Sunday, August 21, 2011

Natural Dog Flea Treatment

Fleas are a significant concern that every dog owner eventually has to deal with. Everyone who has a dog has most likely have faced the unpleasant battle of having to get rid of dog fleas, a battle that has frequently proved to be more trying than it looks.

Rid Your Pet of Fleas with a Natural Dog Flea Treatment!
Click here to go directly to the natural treatments for dog fleas

Fleas aren't just a bother because they bother and precipitate hours of frustrating scratching for the dog, but they may also trigger additional dangerous issues like tapeworm infestations, flea allergies, dog hot spots and in critical situations, anemia.

As a result of their amazing hardiness, it can prove to be very challenging to come up with a plan on how to get rid of fleas on dogs. A female flea can lay in excess of 2,000 eggs over the span of her life, this implies that an infection may happen suddenly and the eggs that she laid might last for several months in the natural environment while merely waiting on an acceptable host. That's why it is important to eliminate both the fleas on the dog and the fleas residing in the dog's living space. The perfect spots to find fleas are carpeting, rugs, bed linens and sand.

How to Exterminate Fleas

In order to successfully exterminate fleas on your canine and in his surroundings, it is basic to comprehend the lifecycle of the flea. There are 4 stages which makeup the life span of the flea. Akin to nearly all insects, the fleas originates from the egg stage, transforms into larva, then advances into the pupa phase until finally reaching the adult stage.

The Egg Stage of the Flea

The fleas eggs are ashen in color and are so small that they are tough to see without the help of a magnifying glass. Although the eggs are initially laid on the pet's skin, a lot will with time drop onto the ground to carry on their expedition to an adult. Close to half of the total flea count consists of eggs. Dependant upon the living conditions, the eggs hatch in anywhere from two to four weeks. The greater the warmth and dampness in the environment, the earlier the eggs will hatch.

The Larva Stage of the Flea

As soon as the flea egg hatches, it enters the larva phase where it flourishes to approximately 1/4 inch long. The flea larva subsist on natural waste materials and in the feces of the adult flea. They do not like intense lighting and have a tendency to go underground deep within their present environment, preferably in a balmy and moist area. Climate controlled houses are the idyllic location for the flea life cycle to thrive. Outside, larvae development will only happen in damp, sheltered locations.

The Pupae Stage of the Flea

When moving into the pupa stage, the flea pupae stem a silken and sticky protecting chrysalis. The shell rapidly configures a valuable hiding place as it gets covered by waste and soil. If stimulated by high temperature, carbon dioxide or by physical pressure, such as in a balmy and damp location, an adult flea might surface from its cocoon in as quickly as 5 to 10 days. Once the adult flea surfaces from the cocoon, it could live for just a few days unless it is able to find a host. Pre-emerged adult fleas may continue to exist inside the cocoon for up to 9 months. This is pertinent because adult fleas that still survive within the cocoon are resistant to flea pesitcides applied to the environment and can appear a considerable time after you use insecticides in your residence.

The Adulthood Stage of the Flea

As soon as the adult flea emerges from the chrysalis, it will want to rapidly get a host because it requires blood in order to live on. Two days after obtaining a suitable host, the female flea will begin laying roughly forty eggs every day. Adult fleas usually live as long as three weeks. The complete life cycle of a flea may possibly be finished in as little as 2 to 4 weeks, or as long as ten months conditional to its surrounding climatic conditions.

Natural Dog Flea Treatment on Your Pet

There are countless shampoos, powders, sprays and spot on preparations offered to free your pet of fleas. Be sure to confer with a vet to choose the most efficient and reliable natural dog flea treatment for your house and pets.

Natural Dog Flea Treatment for Indoor Areas

The majority of flea products are merely effective against the adult flea, but environmental insecticides are becoming more highly developed. Your veterinarian can give you with flea products having insect growth regulators which will help eradicate the flea eggs and larvae. Prior to the use of environmental flea pesticides, you should vacuum the carpeting and rugs to entice the pre-adult fleas to surface from their protective cocoon. Be sure to throw out the vacuum bag following its use. You ought to also clean the bedding the dog has lied on.

Natural Dog Flea Treatment for Outdoor Areas

Concentrate on dark, sheltered regions. Use an insecticide consisting of an insect growth regulator and repeat every two to three weeks for 3 to 5 treatments.

The newer skin and oral flea deterrents should significantly help you resolve any flea problems. With dedication and patience, you and your best friend will be free of fleas in a flash!

Additional Tips and Advice

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Treat Dog Skin Allergies

Have you started to observe your dog itching and scratching too much? Is the scratching creating wide open wounds and disappearance of hair on your dog? If so, this is a pretty good warning sign that your pet may possibly be suffering from dog allergies. Dogs do not display the usual red eyes and a runny nose similar to what people do when we have an allergy. Additional warning signs may involve extreme itching of a given area, or chewing their paws causing them to bleed.

What Are The Causes of Allergies in Dogs?

An allergic reaction occurs when an animal's immune system excessively reacts to specific substances. The body creates antibodies as a type of defense when the trigger of the dog's allergy passes into the body. These antibodies will subsequently bind to immune cells in the skin and different tissues. As a result, when the allergens slowly enter tissue surfaces, the antibodies incite immune cells to discharge powerful chemicals (known as histamines) into the nearby tissue. This will then invoke swelling and dog itching.

There are various things to take into account when trying to locate the trigger of skin allergies in dogs. An allergy that affects a dog's skin is usually caused by one (or several) of the following: food, fleas, and airborne allergens.

  1. Flea Allergy otherwise referred to as Flea Dermatitis is normally triggered by flea saliva. That's the reason it's so critical to liberate your pet of fleas on a regular basis.
  2. Seasonal allergies in dogs are triggered by the inhalation of airborne allergens in the environment, such as pollen, tobacco smoke, mold spores and dust, instigate atopic allergies. If a pet is allergic to pollen, the pet will exhibit signs, even if you keep it in the house as the particles will come into the home. Sneezing, coughing and wheezing generally are signs of this form of allergy.
  3. Food allergies are the third most common sort of dog allergy. The most likely culprits for food allergies in dogs include: chicken, corn, milk, soy, eggs, beef and wheat. Diarrhea and Vomiting usually are signs of this sort of dog allergy.
  4. Contact allergies are the least common kind of allergy in pets and is triggered by coming into contact with something. Triggers can include wool, grass and plastic. Some pets could have allergic reactions to some chemicals in the house, however, this is less common.

How to Diagnose Dog Allergies

A vet might be able to find the cause when diagnosing skin allergies in dogs, but it may call for a process of elimination to identify the root of the dog’s skin allergy and he might perhaps refer your dog to a veterinarian that’s a skin specialist. In the event where fleas are ruled out, the animal may be put on an elimination diet for a couple months. Your pet is fed food it has not eaten before, for example, turkey, mutton, and potatoes, with the old food being reintroduced gradually until the allergy reoccurs.

The allergen is considered to be one or more ingredients if the animals scratching decreases by at least half of what it was previously. To test for contact and atopic allergies, veterinary dermatologists use an intradermal allergy examination that functions by mildly anesthetizing the animal with slight quantities of prospective allergens that are injected into the shaved section of the skin. If your pet is allergic to a specific substance, the skin will become inflamed near the area of injection.

Treat Dog Skin Allergies

Keeping your pet away from allergens and treating the symptoms of dog allergies are the soundest treatment approaches. Treatments like antihistamines and steroids could be advocated to ease consequences of itching and swelling in dogs, but like all medicines they might be associated with undesirable side effects and the long term effects are not known. Prolonged use of steroids is not recommended because these treatments function by restraining the immune system. Prolonged steroid use may eventually leave your pet open to diabetes, infections and other illnesses.

Treat Dog Skin Allergies Naturally

Luckily for pet enthusiasts, there are lots of nontoxic and natural remedies for skin allergies in canines. Melaleuca alternifolia is often applied as a topical to promote healthy skin and keeping the animal’s skin clean while Althaea officinalis root is an outstanding and popular remedy for restoring the skin. Homeopathic treatments like Apis and Ledum have great soothing qualities and are especially useful in soothing inflamed and chafed skin, or minor bites and sores.

Additional Tips and Advice