Tag: dog fur

Current season: the tick and flea prevention

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The soft and warm fur of the animal creates the perfect breeding ground for parasites. Ticks and fleas feed on blood and can cause serious health problems such as allergic reactions and skin diseases, and ticks also spread babesiosis, a very serious disease caused by protozoa. Ticks and fleas usually attack pets in the warmer months of the year, but you can find them on your pet's fur at any time of the year.

The main signs that your pet may have parasites are:

  • Dark spots on the coat;
  • Flea eggs;
  • The animal is constantly scratching and licking itself;
  • Reddened, chafed skin and skin patches;
  • Hair loss, hair loss.

Owners can easily check for parasites in the coat by looking at the neck area, the tail, the abdomen, and any spots on the coat. The ears, neck and areas around the eyes should be examined carefully.

Ticks and fleas are more dangerous for small puppies or kittens, as their low body weight can lead to anaemia due to the loss of blood that the parasites feed on. The main signs of anaemia are swollen gums and lack of energy.

Fleas often cause allergic reactions by injecting poisonous substances that often cause itching, which weakens the animal's coat and makes the skin extremely itchy, so the animal is constantly scratching itself and losing its fur. When digging, the animal can puncture the skin and introduce infection, leading to even more serious health problems.

Animals are most often infected with fleas and ticks after a walk on the grass or even brief contact with other infected animals. The female flea lays about 40-50 eggs a day, so the parasites are quickly noticed.

If fleas are found on a pet's fur, carpets and upholstered furniture must also be thoroughly cleaned, as the parasites can survive in the environment in between.

Tick prevention and hygiene

Ticks are best removed with rubber gloves and a firm grip with tweezers. If you see that you have left a tick head behind, it is best to contact your veterinarian to remove it. The most common mites that infest an animal are the deer ticks, which attack not only pets but also many mammals and humans.

The main signs that an animal has been bitten by a tick that is causing health problems:

  • Loss of Appetite;
  • Apathy, lack of energy, the pet looks sad;
  • Pain in the joints;
  • Swollen lymph nodes.

Diseases that can be caused by mites are: anemia, infection of the skin, the pet can also suffer paralysis.

Modern measures to protect your pet from ticks and fleas include various preventive shampoos, collars, drops and tablets. These products are best chosen in consultation with your veterinarian, who will advise you on the correct dosage of the product and explain the instructions for use to ensure effective prevention.

Based on scientific literature and consultation with veterinary surgeons

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Allergic Pets

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Owners of exceptional dog breeds are often faced with a pressing problem: their pet's diet needs to be balanced so that it is not permanently chubby or with irritated skin. Do you often notice that your dog is constantly digging, shaking its head, having difficulty defecating or diarrhoea? This may be due to an allergy to certain foods.

Symptoms and signs of pet allergies

An allergic reaction to food can also cause symptoms such as rashes, typhus, ear infections, diarrhoea or other gastrointestinal problems. This type of allergy in dogs is most often genetic, so owners of purebred dogs need to pay more attention to their pet's diet. The most allergenic foods for dogs are usually: eggs, dairy products, chicken, beef, pork, fish, wheat.

Genetic traits in the breed can cause allergies, and environmental factors can also cause allergic reactions. One possible allergy factor is the use of antibiotics. Small puppies are treated with antibiotics when necessary, which disrupts the natural intestinal flora and may increase the risk of future allergies. Constant contact with allergens from the close environment may also be a factor.

Owners should also note that an allergic reaction does not always occur once a pet has eaten a certain type of food. A dog may eat the same food for several years, but an allergic reaction will occur suddenly after a long period of eating the allergenic food, when the body becomes sensitised to the allergen.

For prevention, frequent consultation with a vet on the cat or dog's diet and monitoring of the pet's health 

Allergies to specific foods are quite difficult to identify, but by consulting a veterinary clinic, you can find the means to find out the cause of the allergy. An elimination diet can help, but it is quite difficult if the animal is fed only dry food. Special foods for allergic dogs are available. It is important to note that it is healthy to keep changing both the food and the home-made food for the pet, introducing a wider variety of foods. A good recommendation is the preventive use of probiotics in young puppies if they have to take antibiotics due to illness.

Based on scientific literature and consultation with veterinary surgeons

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A shiny coat is an indicator of your pet's health

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A pet's coat is constantly changing, and from time to time we see more or less of it - as the seasons change (autumn and spring), we see more hair falling out, so dead, damaged hairs are naturally removed. The frequency of coat feeding also depends on the breed of the animal, as well as its health and the season. Dogs that are kept at home and do not live in aviaries, however, do not feed as visibly. Naturally, the coat thickens in winter and gains more undercoat, while in spring it thins out and adapts to the summer weather.

By brushing your pet every day, you can speed up the brushing process and you will notice less hair sticking to your pet at home. However, unusually large amounts of hair, if not seasonal, can also be a sign of health problems such as stress, malnutrition or even illness. Quite often this problem can be solved by changing the diet, the vet recommends a number of options, such as quality foods and food supplements.

Note that the signs may not only include a seasonal fur coat, the extra large amount of falling hair, and the washed space in the fur can be associated with:

  • Parasites - fleas, ticks;
  • Fungal and bacterial infections;
  • Allergies;
  • Kidney and liver disease;
  • Pregnancy, lactation;
  • Oncological diseases;
  • Contact with skin irritants.

If you notice that your pet's skin is red, large amounts of fur are falling off, and the signs have not disappeared for more than a week, it is worth consulting a vet at a veterinary clinic. It is particularly important to notice if you see any lumps, rashes, redness or scabs on the animal's skin. It should also be easy for the owner to notice that the animal is often digging or licking itself for discomfort.

Based on scientific literature and consultation with veterinary surgeons

Veterinaras.lt 
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