Spending time outside is probably a dog's favorite pastime, especially during the warm summer months. However, there are a multitude of dangers that await them if they are not equipped with the proper protection. Learn about the many different types of pests that your dog may be exposed to and the different ways to prevent them.
Ticks
Ticks are those 8-legged blood suckers that attach themselves to your dog and feed on them, vampire-like, until they’re removed or they get so full they drop off. Besides just being disgusting on their own, they carry a host of serious diseases that they can transmit to your dog while feeding, and if enough of them are feeding at one time, they can make your dog anemic.
There are a number of oral and topical tick preventive products that are pretty effective. There are also tick collars that are quite adept at keeping your dog tick-free as well; some that work up to 8 months. Using these products is the foundation of an excellent tick-control strategy, however consider a daily tick check in which you run your fingers through all of your dog’s fur and check the nooks and crannies, like inside ears, under the tail, and between toes for ticks. This is especially important in areas where diseases like Lyme are heavily prevalent, such as the northeastern United States.
Fleas
Fleas suck blood too, but they’re much quicker about their business than ticks. Fleas are great jumpers, known to reach heights 100 times their body size by some accounts. So they can cover a lot of territory on your dog in a short period of time, and they also reproduce quickly, too.
Most products that prevent ticks also prevent fleas, and you can also find products (both oral and topical) that just prevent fleas. A solid flea-prevention strategy is key, especially in warmer areas, because just like ticks, fleas carry serious diseases that they can spread to your dog. With enough flea bites, dogs can actually become allergic to the saliva of the flea, and after that occurs even one bite can set off an intense allergic reaction.
Mosquitos
If given the choice between a hairy dog and a juicy, relatively naked human, it’s likely that most mosquitos would choose the human to bite. But mosquitos do bite dogs, and dogs with very short hair can get chewed on pretty excessively, just like us. And as if the itchiness weren’t enough, mosquitos carry the larva of the heartworm and inject it into the bloodstream of their canine (and feline) victims, setting them up for a serious and potentially fatal infestation.
If you live in most areas of the United States, you should keep your dog on a monthly heartworm preventive treatment all year. In some areas where mosquitos don’t live through the winter, you may be able to only use preventive during the spring, summer, and fall, but talk to your veterinarian about the statistics of heartworm prevalence in your area before making this call. You can also lessen (but not completely prevent) the chance of mosquitos biting your dog by using a topical flea preventive that also contains permethrin, which repels mosquitos, too. Remember to never user these products on cats, as permethrin is highly toxic to that species.
Flies and their spawn
For most dogs, flies are merely an occasional nuisance. But if a dog spends time outdoors and that has untreated open wounds, flies can lay their eggs in these wounds, resulting in a painful condition known as myiasis.
Make sure that you monitor your outdoor dogs, especially if they are elderly and not as mobile as they should be, for open wounds, and see your veterinarian for prompt treatment. Consider an environmental treatment to reduce the amount of flies that are near your dogs, and relocate debris and manure piles, as they can attract significant amounts of flies.
Cuterebra
Cuterebra are a type of fly whose larva are able to penetrate the skin of animals and make a home there as they mature. This happens during the summer months mostly, and small dogs with thin skin seem to be the most common victims. Owners can certainly be freaked out when they catch a glimpse of the head of the white worm-like creature, peeking out of a bump on their beloved dog’s skin.
While most cases of cuterebriasis involve only the skin, the larva have been known to migrate to the brain. You can decrease your dog’s chances of contacting these disturbing creatures by making sure he’s not able to access any rabbit dens, as these flies tend to lay eggs near them. Any bump or swelling on your dog should be checked out by your veterinarian, and if it’s suspected that a cuterebra larva has buried itself there, your vet can carefully extract it. It’s important to be sure that the larva is removed without breaking it, because doing so can cause severe inflammation and an anaphylactic reaction.