Tips about your dog

We all want to make sure our dogs are protected from heart worms, fleas, and other parasiteslike hook worms, whip worms, round worms, lice, ticks, and other nasty critters that compromisea dog's health and happiness. There are many new products on the market designed to protectdogs.Among one of the most difficult of pests is the flea. Fleas cause serious reactions that indicatedby severe itching and scratching. This can lead to serious infections and dermatitis, which isdifficult and expensive to treat. Fleas also move from pets to people and surroundings. Anyonewho's had a flea-infected carpet or couch can testify to the challenge of getting rid of the pests.Flea infestations make it difficult dogs to lie down or sleep. In short, fleas make your preciouspet miserable. Not even a dog deserves this life.Ticks are a serious treat to your dog's health and happiness. Tick bites can lead to secondarybacterial infections, indicated by puss, swelling, and bad odors. Tick infestations can cause yourdog to become anemic, to become weak and unable to resist other infections and diseases.If you suspect your dog has fleas or ticks, inspect his fur and skin carefully. Fleas are small, butyou'll be able to see them crawling and jumping around near the roots of the fur. Ticks becomelarge and swollen with your dog's blood and are easy to spot on close examination. Your vetcan also test for the presence these parasites.If your vet diagnoses your dog with anemia, it may be caused by a variety of problems. Anemiais not a disease in itself. It is an indicator of disease. Symptoms of anemia are lethargy and lossof the pink color in your dog's gums. Normally, 30-35% of a dog's blood is red blood cells. Whenit falls below that, your dog is probably anemic.To protect your dog, it is important to make sure he has regular exams at the vet's office. Thisshould include analyses of fecal and blood samples to assure your dog is free from parasiteslike hook worms.How To Take Care Of Your Dog’s Health© Wings Of Success Page 33 of 79Your vet can recommend any one of several new medications to deal with these conditions in asingle dose. Products like ivermectin are effective and can be administered by injection, orally,or by application to the skin. Better yet, many of these drugs can be used as preventivemeasures to protect your dog before it falls prey to life-threatening parasites.