Fleas: More Than Just An Itch!

Summer activities are enjoyable but can bring unwanted guests - parasites! Fleas are mostly likely the first offenders you think of. These annoying blood suckers are transmitted from outside animals. They hop onto your pup outdoors and then your oblivious dog brings them indoors, where they jump off and spread to carpet, rugs, and bedding. Luckily for humans and pets alike, fleas are easily kept at bay. There are topical solutions, shampoos, chewable tablets, sprays, and even insect repellent dog clothing. If fleas are ignored, a flea infestation can take over your whole house and worse, make your pooch very sick. Here are 3 diseases fleas can plague your precious pup with:

Flea Allergy Dermatitis: Dogs with a flea bite allergy can develop this from just one bite!. Symptoms include excessive scratching, licking, and biting, scabs the dog’s back or neck, and left untreated it can cause painful sores and bacterial skin infections. Dogs who are particularly allergic will chew their skin and fur until the area is bald and raw. Treatment involves flea prevention and meditation to contain scratching and itching.

Tapeworms: If your pooch swallows a flea that has tapeworm eggs, your dog can develop tapeworms. The eggs hatch in your dog’s digestive tract and can mature into an adult tapeworm, growing several feet long. Tapeworms cause weight loss, nutritional deficiency, chronic diarrhea, and fatigue. You can see tapeworms in your dog’s stool. They are small white worms that resemble grains of rice. Your vet can quickly determine if your dog has tapeworms and they are easy to treat.

Flea Bite Anemia: A solitary flea can bite your dog hundreds of times a day, and a flea can ingest up to 15 times its mass in blood. Even a short lived infestation can affect your pooch seriously and they can become anemic from blood loss. Some dogs are more prone, such as small dogs and puppies, as well as sickly and elderly dogs. Treatment includes getting rid of the fleas and in serious cases, blood transfusions.