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Your Poodle Is Susceptible To Parasites
Canine parasites fall into two groups - external parasites (fleas, ticks, ringworm, and lice) and internal parasites (roundworm, heartworm, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms).
Most dogs suffer an invasion at least once in their life. Young and weak animals are most at risk. Left untreated, death can occur.
Watch for general signs of poor condition including weight loss, diarrhea, dull coat, coughing, and weakness.
Good grooming, a clean environment, and preventative measures are your best defense against parasites.
Internal Parasites
- Roundworms
- The most common. Puppies are born with them, passed on from their mother before birth. The worm lies dormant in the mother's muscles in the form of a cyst. When a female dog becomes pregnant, the worms migrate to the embryo puppies lungs.
- All puppies must be wormed frequently. Infected puppies may develop hepatitis, pneumonia, fits, or obstruction in the intestines.
- The roundworm can be contracted by ingesting soil and feces contaminated with round worm eggs. These worms are visible and can be coughed up or seen in the dogs feces. Dogs showing any signs of infection should be wormed. Roundworms can infect humans.
- Tapeworms
- Transmitted by fleas. The tapeworm eggs are passed to the dog by ingesting an infected flea, then back to fleas from feces on the ground. Evidence of the tapeworm can be seen as small grains of rice in the dog's feces or your dog may scoot, dragging it's rear end along the floor. The dog becomes thin and weak, suffers from bloody diarrhea, possibly bronchitis or pneumonia.
- Hookworms And Whipworms
- Both hookworms and the larger whipworms are contracted from ingesting contaminated soil or feces. Both types are visible to the naked eye. Often without obvious signs, but as the worm grows, weight loss, bloody diarrhea, and anemia follow. Hookworms are more likely to strike young puppies.
- Heartworm
- Heartworms are present in most parts of the United States and in many parts of North America. Transmitted by the mosquito. Extremely dangerous, it can take up to two years for a dog to develop symptoms.
- The most common signs are a deep cough, weakness, weight loss, listlessness, and anemia. If untreated, heartworm leads to congestive failure of the heart and other organs.
- Treatment is complex, potentially toxic, dangerous, and expensive. Hospitalization is required. It is much easier to prevent heartworm by having your dog tested and put on a preventative heartworm rx.
External Parasites
- Fleas
- Flea infestation can actually make your dog quite ill, and is the leading cause of skin problems in dogs. Fleas bite and suck the dogs blood causing itching and mild to severe skin irritation. Small or weak animals can become anemic and decreased oxygen level in the blood. Fleas also carry tapeworms.
- Evidence of fleas can be most easily seen on your dog's rump and thinly-haired belly.
- Flea dirt appears black but when smeared on white paper is red brown.
- Flea eggs look like tiny, white grains of sand. They can drop off into any area frequented by the animal, infesting the dog's bedding and the owners home.
- Adult fleas are small, brown, hard-bodied, and wingless, a little larger than the head of a pin.
The adult fleas you see only account for 1% of the population. The rest are mostly unseen eggs and larvae. Heavy infestation can require multiple treatments for your pet and your home. Treating your Poodle with a monthly flea and tick preventative is the best solution. - See All The Best Selling Flea & Tick Products
- Ticks
- Ticks attach themselves to their host, burrow into the skin and suck blood. Ticks can carry diseases, such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Ticks should be removed immediately, making sure to extract the head, otherwise an abscess may form.
- One method, is to get the ticks head to relax or die by dabbing the tick with alcohol. Wait a couple of minutes, then use tweezers to grasp the tick near it's mouth parts and give a quick jerk to dislodge the tick.
- If the head is left in, warm compresses can help draw out the infection. Then use antibiotic washes or creams.
- Ringworm
- In dogs, ringworm is an infectious fungus which grows on the skin and within the coat. Signs are weak, broken hairs, and irritated, scaly, inflamed skin, typically in the shape of a circle or ring. Treatment can include special shampoos, clipping of the affected area, creams, and a drug given by mouth. Ringworms can be passed to humans.
- Mites and Lice
- There are two types of louse - biting lice which chew on skin flakes, and sucking lice, which penetrate the skin to feed on tissue fluids.
- Lice are gray, about 1/12 inch long, and lay small eggs that stick to the dogs hair. They cause intense itching, irritation, and misery to the dog.
