior to lastly making it to the adult phase.
The Flea's Egg Phase
The fleas eggs are pale in color and are so small that they are difficult to see without using a magnifying glass. Although the eggs are initially laid on the canine's skin, a lot will eventually drop onto the ground to carry on their journey to adulthood. Close to 50% of the overall flea populace consists of eggs. Depending upon the living conditions, the eggs hatch in somewhere between a couple of weeks to a month. The higher the warmth and moistness in the environment, the faster the eggs will hatch.
The Flea's Larva Phase
After the flea egg hatches, it enters the larvae stage where it expands to about 1/4 inch in length. The flea larva subsist on organic waste matter and on the adult flea's feces. They're uncomfortable in bright light and are inclined to take cover deep inside their current environment, preferably in a warm and muggy area. Climate controlled habitats are the best location for the life cycle of the flea to flourish. Outdoors, larval gestation will only occur in damp, sheltered areas.
The Flea's Pupae Phase
Directly upon moving into the pupa phase, the flea pupae form a silky and tacky protecting cocoon. This chrysalis swiftly forms a valuable hiding place as it becomes coated by debris and soil. If aroused by temperature, carbon dioxide or by manual pressure, like that in a hot and humid setting, an adult flea can come out from its chrysalis in as little as 5 to 10 days. Once the adult flea appears out of the cocoon, it may subsist for only a couple of days if it's unable to feed. Pre-emerged adult fleas may survive within the cocoon for as many as 9 months. This is important since adult fleas that still exist within the cocoon are resistant to insecticides applied to the environment and can surface a considerable time after you use insecticides in your house.
The Flea Adulthood Phase
After the adult flea appears from the shell, it will want to immediately locate a host since it must have blood if it is to live on. A couple of days after obtaining a fitting host, the female flea will commence to laying about 40 eggs each day. Adult fleas generally live as long as 3 weeks. The full life cycle of a flea may perhaps be ended in as quickly as 2 to 4 weeks, or up to ten months conditional to its surrounding climatic conditions.
How to Treat A Dog For Fleas
There are numerous powders, sprays, shampoos and spot on preparations out there to liberate your dog of fleas. Be certain to consult with your veterinarian to opt for the truly successful and reliable flea products for your residence and pets.
Indoor Flea Control for Dogs
Most pesticides being used as canine flea treatments are merely helpful against the adult flea, but environmental preparations are becoming more complex. Your vet can offer you flea products that contain insect growth regulators which will help eradicate the flea eggs and larvae. Prior to spreading any environmental product, it's a good idea vacuum the rugs and carpeting to entice the pre-adult fleas to emerge from their protective cocoon. Be certain to throw away the vacuum bag following its use. You should also launder all bedding the pet has slept on.
Outdoor Flea Control for Dogs
Pay particular attention to dim, shady areas. Use a product that contains an insect growth regulator and repeat every 14-21 days for three to five applications.
The latest skin and oral flea deterrents will really aid you in taking care of your flea troubles. With perseverance and fortitude, you and your pet ought to be flea free in little time!
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Showing posts with label pet health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pet health. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Canine Skin Allergies
Have you begun to see your dog itching and scratching excessively? Is the itching creating wide open wounds and disappearance of hair on your pet? If so, this is a sound warning sign that your pet may be distressed by dog allergies. Dogs do not display the characteristic reddened eyes and a watery nose the same way people do when we are dealing with an allergy. Additional warning signs might involve excessive scratching of a particular area, or gnawing of the paws causing them to bleed.
What Are The Causes of Canine Skin Allergies?
An allergy can occur when a dog's immune system excessively reacts to certain allergens. The body will then produce antibodies as a type of defense after the cause of the canine's allergy enters the body. These antibodies then connect to immune cells in skin and various organs of the body. Thus, as the allergens progressively break through tissue surfaces, the antibodies stimulate immune cells to exude strong substances (called histamines) into the neighboring tissue. This will then invoke irritation and dog itching.
There are several factors to think about when trying to pinpoint the source of skin allergies in dogs. An allergy that affects a canine's skin is generally triggered by at least one of these: food, airborne allergens, and fleas.
Flea Dermatitis otherwise known as Flea Allergy is frequently brought on by flea saliva. That is the reason it is extremely critical to relieve your dog of fleas frequently.
The atopic allergy is initiated by the breathing in of airborne allergens in the environment, consisting of pollen, dust, mold spores and tobacco smoke, instigate atopic allergies. If a dog is allergic to pollen, the dog will display signs, even when kept indoors as the particles will come into the home. Sneezing, coughing and wheezing generally are symptoms of this form of allergy.
Food allergies are the third most frequent form of dog allergy. The most probable causes for food allergies in dogs consist of: corn, milk, soy, chicken, eggs, beef and wheat. Nausea and diarrhea frequently accompany this variety of allergy in dogs.
Contact allergy is the least frequently seen type of allergy in pets and is brought on by contacting something. Triggers could include plastic, wool and grass. A few dogs might develop allergic reactions to certain chemicals in the household, however, it isn’t very common.
Identifying Canine Skin Allergies
A veterinarian might be able to identify the problem, however,although it may call for a procedure of elimination to find the root of the dog’s allergy and may possibly refer your dog to a veterinarian that’s a dermatologist. In the case where fleas are ruled out, the animal might be put on an elimination diet for a couple of months. The animal is given food he or she hasn’t eaten before, for example, duck, lamb, and potatoes, with the previous food being reintroduced in stages until the allergy reoccurs.
The allergen is believed to be one or more ingredients if the animals scratching subsides by about 50% of what it was earlier. When examining for contact and atopic allergies, veterinary dermatologists use an intradermal allergy test that functions by gently sedating the dog with minute quantities of prospective allergens that are injected into the shaved region. If the dog is allergic to a specific substance, the skin in the location of the injection will become inflamed.
Canine Skin Allergy Treatments
Keeping your pet away from allergens and taking care of the symptoms of allergies in dogs are the top methods of treatment. Medications that include steroids and antihistamines could be suggested to relieve the symptoms of itching and swelling in dogs, although like all medications they could be accompanied by unwanted side effects and the long-term effects are not known. Continued usage steroids is not recommended since these medications function by suppressing the immune system. Continued steroid use could eventually leave your pet defenseless against infections, diabetes and further disorders.
Natural Treatments for Canine Skin Allergies
Fortunately for pet lovers, there are lots of nontoxic and all-natural herbal and homeopathic remedies for skin allergies in canines. Althaea officinalis root is an excellent and commonly accepted remedy for restoring the skin while Melaleuca alternifolia commonly used as a topical to promote skin health and keeping the animal’s skin clean. Homeopathic remedies such as Apis and Ledum have wonderful healing qualities and are especially useful in healing reddened and itchy skin, or minor bites and wounds.
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What Are The Causes of Canine Skin Allergies?
An allergy can occur when a dog's immune system excessively reacts to certain allergens. The body will then produce antibodies as a type of defense after the cause of the canine's allergy enters the body. These antibodies then connect to immune cells in skin and various organs of the body. Thus, as the allergens progressively break through tissue surfaces, the antibodies stimulate immune cells to exude strong substances (called histamines) into the neighboring tissue. This will then invoke irritation and dog itching.
There are several factors to think about when trying to pinpoint the source of skin allergies in dogs. An allergy that affects a canine's skin is generally triggered by at least one of these: food, airborne allergens, and fleas.
Flea Dermatitis otherwise known as Flea Allergy is frequently brought on by flea saliva. That is the reason it is extremely critical to relieve your dog of fleas frequently.
The atopic allergy is initiated by the breathing in of airborne allergens in the environment, consisting of pollen, dust, mold spores and tobacco smoke, instigate atopic allergies. If a dog is allergic to pollen, the dog will display signs, even when kept indoors as the particles will come into the home. Sneezing, coughing and wheezing generally are symptoms of this form of allergy.
Food allergies are the third most frequent form of dog allergy. The most probable causes for food allergies in dogs consist of: corn, milk, soy, chicken, eggs, beef and wheat. Nausea and diarrhea frequently accompany this variety of allergy in dogs.
Contact allergy is the least frequently seen type of allergy in pets and is brought on by contacting something. Triggers could include plastic, wool and grass. A few dogs might develop allergic reactions to certain chemicals in the household, however, it isn’t very common.
Identifying Canine Skin Allergies
A veterinarian might be able to identify the problem, however,although it may call for a procedure of elimination to find the root of the dog’s allergy and may possibly refer your dog to a veterinarian that’s a dermatologist. In the case where fleas are ruled out, the animal might be put on an elimination diet for a couple of months. The animal is given food he or she hasn’t eaten before, for example, duck, lamb, and potatoes, with the previous food being reintroduced in stages until the allergy reoccurs.
The allergen is believed to be one or more ingredients if the animals scratching subsides by about 50% of what it was earlier. When examining for contact and atopic allergies, veterinary dermatologists use an intradermal allergy test that functions by gently sedating the dog with minute quantities of prospective allergens that are injected into the shaved region. If the dog is allergic to a specific substance, the skin in the location of the injection will become inflamed.
Canine Skin Allergy Treatments
Keeping your pet away from allergens and taking care of the symptoms of allergies in dogs are the top methods of treatment. Medications that include steroids and antihistamines could be suggested to relieve the symptoms of itching and swelling in dogs, although like all medications they could be accompanied by unwanted side effects and the long-term effects are not known. Continued usage steroids is not recommended since these medications function by suppressing the immune system. Continued steroid use could eventually leave your pet defenseless against infections, diabetes and further disorders.
Natural Treatments for Canine Skin Allergies
Fortunately for pet lovers, there are lots of nontoxic and all-natural herbal and homeopathic remedies for skin allergies in canines. Althaea officinalis root is an excellent and commonly accepted remedy for restoring the skin while Melaleuca alternifolia commonly used as a topical to promote skin health and keeping the animal’s skin clean. Homeopathic remedies such as Apis and Ledum have wonderful healing qualities and are especially useful in healing reddened and itchy skin, or minor bites and wounds.
Resources for This Post:
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