Indeed, canine ticks may look harmless at first. But as soon as they attach themselves on your dog’s skin and a full blown infestation occurs, serious health problems may follow suit.

Canine Tick Avoidance, Not Canine Tick Prevention

Ticks aren’t insects. They don’t infest households, hence, there are no preventive measures that can be undertaken to repel these parasites. Like common opportunistic bloodsuckers, canine ticks live outdoors, using special heat-sensing functions to pinpoint warm-blooded mammals. Once their targets are found, they drop down on them to cling to their skin, sucking away in relative invisibility.

Though there is no such thing as dog tick prevention, there is such a thing as canine tick avoidance. Basically, if you don’t want your dog to be a victim of these mite-like parasites, then you have to avoid bringing your dog to places known as hotspots for canine ticks. These places include areas with tall grasses and woodlands immediately after the rainy season. These are known breeding grounds for canine ticks because of the moisture they manage to retain.

The Real Danger Of Canine Ticks

If you’d discover some canine ticks on your dog’s skin – especially the ticks that have frighteningly ballooned into the size an air pellet – you’d immediately ask if such is painful for your dog.

It isn’t.

The dog may feel some irritation, but in general, he won’t feel the blood being sucked out of his system.

However, though canine ticks are generally harmless, this doesn’t mean that they pose zero danger for our beloved dogs. The truth of the matter is that some canine ticks may carry diseases that they can introduce to your dog’s system. This is the real danger of canine ticks. Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever are just some of the potentially fatal illnesses that can be caused by canine ticks.

Some dog owners may also find it alarming that canine ticks can feed on humans as well. In most cases, dogs with canine ticks are likely to have owners with canine ticks too.

Getting Rid Of Canine Ticks

When it comes to eliminating canine ticks, nothing is surer than the old fashioned way: manually finding them, manually pulling them out, and manually squishing them into oblivion.

You will find mature canine ticks hard to pull out of your dog. Your dog may even show signs of pain whenever these parasites are pulled off his skin.

Temporary remedies like topical lotions and shampoos can help your dog avoid a canine tick infestation. However, most of these products only provide short-term protection – the most of which is merely 30 days – and they are not known to cure canine tick infestation that is already in progress.

Symptoms Of Ring Worm In Dogs

The main symptoms of ring worm is round patches of hairless skin on the dogs body. Usually these can be differentiated from other skin diseases because they will not be symmetric on the dogs body and have a circular shape.

The circular shape of the hairless patches caused by ring worm is what gave it its name, as it was originally thought they were caused by a type of worm.

Where Ring Worms Are Caught

Ring worms are contagious and can be passed from one animal to another, so this is a common way of the parasite spreading. The other problem is that the fungus can survive a long time without a host, so if it is on the dogs bedding it can spread to the dog with ease.

This means that if your dog has ring worm you should thoroughly wash all of its bedding.

Ring worms can also be found in soil in rare cases.

Ring worm can also be passed to humans via a pet.

Is Ring Worm Dangerous?

In most cases ring worm can be left untreated and after several months the symptoms will cease. However there is no need to let your dog suffer unnecessarily, so it is always advisable to visit a vet if you suspect your dog has ring worm to get treatment. This is also a good idea to reduce the time the fungus can spread.

First of all, the most common types of worm in dogs are Heartworm, Roundworm, Hookworm and Tapeworm. Knowing the common symptoms of these parasites can prove to be very important for your dogs health.

If you think your dog may have worms then it is important to take it to the vet as soon as possible. The earlier the worm is found the better for various reasons, including the fact that certain types may also be transmitted from dog to human.

Canine Worm Symptoms

Your dog may or may not display the following symptoms:

• Some types of worm are big enough to show up to the naked eye in the dogs stool, although others can’t. If you see what you think i a worm in your dogs stool visit the vet immediately.
• Weight and appetite loss – often dogs with worms don’t eat as much as normal, or seem to be eating normally and still lose weight. This is a common sign of canine worms.
• Diarrhoea and vomiting
• Lower energy than normal

Like with many dog health problems, you will probably be able to tell from your dogs behaviour whether there is something wrong. If your canine exhibits the above symptoms then it could be worms, so make sure you get an appointment with your vet immediately.

Canine Worm Types

Roundworms – These come in two different types and include the msot common form of dog worm. They can grow up to 5-7 inches long, and hence may be visible in your dogs stool. They can also be transmitted to humans.

Tapeworms -Tapeworms live in the intestine and can also be seen with the naked eye. They are usually transmitted to the dog via fleas, so it’s important to keep your dog free from fleas as much as possible. Humans can’t catch tapeworms directly from the dog but they can from the fleas.

Whipworms – These are long and thin worms that live in the dogs colon. They aren’t big enough to be seen by humans so aren’t visible in the dogs stool, although a medical test of the stool will reveal them. The symptoms of whipworms may also include anemia and blood in the stool.

Hookworms – These live in the intestine and like the Roundworm can be directly transmitted from the dog to the human. However unlike Roundworms they cannot be seen in the dogs stool.

Heartworms – These are probably the most dangerous of all the worms as they can be fatal if not caught early and treated. However they are preventable. They are usually given to the dog through mosquitoes. As the name suggests, they live in the heart of the dog and can cause  considerable damage if left untreated.

Knowing the typical canine worm symptoms can go a long way to helping your dog stay healthy and worm free. If you notice any strange signs make sure you immediately visit the vet who’ll be able to make a medical diagnosis.

Chances are, your canine companion is infected with tapeworms.

What Are Canine Tapeworms?

Canine tapeworms are one of the most common parasites that a dog can acquire. They attach themselves to the dog’s intestine, competing for the nutrients from the food that the dog takes in.

During the early stages of infestation, the dog may exhibit a more voracious appetite to compensate for the nutrients he’s losing. Latter stages of the infestation would produce an inverse effect, however, as the dog may become lethargic and may refuse to eat.

Canine tapeworms can be as short as 2 centimeters to as long as 2 inches.

How Do Dogs Get Canine Tapeworms?

Dogs often acquire canine tapeworms by coming in contact with wastes left behind by rats, mice, rabbits and other rodents that are favorite targets of these parasites.

However, most dogs acquire canine tapeworms via the fleas they manage to ingest. Fleas are common problems for many dogs, and all it takes is a single flea infected with tapeworm to start an infestation inside the dog’s system.

The Dangers Of Canine Tapeworms

Though a mild infestation is generally harmless, canine tapeworms are nevertheless parasitic in nature, competing for essential nutrients, which may in turn deprive your beloved pet of the daily requirements he needs for a healthy life.

Severe cases of canine tapeworm infestation will cause either chronic diarrhea or constipation. Diarrhea may lead to dehydration. Constipation may lead to intestinal and liver problems. Either manifestation should warrant an appointment with the vet.

In some instances, dogs that have severe infestations of canine tapeworms become lethargic. Their level of activity suddenly drops, and it would seem that they don’t have an appetite for anything that you will prepare for them.

These perils are in addition to the very annoying feeling of anal itch that your dog has to endure.

Truly, canine tapeworms must be eliminated as soon as an infestation is discovered to prevent graver consequences. Getting rid of these parasites is quite simple, and there is no reason why their extermination should be postponed.

How To Know If Your Dog Has Canine Tapeworms

Dogs suffering from an infestation of canine tapeworms usually exhibit the following symptoms:

1. The aforementioned itchiness of the anal area which is manifested by the dog’s attempts to relieve himself of such irritation.

2. Canine tapeworm segments, usually in the shape and size of a grain of rice, that are attached to the dog’s stool. They have a whitish color.

3. Newly segmented tapeworms found on the dog’s stool. Sometimes, they may still be alive.

4. Canine tapeworm eggs can likewise be found in the dog’s tool. You can drop a stool sample on water, and if eggs are there, they should float to the surface.

5. Chronic diarrhea that lasts for at least a week; or constipation that lasts for at least 4 days.

6. Lethargy, though such an occurrence is rare. Loss of appetite may be a symptom, but it is often a consequence of lethargic behavior.

If your dog shows any two of the above symptoms, we can say with relative certainty that his system has been infested by canine tapeworms.

What To Do When Your Dog Has Canine Tapeworms?

An ounce of prevention, of course, is always worth more than a pound of cure. Fleas are the number one causes of the threat of canine tapeworms, hence, getting rid of fleas should be the first step. There are many flea-eliminating solutions available in the market, ranging from sprays to air fresheners to worn collars to soap and shampoo.

There are home remedies, most definitely, but because there are many variables at play, each of them entails some risks.

Some dog owners suggest sprinkling garlic powder over the dog’s food or burying a clove of garlic near the dog’s favorite spot. Tapeworms are said to abhor garlic, and garlic-laden food will starve them to death.

There are over-the-counter medications available as well. Tapeworm tablets are the most popular, with Droncit Canine Cestocide and Tape Worm Tabs being the leading brands.

If the dog has already been infected by canine tapeworms, the best approach is to bring him to the vet. The stage of the infestation can only be determined via professional diagnosis. The vet is the only person who can tell for certain the extent of the infestation as well as the best treatment or treatments for the same.