How worse can it get than a parasite pestering your pet all day long? What makes a pet a favorite dwelling for parasites? Well, the pet’s body is a perfect home where sweat, tears and blood are a package meal. Your pet’s hair may also be a protective cover for cold temperatures and a means of mobilization especially for mites.

The most common preys that reside in our furry friends are the ectoparasites which consist of the mites, fleas and ticks. They do not only dig in the host’s skin but can also infest the household. These parasites, especially fleas, can be easily identified through the pet’s persistent scratching.

The Parasites and Prevention:

Fleas

Fleas are the fast-moving, brown, and wingless buggers. They can be visible oftentimes in the furs of pets. The insect bite allergies come from the fleas’ saliva which causes skin inflammation. Furthermore, if the fleas are carriers of pathogens, pets may be infected because they swallow almost 50% of the fleas when pets are being groomed.

The old-fashioned flea dip still has the sufficient treatment for fleas. But it should be done with caution because side effects may include fever, seizures, vomiting, and coma. So instead of the dip, just drop an amount of the treatment to your pet’s skin. This will sufficiently kill the fleas and prevent the adult ones from laying their eggs.

Ticks

Ticks come around mostly during summer time. Their habitat may vary from time to time but they favor damp, grassy, and woody areas. The types of ticks determine the harm their bites may cause. Although a common tick’s bite is harmless, others may cause skin problems, hypersensitivity and even anemia.

Always check your pet after being exposed to outdoors. Remember to take extra caution in removing the ticks because it can hurt your pet if wrongly done. Do not try the practice of killing the tick with a match. Apart from the usual notion that ticks loose their grip because of the smoke, the flame might even burn your pet’s fur. A better treatment would be alcohol swab which can release the tight grip of the tick. When by means of tweezers, clip the tick by the head and pull out slowly. Make sure you have a jar containing alcohol where you’ll contain the tick after extraction

Mites

If you observe your pets biting their own ears regularly, they may have acquired ear mites. They have resemblance to that of fleas. Scabies, another type of mite, are also notorious for their bites. They feed on your skin and leave secretions which trigger the intense itch. When your pets have symptoms of scabies, it necessarily requires your veterinarian’s attention.

The best remedy in treating mites bet is to ask for your veterinarian’s assistance and recommendation rather than treating your pet at home or purchase over-the-counter medications which usually fail in treating the underlying conditions.