DOG HEALTH

Your dog is an important member of your family providing companionship, protection and love. As such, he or she is deserving of the same diet and health considerations as the rest of the family. Of course, your veterinarian is your best guide in these matters and this article is not intended to provide medical advice.

     Certainly your dog's health is of the utmost importance. In this regard, the common flea plays an important role. In addition to making your dog miserable, fleas can transmit illness. A flea infestation should not be taken lightly and must be eradicated as quickly as possible in a safe and effective manner.

     There are many important issues in dog health. We are focusing on parasites because - no matter how much care a concerned and loving owner provides to his or her pet - your dog can pick up fleas and other pests during an innocent romp in the park. In addition, if the flea problem is not caught quickly, you may find an infestation of these obnoxious creatures inhabiting your furniture and your carpeting.

     The parasitic nature of fleas, living off the blood of their hosts, causes skin irritations. The intense itching of flea bites results in scratching - oftentimes leading to skin infections. Fleas can also be the source of tapeworm infestations, which is in itself a serious threat to dog health causing anemia among other peripheral health problems.

     Once fleas are discovered, the dog and his environment must be treated. There are many products available that deal with prevention and elimination of these pests. Flea sprays with a residual effect to guard against further infestation are effective for use on carpets and furniture. Products for use on the dog are various flea powders and sprays, flea drops and collars and flea shampoo.

     If allowed to proliferate, fleas can infect the entire home, seriously impacting your dog's health and usually requiring the services of a professional to treat the infestation.

     Under regular veterinary care, worms are preventable or readily cured but the dog owner should be aware of signs of a worm problem. Roundworms can be passed from dog to dog through feces or when picked up in soil. Sometimes ingested by the dog while grooming, roundworms make their presence known in your dog by vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, dehydration and occasionally breathing problems.

     Roundworms are common in puppies but can be life threatening to a young dog and should be attended to by a veterinarian. These parasites can be recognized in dog feces by their spaghetti-like appearance.

     Dogs can become infected with tapeworms by ingesting fleas. Tapeworm larvae within the flea are released into the host dog's small intestine and a reproductive cycle is started with serious implication for your dog's health.

     In rare cases, humans can be infected as well so good hygiene should be practiced whenever cleaning up after your pet. Worming by your vet usually clears up the problem in a short time.