Help for Parasites

There is no single treatment that will kill all parasites, but there are a number of different products that will help keep parasites in check and treat any infestations. Remember that prevention is the key and all pets should be on some form of preventative treatment to keep parasites away.

Conventional Treatments

There are a number of products such as Frontline Plus, Revolution, and Advantage that will help to keep your pet free from external parasites like ticks and fleas. Make sure you use only trusted products as harsh chemicals may be harmful to your pet. Conventional treatments for internal parasites vary depending on what parasite your pet has. There is no single “de-wormer” that can kill all worm-types and caution should always be taken when administering these medications to your pet.

Over-the counter de-wormers are generally less effective and more dangerous than veterinarian prescribed de-wormers, however even prescription de-wormers have the potential to cause unwanted side-effects and dangerous interactions with other medication. While treating and preventing internal parasites is important, make sure you know the facts and alternatives before giving our pet any new medication.

Natural Remedies

Parasites have always been a part of life and usually animals are equipped to deal with them through a healthy immune system, a balanced diet and strong digestive systems. In nature, animals have access to number of herbal ingredients that have the medicinal qualities to keep parasites in check; however, our domestic creatures do not have this same access to a number of beneficial herbs.

Herbs that have beneficial properties to guard against parasites include Wormwood and Ruta graveolens which both act as digestive tonics and promote digestive cleansing. Others include Cloves and Neem which work to discourage pests and act as natural parasite repellants.

Tips for managing Parasites

* Make sure your pet is on some form of preventative program for both internal and external parasites. Preventing infestation is much more effective that treating one.
* Washing your pets bedding regularly and make sure their immediate environment is parasite free. This may include regular vacuuming and washing of curtains and drapes (all the places where fleas and parasite larvae are likely to hide).
* If possible, keep your pet clear from long grass and open fields where ticks are likely to be found. Also avoid letting your pet have contact with animals who may be infected or who are not of preventive programs.
* Make sure your pets have a healthy sanitation area. Litter boxes should be cleaned regularly and stools should be removed from the garden at least once a week.

Recommended Product

Parasite Dr. is a 100% natural herbal treatment for parasites. It is specially formulated to promote digestive health and balance, cleanse the blood and support the immune system. It also helps to cleanse the digestive system and promote healthy digestive functioning. Parasite Dr. comes in convenient capsule form. They can be swallowed whole. However, it is easier and more convenient to open the capsule and mix the contents with wet food or a treat. If you would like to find out more about this product, then please click here.

What are Parasites?

A parasite is an organism that gets its nourishment by feeding either on or within another animal and it is fairly common for our pets to become the unhappy hosts to a number of unwanted organisms. Parasites can be broken down into two main groups, the external parasites such as ticks, fleas, and ear mites, and the internal parasites such as worms which live inside the body and can affect a number of organs. Examples of internal parasites include heartworm, roundworm, and tapeworm.

External parasites, especially fleas are a worrisome problem for pet owners and their pets alike. Getting rid of fleas is no easy task, and sensitive pets may even develop an allergy to flea bites resulting in a condition called flea-bite dermatitis. Other parasites such as mange and ticks can be incredibly harmful to our beloved pets, but the good news is that most external parasites can be avoided to a certain extent with preventative treatments and thorough grooming.

Internal parasites are a common problem affecting almost all pets at some point in their lives. In fact most pets will have intestinal worms either before birth or within the first few months of life. It is therefore necessary to regularly treat animals against worms aiming at preventing parasitic infestation rather than trying to eradicate them once they are a problem. Common internal parasites include intestinal worms such as hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms; and worms that affect other areas of the body such as heartworm, bladder worm and eye worm.

What Causes Parasites?

External parasites are a part of the environment and they will jump at any opportunity to attach themselves to a comfy host such as your pet. Keeping your pets out of long grass and making sure their immediate environments are parasite free will go a long way in preventing parasites such as ticks and fleas. Internal parasites on the other hand have numerous ways of infecting your pet.

Many intestinal worms are contracted when your pet eats the infected larvae in the environment, such as eating infected food, or an infected mouse or flea. But they can also enter the body through the skin, the bottom of their feet and through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. Many kittens and puppies are infected in the uterus before birth or when they are suckling from their mothers.

Diagnosing Parasites

Your veterinarian will generally check for any signs of parasites when you take your pet in for a check-up. However, because there are so many different types of parasites the signs and symptoms vary greatly. External parasites are usually visible to the naked eye so when grooming your pet it is always a good idea to check for any signs of ticks or fleas.

Internal parasites are not as easy to spot, but in the case of intestinal parasites, worm segments or eggs can often be notices in your pet’s stool are on the fur surrounding the anus. Your vet will probably take a stool sample which will help to determine what type of parasite is present so that the appropriate treatment can be recommended.

Help for Parasites

There is no single treatment that will kill all parasites, but there are a number of different products that will help keep parasites in check and treat any infestations. Remember that prevention is the key and all pets should be on some form of preventative treatment to keep parasites away.

Recommended Product

Parasite Dr. is a 100% natural herbal treatment for parasites. It is specially formulated to promote digestive health and balance, cleanse the blood and support the immune system. It also helps to cleanse the digestive system and promote healthy digestive functioning. Parasite Dr. comes in convenient capsule form. They can be swallowed whole. However, it is easier and more convenient to open the capsule and mix the contents with wet food or a treat. If you would like to find out more about this product, then please click here.

External parasites and their treatments

WHAT IS A PARASITE?

External parasites are pretty common among dogs. A parasite is an organism that lives off the resources your dog has to offer: namely, fresh blood (which most parasites drink) and a warm place to stay (in and on the skin and fur).

What are the common parasites that might affect my dog?

There are a wide range of parasites that affect dogs:

- Fleas
- Ticks
- Mites
- Lice

All of these parasites cause adverse reactions in your dog: typically, itching and inflamed skin, a dull coat, and bald spots. In advanced cases, your dog may develop anemia (blood loss) and become generally debilitated (particularly if he or she is very young, very old, or suffering from another condition).

In addition to this, many parasites convey secondary and internal parasites to your dog – for example, fleas usually carry the common tapeworm (which causes constipation and flatulence), and ticks can cause a variety of much more serious problems like Lyme’s disease and paralysis.

This article will tell you everything you need to know about fleas including what they are, how to tell if your dog’s affected, and how to get rid of them.

A CLOSER LOOK AT FLEAS

Fleas are without question the number-one most common external parasite affecting dogs. They’re small, jumping insects that are light brown in color, although humans generally can’t see them – they move much too quickly for that!

Fleas live off your dog’s blood. The life cycle of a flea moves very rapidly from stage one (egg) to stage four (adult flea), which means they’re capable of multiplying with staggering rapidity.

An adult flea lays hundreds of eggs per day. Each egg will then become an adult flea, which lay hundreds more eggs of its own. One flea becomes a major problem very quickly!

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR DOG HAS FLEAS

The symptoms of a flea infestation are unmistakable. A dog with a flea infestation will scratch almost constantly, often at areas that fleas seem to favor: the ears, the base of the tail, the belly, and the stifle (the webbing of soft skin between the thigh and the abdomen).

It’s actually the saliva of the flea that causes the irritation, not the bite itself, and some dogs have a genuine allergy to this saliva (as opposed to a standard irritation). Dogs with allergies suffer much more significant negative reactions to a flea infestation, and usually develop “hot spots”.

These hot spots are areas of sore, inflamed, flaking, bleeding, and infected skin, caused by the flea saliva and your dog’s own reaction to it. Bald patches will sometimes develop too, from repeated scratching and ongoing inflammation.

If you think your dog has fleas, you can confirm your suspicions by taking a closer look at his skin: you probably won’t be able to see the fleas themselves, but you should be able to see what looks like ground pepper (a thin sprinkling of fine black grains) on his skin. This is flea dirt (poop).

If you groom him with a flea comb (which is like a fine-tooth comb), try wiping it on a paper towel: if red blotches show up on the towel, you know that your dog has fleas (on a white background like a paper towel, flea poop shows up red: since fleas subsist on blood, their poop is colored accordingly).

TREATMENT FOR FLEAS

Because fleas only spend a small amount of time actually on your dog, and the rest of their time leaping through your house laying eggs and feeding on human blood, it’s not enough to just treat the dog: you also have to target his bedding, the entire house, all human bedding, and the yard (yes, fleas lay eggs all through the yard, too. Even if it’s cold outside, you’re not necessarily off the hook: cold weather doesn’t kill flea eggs, it just puts them into a state of hibernation. The eggs will hatch as soon as it gets warm enough outside.)

You’ll need a broad-spectrum treatment which kills not only the adult fleas (which are the ones that bite), but also any developing fleas, and the eggs.

PREVENTION IS THE BEST (AND THE EASIEST!)

Prevention is definitely the best cure – you should keep your dog’s flea treatments up to date with the use of a calendar, and use a treatment that’s prescribed by the vet. Off-the-shelf treatments aren’t recommended, since different dogs require different strengths depending on their size, age, and activity levels. A particular benefit of prescribed flea treatment is that most are also designed to prevent other parasites (like mites, ticks, and heartworm) from affecting your dog.

FOR AN EXISTING INFESTATION

If your dog already has fleas, you have two options:

- You can ‘bomb’ the house and yard with a flea-pesticide. These come as foggers (which coat each room, and the yard, in a fine mist of pesticide) and sprays (which are applied manually to each surface throughout the house and yard), and although they’re very effective in killing fleas and eggs, there’s one major drawback: they’re highly toxic to humans, dogs, and the environment. Depending on your priorities, this is probably the quickest solution to a flea problem (and will effectively wipe out the eggs, too) but if you have anyone in the house with allergies or a health condition – including pets! – you might want to think again.

- A more health-friendly alternative is to target the dog with a topical anti-flea solution prescribed by the vet (like Advantage or Revolution), and to rigorously clean the house on a regular basis until the flea problem has gone. This means vacuuming each room thoroughly each day – put a flea collar in with the vacuum bag to kill any fleas that get sucked up – and wash all human and dog bedding in hot water as often as you can (once every day or every two days is recommended). You’ll be able to tell when the problem’s gone because your dog won’t be scratching, and his coat will be clear of flea dirt when you inspect it.

WHAT NOT TO DO ABOUT FLEAS

- Don’t use multiple products on your dog – it’ll make him sick, since you’ll be overloading his system with toxins.
- Don’t forget to treat all the animals in the house at the same time: cat and dog fleas are interchangeable, and if one animal has fleas, they all will have them, even if some are not displaying the symptoms.
- Flea collars are no longer recommended as a safe option for flea prevention, since the collars are highly toxic – vets have realized that placing a toxic material directly against your pet’s skin for long periods of time (flea collars have to be worn 24/7 to be effective) is detrimental to your dog’s health.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PARASITES AND THEIR TREATMENT…

Fleas are just one of the many, many types of parasites that affect your dog. To find out more about the complete prevention and treatment of all types of parasites (external and internal), as well as a comprehensive guide to all aspects of dog health, take a look at The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.

This book is an invaluable resource for the responsible dog owner, and will help you to ensure that your dog remains happy and healthy – just the way you want him to be! If you want to order this guide, then please click here.