What You Should Know About External Parasites
June 2007
A t
some point in their lives, many pets experience discomfort caused by
external parasites such as fleas, ticks, or mites on their skin or in
their ears. These parasites can be extremely irritating to pets and can
cause serious skin problems or even carry disease. Although this
brochure provides basic information about the most common external
parasites, your veterinarian is your best source of advice regarding
your pet's needs. Modern medicines make treatment, control, and
prevention of many external parasites much easier than in the past.
Fleas
Flea Basics
Fleas thrive when the weather is warm and humid. Depending on your
climate, fleas may be a seasonal or year-round problem. Your pet can
pick up fleas wherever an infestation exists, often in areas frequented
by other cats and dogs. Adult fleas are dark brown, no bigger than a
sesame seed, and able to move rapidly over your pet's skin.
Adult fleas live their entire lives on your pet. Female fleas begin
laying eggs within 24 hours of selecting your pet as a host, producing
up to 50 eggs each day. These eggs fall from your pet onto the floor or
furniture, including your pet's bed, or onto any other indoor or
outdoor area where your pet happens to be. Tiny worm-like larvae hatch
from the eggs and, to avoid sunlight, burrow into carpets, under
furniture, or into soil before spinning a cocoon. The cocooned flea
pupae can lie dormant (inactive) for weeks before emerging as adults that are ready to
infest (or reinfest) your pet. The result is a flea life cycle of anywhere from 12 days to 6 months.
Risks and Consequences
You might not even know that your pet has fleas until their number
increases to the point that your pet is obviously uncomfortable. Signs of
flea problems range from mild redness to severe scratching that can
lead to open sores and skin infections. One of the first things you
may notice on a pet with fleas is "flea dirt," the black flea
droppings left on your pet's coat.
Fleas bit animals and suck their blood; young or small pets with heavy flea infestations may become anemic. Some pets develop an allergy to flea saliva that may result in more severe irritaiton and scratching. Also, pets can become infected with certain types of tapeworms if
they ingest fleas carrying tapeworm eggs. In areas with moderate to severe flea infestations, people may also be bitten by fleas. While fleas are capable of transmitting several other infectious diseases to pets and people, this is rare.
Treatment and Control
Your veterinarian will recommend an appropriate flea control plan for
your pet based on your needs and the severity of the flea
infestation.
Fleas spend a lot of their time off of your pet and in the environment. In addition to treating your pet, you can reduce the flea population
in your house by thoroughly cleaning your pet's sleeping quarters and
vacuuming floors and furniture that your pet comes in contact with frequently. Careful and
regular vacuuming or cleaning of the pet's living area helps to remove
and kill flea eggs, larvae, and pupae. You may also have to treat your house with insecticides to kill the fleas; consult with your veterinarian about products safe for use around pets and children.
With moderate and severe flea infestations, you may be advised to treat your yard in addition to treating the inside of your home. Your
veterinarian can recommend an appropriate course of action and suggest ways to prevent future flea infestations.
Ticks
Tick Basics
Hosting a tick is the price dogs or, less commonly, cats may pay for
investigating shrubbery, brush, or wild undergrowth. Ticks have a
four-stage life cycle, and immature ticks often feed on small, wild
animals found in forests, prairies, and brush. Adult ticks seek larger
hosts like dogs and cats who venture into these habitats. Tick exposure
may be seasonal, depending on geographic location.
Risks and Consequences
Ticks are most often
found around your dog's neck, in the ears, in the folds between the
legs and the body, and between the toes. Cats may have ticks on their
neck or face. Tick bites can cause skin irritation and heavy infestations can cause anemia in pets. Ticks are also
capable of spreading serious infectious diseases (such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and others) to the pets and people
on which they feed. Disease risk varies by geographic area and tick
species.
Treatment and Control
Prompt removal of ticks is very important because it lessens the chance
of disease transmission from the tick to your pet. Remove ticks by
carefully using tweezers to firmly grip the tick as close to the pet's
skin as possible and gently pulling the tick free without twisting it. After removing the
tick, crush it while avoiding contact with tick fluids that can carry
disease. Do not attempt to smother the tick with alcohol or petroleum jelly, or apply a hot match to it, as this may cause the tick to regurgitate saliva into the wound, increasing the risk of disease.
Pets at risk for ticks should be treated during the tick
season with an appropriate tick preventative. Your veterinarian can
recommend a product that best suited to your pet's needs. Owners who take
their pets to tick-prone areas during camping, sporting, or hiking
trips should examine their pets for ticks immediately upon returning home
and remove them from their pets. If your pet picks up ticks in the
backyard, trimming bushes and removing brush may reduce your pet's exposure to tick
habitats.
Ear Mites
Mite Basics
Ear mites are common in young cats and dogs, and generally confine
themselves to the ears and surrounding area. Mites are tiny and
individual mites may be seen only with the aid of a microscope. Your
pet can pick up ear mites by close contact with an infested pet or its
bedding.
Risks and Consequences
Ear mites can cause intense irritation of the ear canal. Signs of ear
mite infestation include excessive head shaking and scratching of the
ears. Your pet may scratch to the point that it creates bleeding sores
around its ears. A brown or black ear discharge is common with ear mite infections.
Treatment and Control
Treatment of ear mites involves thorough ear cleaning and medication.
Your veterinarian can recommend an effective treatment plan.
Sarcoptic Mange Mites
Mite Basics
Microscopic sarcoptic mange mites cause sarcoptic mange, also known as scabies.
Sarcoptic mange mites affect dogs of all ages, during any time of the year.
Sarcoptic mange mites are highly contagious to other dogs and may be passed by
close contact with infested animals, bedding, or grooming tools.
Risks and Consequences
Microscopic sarcoptic mange mites burrow through the top layer of the dog's skin
and cause intense itching. Clinical signs include generalized hair
loss, a skin rash, and crusting. Skin infections may develop secondary
to the intense irritation. People who come in close contact with an
affected dog may develop a rash and should see their physician.
Treatment and Control
Dogs with sarcoptic mange require medication to kill the mites and
additional treatment to soothe the skin and resolve related infections.
Cleaning and treatment of the dog's environment is also necessary.
Demodectic Mange Mites
Mite Basics
Demodectic mange caused by demodectic mange mites is mainly a problem
in dogs. Demodectic mange mites are microscopic, cigar-shaped, and not
highly contagious. A mother dog, however, may pass the mites to her puppies.
Risks and Consequences
Localized demodectic mange tends to appear in young dogs as patches of
scaly skin and redness around the eyes and mouth and, perhaps, the legs and trunk.
Unlike other types of mange, demodectic mange may signal an
underlying medical condition, and your pet's overall health should be
carefully evaluated. Less commonly, young and old dogs experience a
generalized form of demodectic mange and can exhibit widespread patches
of redness, hair loss, and scaly, thickened skin.
Treatment and Control
Your veterinarian will discuss treatment options with you. Treatment of
dogs with localized demodectic mange generally results in favorable
outcome. Generalized demodectic mange (demodecosis), however, may be difficult to
treat, and treatment may only control the condition, rather than cure
it.
Important Points
- Look for fleas, ticks, and coat abnormalities any time you groom
your dog or cat or when you return home from areas that are likely to have higher numbers of these parasites.
- See your veterinarian if your pet excessively scratches, chews, or licks
its haircoat, or persistently shakes its head. These clinical signs may
indicate the presence of external parasites or other conditions
requiring medical care.
- Prompt treatment of parasites
lessens your pet's discomfort, decreases the chances of disease
transmission from parasite to pet, and may reduce the degree of home
infestation.
- Discuss the health of all family pets
with your veterinarian when one pet becomes infested. Some parasites
cycle among pets, making control of infestations difficult unless other
pets are considered. Consult your veterinarian before beginning
treatment.
- Tell your veterinarian if you have attempted any parasite remedies, as this may impact your veterinarian's recommendation.
- Be especially careful when applying insecticides to cats, as cats are particularly sensitive to these products.
Never use a product that is not approved for cats, as the results could be lethal.
- Follow label directions carefully.
- Leave treatment to the experts. Your veterinarian offers technical expertise
and can assist you in identifying products that are most likely to
effectively and safely control your pet's parasite problem.
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This information has been prepared as a service by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Article Source: http://www.mydogplace.com/dog-content/dog-health-series/external-parasites-on-dogs-article.html
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