News about Dogs

What is dog lice? Are they the same type of lice that affect humans? What is the most effective way of getting rid of dog lice?

Sometimes even a clean, well-groomed dog can play a host to different types of unwanted guests. One of these unwanted visitors is called dog lice. Dog lice infestation is not common among dogs in this country, especially those that live in a clean environment and get proper care and attention.

However, you should still be aware of their symptoms and know how to deal with the problem should it occur. Dog lice causes severe irritation and illness to your dog. In addition, dog lice carries disease and complications such as anemia.

Dog lice are flat, gray, wingless parasites that are about a twelfth of an inch long. Dog lice are very slow movers. In fact, they hardly move at all. Dog lice only affect the dogs in your home and are not capable of surviving off of cats and humans.

There are two types of dog lice that exist: The first type of dog lice concentrates on biting the skin and feeding on skin flakes; the other type of dog lice feed on your dog’s blood. Blood sucking lice causes severe irritation because they penetrate the skin of your dog in order to feed.

Signs that your dog is infected with dog lice are heavy, intense scratching, and irritation that often results in bald patches. Dog lice are usually found on the area around the ears, neck, shoulders, and anus. Although dog lice are relatively large, you are more likely to spot their eggs in your dog’s hair. Lice eggs (nits) are easier to see because they are attached to the dog’s hair and look like white tiny flakes of dust.

Treating dog lice is relatively simple and easy due to the fact that they have not built up a resistance to insecticides. Your vet will more likely recommend an insecticide spray or bath to kill them. He may require you to cut off matted hair and wash your dog about once every week with the insecticide.

This procedure is then repeated until the itching is gone and there are no more visible lice eggs. If you have a puppy that is infected with lice, consult your vet first before starting on any kind of pesticide treatment or other type of medication.

To prevent further lice infestation and make sure that all the lice eggs have been completely eliminated, it is a wise idea to throw away all bedding that your dog has lain on during lice infestation and to disinfect the area where he sleeps.

Articles about dogs.

Chiggers, although very hard to detect, can be a severe nuisance when they come in contact with human skin or dog skin. The resulting irritation can be very unpleasant.
Dog Articles: Mites - All about “Chiggers”

A chigger is actually a type of mite. They are mites that are usually orange, red, or yellow in color. A larval chigger (mite) feeds on dogs and other animals. Their host’s blood enables them to grow and mature into nymphs.

The nymphs then develop into adult chiggers or larger mites that lay eggs and begin the cycle over again. The adult chigger (mite) feeds on plants, therefore the larvae are usually found in wooded areas.

These type of mites can be found in almost any part of the dog’s body, although they most often settle toward the head, neck, ear canals, ear flaps, and abdomen.

Consult with your vet if you think your pet encounters this unusual type of mite. He or she will probably a type of insecticidal preparation to the affected areas as well as prescribe an antibiotic steroid cream to soothe the itching and bring down the swelling.

Dog Articles: Detecting the dog flea

Every time you give your dog his regular grooming session, it is very important that you carefully examine his coat and skin. Aside from making sure that the coat and skin are clean and have a pleasant smell to them, you should also check to make sure that he is not playing host to any type of parasite that could trigger the start of various diseases and other several problems.

One very common parasite that causes serious irritation to your dog is the dog flea. A dog flea causes severe irritation by sucking on your dog’s blood. Some dogs develop an allergy to the dog flea’s saliva which causes them to scratch uncontrollably, resulting in sore and weeping skin. The dog flea is also responsible for the spread of tapeworms if your dog happens to eat it.

The severity of a flea attack is rather unpredictable. The slightest attack of the flea can cause mild itching and irritation even to a well groomed dog. In fact, an extreme case of widespread infestation from a relative of the dog flea was known to cause an unprecedented crusade of death in Europe, during the time of the bubonic plagues.

These days, a dog flea attack is most likely due to a particular type of dog flea called Ctenocephalides canis. This type of flea is a tiny, jumping organism that can be seen on your dog’s skin. These dog fleas can easily hop on your dog while strolling around through bushes and grass. The flea knows that your dog is an ample source of blood, which is the main requirement of the dog flea to be able to lay its eggs.

As soon as the dog flea is done satisfying its thirst, it will hop off your dog and find its new home on a surface inside your house. The dog flea usually stays on one area of your carpet or your bed and will stay there to lay its eggs.

Dog fleas are not at all shy at having their presence detected. If you notice your dog scratching, biting, and shaking as if it is trying to get rid of something that is irritating him, chances are he may have unwelcome guests of dog fleas feasting on him.

Dog fleas are like tiny brown bouncing dots. Another sign of dog fleas are black and white particles similar to sand. These are dog flea eggs and waste material. When looking for dog fleas, start by pushing the fur back around the neck, along the back, and on the rear end and the belly. You may also use a fine-toothed comb to search for dog fleas. Run the fine-toothed comb over the dog’s coat and see if you can catch these culprits.

The amount of daily dog exercise that is needed for your dog depends on several factors. One important factor to consider is his type of breed. Dog exercise also depends on his energy level and his personality.

Your dog’s breed has an effect on his need for proper daily dog exercise. Examples of breeds that require plenty of dog exercise are hunting dogs, herding dogs, and sled dogs. These breed of dogs have high energy levels and were developed for tireless activity.

Obviously, if your dog has a high level of energy, then he would need plenty of daily dog exercise. On the other hand, if your dog has a low level of energy and would rather relax and sleep on the couch, then he apparently does not need a lot of daily dog exercise.

An older dog would need less exercise than a younger dog. Another factor to consider in recognizing how much dog exercise your pet needs daily is whether he is the only pet in the house or if there is another dog or cat that he can exercise and play with.

The amount of daily dog exercise does not depend on the size of your dog. Small dogs do not necessarily need less exercise than large dogs. Some large dogs and especially some of the giant breed do not require much exercise.

Daily Dog Exercise: How much and how oftern?

In fact, many of the large and giant breeds would rather just be relaxed and still in one corner while a toy Chihuahua and many other small breeds can be a rocket on four legs just waiting to attack, thus require more daily exercise. While a Mastiff may only need a short walk around the neighborhood, give a Jack Russell Terrier three miles of dog exercise and he would still want to keep going.

Just as humans need regular exercise to maintain a healthy physical and mental state of well being, frequent dog exercise is vital in order for your dogs to stay happy and healthy. And like humans, dogs get the most health as well as mental benefits from dog exercise only if it is done extensively, not just a quick run to the park.

Also, if you notice your dog panting during his daily dog exercise, do not mistake this in thinking that he is tired and that it is time to stop . Dogs pant as a way of cooling themselves, much like when we sweat. A panting dog does not mean that he is out of breath and gasping for air.

Ideas to help you curb your dog's destructive behavior

As dog owners, you probably have experienced just how destructive your pets can be around the house. They knock things over and bite anything that they can get away with, even when they know they are not supposed to do it. Even a well trained dog whom have been properly taught not to destroy household items just can't resist doing it.

“The vast majority of dog's destructive behavior problems that you have with dogs are normal behavior patterns, but inappropriate for the setting in which they're occurring,” says Daniel Q. Estep, Ph.D., a certified applied animal behaviorist in private practice in Littleton, Colorado.

What that means is that it is perfectly normal for a dog to chew things up, but it just doesn't mix well when you have your valuable stuff in the same area that the dog resides. The good news is that pets are quick learners so if you apply the following simple training tips then your dog will soon be off redirecting dog's destructive behavior onto something else.

1. Supply your dog with plenty of toys. Regardless if your dog is an adult or a puppy, be sure that there is always plenty of toys for them to chew on and play with. If your dog has plenty of its own chew toys around then it will tend to focus its energy on those toys instead of your belongings.

2. It is important not to give your dog toys to use, that actually belong to you. For example, we all love to give the dog our old tennis shoe right? It seems innocent enough, but think about that for a moment. You just gave your dog permission to chew and destroy something that belongs to you. Now how is he going to tell the difference between that shoe and your other belongings in the house? He is not going to be able to. In fact, you will confuse him even more.

3. Be quick to stop any type of dog's destructive behavior immediately. Never let an instance go by where you caught your dog chewing up something that he shouldn't have. If you let the dog get away with it even for just a few times, it will be that much harder to train him in the future.

4. Create a unique room just for the dog. Whether it is a full blown room or simply a crate, designating a place that your dog is sent to for disciplining or when you have to leave the house is a great way to help curb his natural instincts to chew up on everything.