Ticked off: Keep your dog free of ticks<\/p>\n
Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A stroll in the park or playing in the yard every day with your
\ndog helps deepen your relationship.<\/p>\n
Pets, especially dogs, enjoy the company of their owners be it
\nplaying or walking -- and they even love the time they spend
\nsleeping at their owners' feet.<\/p>\n
However, although outdoor activities are fun and have
\nbeneficial health effects on both the pet and pet owner, owners
\nmust be aware that their beloved pet may be exposed to a blood-
\nsucking enemy, the tick, during their outdoor activities.<\/p>\n
\"Dogs can be infested with ticks when they are playing outdoor
\nsimply because ticks live in the soil. But ticks can be
\ntransmitted from other dogs in the neighborhood, too,\" said a
\nveterinarian with the Jakarta Veterinary Hospital, Yeye Sri
\nDanti.<\/p>\n
Ticks, she added, can live in the soil and would attach
\nthemselves to a more favorable living environment, which is
\nusually your dog's feet or other body parts.<\/p>\n
Scratching is an early indication of tick infestation and
\nlesions on the skin and fur loss would likely follow.<\/p>\n
The tick would live in the pet's body, feed on its blood and
\nthe female tick would lay hundreds of eggs. When the eggs hatch,
\nthe life cycle process would continue.<\/p>\n
\"When a dog scratches its itchy body parts, some of the ticks
\nwould drop into the garden soil or the house, where they would
\nlive for several months and infest the area,\" Yeye said.<\/p>\n
It's a health hazard for the dog, which is likely to contract
\ntick-borne diseases, such as blood parasites and paralysis.<\/p>\n
Dogs with blood parasites would show other symptoms, like loss
\nof appetite, high body temperature and lethargy. Deaths from the
\ncondition are rare but the animal may suffer from severe anemia
\nand generally impaired health.<\/p>\n
The Weston Creek Veterinary Hospital, on its website
\nwww.wcvh.com.au, identifies the clinical signs of paralysis tick
\ninfestation as including lethargy and vomiting.<\/p>\n
The tick's saliva contains a toxin that affect the nerves of
\nthe animal. If left untreated, it would develop into staggering
\nin the hind legs, which may eventually progress to the front
\nlegs, neck muscles and muscle associated with breathing and
\nswallowing, posing a life-threatening condition to the animal.<\/p>\n
Yeye said that tick-related problems can be prevented by
\nchecking the pet's feet, between the toes and other body parts
\nlike the ears and hind parts after being outdoors to see the
\npresence of ticks.<\/p>\n
It is also important to remove the pet's collar and feel the
\npresence of tick infestation around its neck.<\/p>\n
\"If you see one or two ticks, just pluck them off (using
\ntweezers) and kill them in a small container containing kerosene
\nor alcohol or other insecticide,\" Yeye said.<\/p>\n
\"Don't just pinch the tick, especially engorged female ticks,
\nbecause the mother dies but the eggs may live and hatch.\"<\/p>\n
Pet owners can also use special insecticide solution for their
\ndogs in the form of drops or spray as prescribed by a
\nveterinarian.<\/p>\n
It is also helpful to use insecticide available at pet shops,
\nor take the animal to a vet for a tick bath, which costs about Rp
\n70,000.<\/p>\n
Yeye warned against the improper use of commercial
\ninsecticides or ones for human fleas as they are very toxic to
\nanimals and can harm the pet.<\/p>\n
Pet owners need to spray their house, including the cracks or
\ncrevices near the pet's living area, with insecticide to make
\nsure that a potential tick habitat in the home is completely
\neliminated. For best results, the spraying should be repeated
\nevery month.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, however, professional help is needed.<\/p>\n
\"If the problem gets out of control, owners have to take the
\npet to a vet. The latter would prescribe the insecticide and the
\nproper dosage and supervise the whole treatment.\"<\/p>\n
If all these are properly done, you and your pet can continue
\nhave fun outdoors without being bugged by a tick problem.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ticked-off-keep-your-dog-free-of-ticks-1447893297",
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