Common parasites found on and inside dogs

External parasites generally affect the skin and coat and internal parasites live inside the body and can affect a variety of body systems including the gastrointestinal tract, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and brain.

Fleas

Fleas can cause a variety of problems for your dog, including itchiness, skin irritation, flea allergic dermatitis (an allergic reaction to flea bites), anaemia (decreased red blood cells), and tapeworm infection.

A serious flea infestation can be difficult to remedy and may take time and multiple steps to eradicate. Usually, once there is a flea infestation, all animals in the home must be treated, and the home itself must be treated to get rid of the hardy flea eggs in the environment.

The best option is to keep all pets in the home on flea prevention all year long, so you can avoid a flea infestation in the first place. Flea prevention medication comes as either a topical treatment that you put on your dog’s skin or in an oral form.

Ticks

Fleas are not the only tiny vampires lurking in your dog’s world. The tick is an arthropod that feeds on the blood of its host, including dogs, cats, and humans. The tick attaches its mouthparts to the skin and sucks blood until it becomes engorged.

Certain medications can prevent ticks from attaching to your dog. These should be used on your dog if ticks are prevalent in your area and are often part of the routine medications used to prevent other parasites like fleas and heartworm.

However, it is very important to check your dog regularly for ticks even if they are on preventative medication, especially after spending time in areas where ticks may lurk. It is best to check your dog for ticks twice a day when in these areas as finding them and removing them quickly can reduce the chances of them spreading disease.

Heartworms

Heartworms are internal parasites that can cause serious illness in dogs. Heartworm larvae are transmitted to dogs via mosquito bites. Once inside the dog, the larvae migrate through various tissues and then mature into adult worms in the dog’s heart and lungs.

There are various intestinal parasites that your dog can pick up from his environment. The big four are roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms.

• Tapeworms may be transmitted through fleas and ingesting animal carcasses.

• Roundworms, hookworms and whipworms are typically contracted after contact with contaminated soil or faeces.

Some may also be passed on from a mother dog to her puppies.

Mites

There are a few types of skin mites that affect dogs. The most common are Demodex and scabies. Both can cause skin irritation and hair loss.

Demodectic mange is caused by Demodex mites that live on the skin in the hair follicles and oil glands of a host (often a dog or cat). Small numbers of mites can normally live on dogs without causing problems because the immune system keeps the population under control.

However, when Demodex mites can multiply unchecked, they can cause either localized or generalized areas of hair loss and scaly, thickened skin. This is called Demodicosis and is more common in puppies and dogs with compromised immune systems.

Demodicosis may resolve on its own in young dogs with only small areas of their skin affected, however, if large areas of the skin are affected, it is usually treated with prescription medication (oral and/or topical) and can take weeks to months to resolve.

Sarcoptic mange, also called Scabies, is a contagious mite that burrows into the skin. These mites cause intense itching, hair loss, and scabs on the skin. Scabies can be difficult to find microscopically so the diagnosis is usually based on clinical signs and a history of exposure. Treatment is lengthy and often requires a combination of oral medications and, in some cases, special medicated baths. Scabies is contagious to both pets and humans.

Fortunately, Sarcoptic mange is less common than Demodicosis.

If you notice your pet has an unusual itch rather take them to a vet to have a checkup. Only a vet can tell you what is wrong, and what to use to clear up the problem.

Many people swear by home remedies but what works for one dog, might not work for the next. By self-medicating, you might actually do more harm than good if you are not 100% sure what you are treating. Just like doctors for humans, vets are there for pets.