Once You Have A Pet Your Responsibility Doesn’t End There……

You need to register with a veterinary practice who you feel happy and comfortable with. They will care for your pet throughout its life.

Your veterinarian will advise you on vaccinations, worming, feeding, and general health care of your dog. Annual booster vaccinations are essential to keep your dog healthy and your veterinarian can give your dog a complete health check at the same time. You can also use this opportunity to ask any questions about your dog’s health – but don’t wait until a booster is due before seeking advice for a medical complaint.

Controlling Fleas

Signs that your dog may have fleas.

Constant scratching and biting, especially along the back and around the base of the tail. Some dogs are allergic to the flea’s saliva and for these dogs; the bite of a single flea is enough to provoke a violent skin reaction.

You may see the brownish-black fleas themselves, moving through your dog’s hair especially visible on the tummy where the hair is thinnest, or you may notice the presence of dark specks of material – flea dirt (faeces) – in your dogs coat.

Fleas are nasty, irritating, little bugs that spend most of their life living on the ground.

So not only do the fleas on your dog need to be eliminated BUT also in their environment ie. YOUR HOME AND GARDEN !

The best way to control fleas is via;-

1. Hydro-bath
2. Flea treatment
3. Treatment of the dog’s environment

Hydro-bathing your dog regularly using a SPECIAL FLEA RINSE SHAMPOO WILL eliminate the fleas on the dog. Follow these 3 simple steps to ensure  your pet and home are flea free!

1. The best flea control is having Regular dog washes every 2 weeks. This means that although the operator can kill all the fleas on your dog using the flea treatment shampoo; he can’t stop them returning. This is where you come in……
2. Treat your dog with an ongoing monthly flea preventative treatment such as Front line, Advantage, Sentinel, Capstar or a similar product. Regular use WILL break the life cycle of fleas.
3. The environment in which your dog lives (inside and outside) MUST be treated to kill the flea eggs present on the ground because fleas spend more of their life away from their host than on them. The eggs hatch via heat and vibration.BY TAKING ALL OF THESE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES, YOU WILL ENSURE YOUR DOG AND HOUSE STAY FLEA FREE !!

IT IS ESSENTIAL TO TREAT THE ENVIRONMENT AND MANY PEOPLE OVERLOOK THIS VERY IMPORTANT FACT!

There are a number of products available such as Coopex, Malwash or a similar product that will rid your house and dog bedding of fleas for up to two months.

You can also remove all of the dog’s bedding and wash it well, along with the box or basket. Dusting powder in the blanket or box can also help enormously, and for those that cook for their pets, feeding your pet garlic makes for an unpleasant host.

A good bed for the dog is one that offers good, firm support, good aeration, and a non fibrous material. The metal frame type with nylon covers are very good as they do not offer a haven for fleas to breed.

Old mattresses and blankets/ towels offer the perfect breeding ground for fleas to live, so try to avoid these!

There are a number of very good mattresses available for dogs which are non fibrous and some have cedar wood shavings to help repel fleas.

Skin Problems – Dry, Flaking Skin

In many cases the cause of the skin problem is the dog’s diet. Many cheaper products are wheat based, which many dogs react to by developing skin problems.

It could be as simple as changing your dog’s diet. Professional pet naturopaths can give you the necessary advice if a specialist diet is needed.

Adding a teaspoon of oil containing Lineolic Acid or Flax Seed oil , or Sunflower Oil to your pets food could also help resolve the problem.

In addition it could be as simple as using a medicated pet shampoo containing selenium, which needs to be rinsed off the dog after each application.

*** If the problem continues, then professional veterinary advice is recommended ***