Resources for Dog External Deworming

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Dogs are not just pets, they are an important part of a family. Therefore taking care of a dog should not be less than taking care of another family member. Your dog's health is very important, both for the dog itself and for the rest of the family too. Unfortunately, dogs are very prone to infections, therefore a dog owner has to be very careful and to take good care of the animal's good health. External worming is a common infection, therefore it's necessary for a dog to be well dewormed and free of parasites.

Common External Parasites
Some of the most common external parasites are fleas, ticks and mites. They remain in a dog's skin or fur. Ticks can be mostly found in shrubs. On the dog they can be found attached to their groin, ears or between their digits. These are the most common places but they can be lodged anywhere else on the skin of a dog. When infected, a dog feels discomfort, and the skin around the infected area inflames. If not treated, it can develop tick fever which often leads to anemia. The best time for prevention is between March and September because during this period parasites appear the most. However, due to the global warming, this period may vary, therefore it's recommended to prevent your dog all year round.

Fleas are another type of parasite. They suck an animal's blood and reproduce themselves extremely fast. They cause itching and discomfort, sometimes even pain. If your a pet is too sensitive and allergic to fleas, the parasite can cause harsh allergic reactions. Fleas can also predispose a dog's organism to getting intestinal worms, therefore a good treatment against fleas is compulsory.

Mites are a very frequently seen external parasite. The most common ones are Otodectes, Memodex and Sarcoptes. Octodectes is a parasite which can seriously harm an animal's health and it's very contagious. These mites can't be seen by a naked eye, therefore prevention treatment is necessary.

The Risk
Some parasites can be transmitted from your dog to you and other members of your family. The risk can be prevented in a few ways – deworming your pet, staying away from high-risk areas, such as sandboxes, and having perfect self hygiene. Regularly disposing of your dog's feces can lower the chance of worms spreading in the environment and thus affecting animals and humans.

What Has to be Done
Infection control reduces the danger of your pet picking up parasites. A dog should be regularly examined by a veterinarian - a couple of times a year should be enough. It's good that you're always informed by the veterinarian about parasite risks and effective preventative measures that can be taken. Good hygiene for both your pet and you is more than compulsory. You should always wash your dog's paws after taking it out for a walk. Don't feed your dog raw meet and always check your pet for signs of parasite infections. Give it the right medications prescribed by a veterinarian.

Prevention
No matter if most external parasites can only survive during the warm periods, brought in the house some of them can survive the winter. Therefore a prevention all round the year is recommended.

Deworming
Deworming medications can be either in a liquid, pill or injectable form. Some of them don't require prescription. Frequency depends on the infection itself but usually it's about every three months for adults dogs and every month for puppies.

Taking care of a dog doesn't only mean to feed it well, walk it and play with it. It also means to be responsible for its good hygiene and health. Therefore you have to be careful about your dog being infected and to take all the needed measures to prevent this happen. External deworming is necessary for your dog's health but also for the health of your family.

Author Bio: Rose Finchley loves to write about animals and specially dogs. She works a part time job at Shiny London, House Cleaners Streatham and in her free time she is a volunteer to help the homeless animals.