Fleas and Ticks on Dogs – What Scratching Does to Your Dog

Responsible pet owners take fleas and ticks on dogs to be a problem, a serious one.
Even family members who may not be pet lovers can’t ignore the dog’s discomfort. All that constant scratching the dog is doing, if disturbing to watch, can only be miserable for the dog. There are possible remedies and treatments for fleas and ticks on dogs, but some dog owners don’t seem to take the problem seriously.

Consequence of this scratching

Fleas and ticks come into contact with your dog and bite, causing a lot of itching.
In an attempt to relieve the itch, your dog scratches and scratches hard, since his fur gets in the way. All this scratching can lead to hair loss and skin infections, which you’ll see in the form of tufts of hair in the kennel, or in your living room. It could get worse – your dog may have raw patches of skin already, from all that scratching.
Dog will chew on their skin and sometimes their paws, since the pain from doing such distracts them from the deeper discomfort of the itch from fleas and ticks.

Consequence of all this scratching

Some dogs end up rubbing their backs against the floor, since they can’t reach their backs.
Or on the very furniture you may not want them to touch.
If they rub themselves in many parts of the house, and you start some flea and tick mediation, you may have to clean up more compared to prevention and proper treatment.

Spot on applications and oral treatments – you can choose from them

Highly recommended are the spot on applications, but don’t dismiss the orally taken products, since they work, too.
The former is popular since it kills fleas and ticks quickly. Oral products, some of them at least, have the disadvantage of the dog’s developing resistance against them (thus not making them very effective).
It’s best to consult your vet to see which medications may work well in the long run. Also, some medications cannot be administered to dogs of certain breeds, age, and when their pregnant or lactating, or when already on some other medication.

What preventive assistance dog owners can provide

There maybe other factors that trigger the itch, and a visit to your vet may reveal these. These include allergies to certain products in the environment or to something in the dog’s diet. It’s not rare for dogs to have allergic reactions to some soaps or shampoos, in which case some all natural or hypoallergenic products may be needed – just in case, talk to your vet about this.
Your vet may prescribe some specific bathing products and oral supplements for the dog’s skin problems, in addition to specific flea and tick treatments. It may be necessary for your vet to prescribe specific oral supplements or bathing products to help alleviate your dog’s persistent itching problems.