Skin parasites, particularly fleas and ticks, are very common. Although regular grooming is important to notice such problems and keep the coat clean and smooth, preventative flea/tick treatments are important to keep your dog fit and well.
Fleas
Fleas are the most common kind of external parasite. The animal infested is called the 'host', whilst the different species of flea are named after their most common host, for example the dog flea, cat flea, hedgehog flea and rabbit flea. Strangely enough, the most common flea found on both cats and dogs is Ctenocephalides felis - the cat flea. Dogs can also occasionally pick up fleas from rabbits, birds and hedgehogs.
For every single flea living on your dog, there could be 99 more developing in your carpeted, centrally-heated home, however clean it is! The adult flea will feed on your dog and then return to the carpet to lay eggs, before starting the process all over again. Female fleas can lay up to 40 eggs every day, which are white, oval shaped and about half-a-millimetre long. Once laid, the eggs immediately fall off your pet into the carpet, among the floorboards or into bedding. Then, in between one and 10 days (depending on temperature and humidity; the average room provides ideal conditions) the eggs hatch into larvae, which pupate before the next adult generation is ready to jump back onto your dog. The adult flea feeds on blood and, when it bites, a small amount of its saliva penetrates the skin and may stimulate an allergic response in your dog (flea allergic dermatitis, FAD). In fact, FAD is the most common cause of skin problems in dogs. If your dog is sensitive to the fleabite, a single flea can cause a lot of irritation.
How to tell if your dog has fleas
Fleas can be difficult to find as they move through the fur very quickly and fastidious pets remove fleas when grooming/licking their coat. A fine-toothed comb can help locate fast-moving adults - particularly in shorthaired breeds. However, in many cases you will not see the adult flea but you may find its’ 'dirt' (faeces) on the skin as small reddish black specks. Flea dirt can be differentiated from ordinary dirt by placing it on a moist white paper towel: whereas dirt will sit unchanged, the paper surrounding flea faeces soon reveals a reddish colour, which is actually blood in the faeces. Dogs with flea allergies are itchy, may have red, sore areas and scabs. High humidity and temperatures make late summer the peak season for fleas, but central heating in winter means you need to de-flea throughout the year.
Treatment/Prevention
Contrary to general beliefs, natural products such as brewer's yeast, garlic, B vitamins, eucalyptus, tea tree oil and pennyroyal won't protect your dog against fleas. There is a vast array of flea products available in pumps, sprays, tablets, spot-on treatments etc. To tackle fleas you need to treat your dog as well as your house. Therefore use a combination of topical products to kill adult fleas (adulticide) and a treatment for the house that prevents the eggs developing into adults (insect development inhibitor or growth regulator).
You also need to treat all pets in the house but remember NEVER USE A DOG FLEA PRODUCT ON YOUR CAT AS THESE CAN BE EXTREMELY TOXIC AND RESULT IN DEATH.
Topical Treatments
Powders are a rather old fashioned and messy way of treating fleas. The powder needs to remain on the coat to be effective and can be swallowed or inhaled causing illness.
Sprays are also used less frequently since the development of ‘Spot-on’ treatments. The noise of a spray can also upset a nervous dog. However, a pump action spray containing fipronil can be useful for very young puppies for whom the spot-on treatments are not licensed.
Flea collars are generally not very effective as they have a limited range of effect (around the collar). These collars can also cause hair loss or irritation around the neck.
These products are now the simplest and most effective way of treating and preventing flea infestations. They are usually small vials contain a small amount of liquid applied to the back of the neck. They may kill the fleas and some also prevent the development of eggs and there are a number of different brands available. The duration of action varies between products. Consult your vet for more information.
Oral Formulations
Tablets and liquids are available that are absorbed by the dog and either kill fleas when they bite or sterilise them so they cannot reproduce.
Injections
An injection is available to prevent the development of flea eggs but a topical treatment may need to be used at the same time.
Household Treatments
As well as treating your dog you may need to treat the house too. As mentioned above some of the topical or oral treatments also provide some help in preventing household infestation by preventing fleas laying eggs or preventing the eggs developing. Household sprays are also available for carpets and furnishings. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions which usually include advice to use your vacuum-cleaner to bring the eggs and immature fleas in your carpets and upholstery to the surface. Then kill the fleas with the spray so they stop hooking onto the carpet, and then re-vacuum. When you're finished, spray the vacuum cleaner with flea spray and throw away any vacuum bags. If you don't spray the vacuum cleaner, you run the risk of redistributing the same flea eggs back onto the carpet through the exhaust of the vacuum next time you use it. Read the instructions carefully and DO NOT USE SUCH SPRAYS IN PROXIMITY OF A FISH TANK and always remove animals from the treated areas until it have been ventilated.
Severe infestations in the house may require pest control treatment. Always ensure all animals are removed from the treated areas.
Consult your vet to discuss the best flea control products for your dog. Flea control is vital all year round to ensure your dog’s health as well as preventing the family being bitten.
Ticks
Ticks are parasites that bury their mouthparts under a dog's skin and suck blood back into their bodies. Unfed ticks are tiny, have eight legs, and can be black, brown, red or tan in colour. Once they attach themselves to your dog, they can swell up to the size of a pea. There are several types of tick to affect cats and dogs in the UK including the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus), hedgehog tick (Ixodes hexagonus) and dog tick (Ixodes canisuga). Humans can also be bitten by ticks. Some ticks can also transmit diseases, although this is less of a problem in the UK.
How to tell if your dog has ticks
Ticks are just large enough to be visible, particularly when engorged with blood when they look like small warts. You'll usually find them around the head and neck areas. Just part your dog's fur and run your fingers along the skin. On close inspection you can see their legs at the level of the skin. They may cause some irritation at the site of the bite..
How to get rid of ticks
Don’t rush to pull a tick out as you may leave the mouthparts behind, causing a sore area of infection/inflammation. Instead ask your vet/vet nurse to provide you with a specially designed tick removal tool that removes the mouthparts as well, and ask him/her to show you how to use it. When you have removed the tick, check it’s head and legs are present and there is nothing left at the level of the skin. If you are worried something was left behind - consult your vet or vet nurse.
Some of the flea products also kill ticks and some provide some protection against them, although may require more frequent application than needed for protection against fleas.
Along with effective flea control, removal of ticks is vital to keep your pet healthy. Discuss the best protocol to prevent infestation with your vet.
Mites
Infestation with mites is known as mange and the common types are Sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei) and demodectic mange (Demodex canis). Other conditions caused by mites include Cheyletiellosis (Cheyletiella yasguri), and trombiculosis (Neotrombicula autumnalis) or harvest mite infestation. Ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) are another mite affecting dogs, which live in the ear canals.
How to tell if your dog has mites
Sarcoptic mange is an intensely itchy and unpleasant condition that can also affect humans. Affected dogs can cause damage to their skin from itching with irritated red areas and scabs, often initially involving the elbows, hocks, ears and around the eyes. Demodectic mange is a serious skin complaint causing hairloss, red, sore areas, scale, crusting lesions and darkening of chronically affected skin. It is often seen in young dogs and is very serious. Cheyletiellosis causes dandruff and mild itching. Harvest mites are tiny orange colour mites causing crusty lesions on the ears and feet as well as other locations.
Ear mites result in scratching of the ears, and a thick brown deposit in the ear canal.
Your vet will be able to diagnose mites by taking samples and examining them under the microscope.
How to get rid of mites
Your vet will advise you on what treatment is appropriate to treat mites and this will vary according to the type of mite involved. Demodecosis can be very challenging to treat and consultation with a veterinary dermatologist may be required.
Lice
There are several kinds of lice, which are passed from pet to pet through direct contact. Blood-sucking lice, as their name suggests, feed on blood, whilst others chew the skin. Lice are small, dull and transparent, laying their eggs ('nits') on the hair shaft. These often show up well on a dark coat.
How to tell if your dog has lice
The most common sign of a louse infestation is a scruffy, dry hair coat. Loss of hair may occur and the dog may itch, sometimes very severely. Very heavy infestations of blood-sucking lice may occur, especially in puppies. You can normally tell that lice are present with the naked eye, with nits usually more visible than the actual louse, but often both can be seen. Your vet can diagnose lice by examining hair samples under the microscope and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
How to get rid of lice
To prevent an infection, don't visit any dogs that you know to have lice. Check your dog regularly and, if you see anything suspect, go to the vet who can prescribe an appropriate treatment.