Examining Your Dog for Fleas and Ticks
During the warm months of the year, it is important to examine your dog frequently for fleas and ticks. If he spends a lot of time outdoors, he is more likely to contract these parasites and should be examined daily.
- Fleas: Roll your dog onto his back and examine his belly, chest and around the base of his tail. The adult flea is a small, dark brown, cigar-shaped insect that resides very close to the skin and moves very quickly. Also look for "flea dirt", small black specks similar in size to ground pepper.
- Ticks: Ticks differ from fleas in that they attach around a dog’s head, ears or neck and do not move around on the dog’s skin. Prior to attachment, ticks may be found crawling around on top of the dog’s coat. Ticks are dark, round and flat. They can range in size from as small as a speck of pepper to as large as a grape (when engorged).
Fleas Can Transmit Tapeworm to Your Dog
Tapeworm is transmitted to dogs via an intermediate host such as insects or small animals. Fleas, lice, crickets and many rodents are all intermediate hosts for certain species of tapeworm. Therefore, if at any time your dog contracts fleas, ingests insects, or hunts and consumes prey animals, he is at risk for tapeworm infection.
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