Nasty Things On Dogs

TICKS

Ticks are not as common as fleas but a dog can still get them even if they live in a town.Hedgehogs carry ticks and also farm animals. The Adult tick lives on the host sucking the blood, it then falls off and lays its eggs. The eggs have a mechanism where they can attach themselves to grasses and branches and wait for the next host to pass by. When the host appears then they attach themselves and the cycle starts again.

You may well not notice the tick to begin with and it is only when the tick begins to grow that you will see a wart-like swelling on the dog, which can grow up to 1 cm as it engorges with blood. Ticks are usually found on the legs, chest, neck or face. DON’T be tempted to pull it off-if you do, you will probably leave the mouth parts behind which may become infected and cause an abscess. Your vet can remove the whole tick safely. Ticks can also transmit disease to humans.

LICE

Lice are usually found on the run down or stray dog .They are a lot less common than the flea or tick. there are two types of lice .The one type feeds of dead skin on the dog and the other sucks blood. the techniques that you use to prevent fleas should also work with lice.

STINGS

Bee and Wasp stings can cause the same reaction in dogs as they do in humans. More often it is young puppies who are fascinated by the movement and buzzing sound and either try to sniff at them or catch them in their mouths. Either action can result in the puppy being stung. If stung in the mouth,head or neck area,seek veterinary assistance as the area will swell and could compromise the dogs breathing.

I will never forget the time in S.Africa when I was in the house and my pug was playing outside. He came into the house and sort of collapsed on the carpet. He was struggling to breath and I was bewildered as to what had suddenly gone wrong. It was then that I remembered a story I had read in a James Herriot book where a boxer had been stung by a Bee and nearly died .I did a quick check around my pugs head and mouth and there sure enough on his lip was the sting .This was quickly removed and an emergency call made to the vet. We managed to get him there in time but it was close!

If your dog is stung on the foot, perhaps by treading on the wasp or bee and provided that the dog shows no sign of allergic reaction [such as distress or collapse] You should be able to treat the sting yourself. Bathe the area with vinegar for a wasp sting or with bicarbonate of soda for a Bee sting. If in any doubt contact your VET