SLCLAWYERS.COM

November 24, 2009

Fleas, Ticks and Worms

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 12:05 pm

Fleas and other parasites need always to be given the highest priority by dog owners. The very common incidences of flea bite allergy in dogs causes worry to many dog owners every year, especially in the summer. This is because flea bites can induce allergic reactions in the area bitten by the fleas, which is often on the back above the tail. In these cases, the affected skin becomes hairless due to the dog scratching itself very vigorously.

Heavy flea infestations can cause severe dermatitis in dogs. If the flea bites cause allergic reactions or dermatitis in the dog, it really ought to be taken to the vet, because on many occasions, the dog will be experiencing severe discomfort.

The vet will sell you a cream to ease the itching and reduce the inflammation and some powder or a spray to kill the fleas. Prevention is better than cure and medicated collars are available to treat and prevent an infestation of external parasites like ticks and fleas.

Apart from fleas, other parasites like ticks and lice plus the internal parasites like hookworms, round worms, whip worms etc. can have an adverse effect on the the well-being of your dog. For instance, if hookworms have infected a dog, that dog will almost surely become anaemic soon. The signs of anaemia become more obvious depending on the advancement of the hookworm infection.

Hookworm larvae will pass directly through the skin into the internal body and cause severe problems inside the infected dog. These dogs may show cuts on their paws and on their skin because of dermatitis. Often, skin rashes occur too in these cases and the infected animal may also have diarrhoea, which is flecked with blood.

Most dogs and all puppies get round worms, which is why dogs can sometimes be seen rubbing their bottoms along the ground. However, if round worms are present in very large numbers, infected puppies show a pot belly, which is easily noticeable by the dog’s owners themselves. A dose of piperazine salts is given orally for the treatment of this condition. However, broad-spectrum anthelmintics like pyrantel pamoate, fenbendazole etc. are also given to treat this very common condition.

Lately, many drugs have come onto the market to treat fleas and other parasites. Nowadays, the medical agent called ivermectin is highly preferred by many dog owners to treat fleas and other parasites in dogs. This drug is available in injection form and oral form. The drug is available for external application also.

If you are experiencingproblems getting rid of fleas on your dogs, please follow the ‘fleas’ link, however if you want to read more about dogs or training dogs, please go here: Man’ Best Friend – the Dog Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

November 9, 2009

Finding Snakes and Reptiles

There are not many regions in the world that haven’t been colonised by snakes and other reptiles. Snakes are even found in cities, although it is only the friendlier ones that usually survive our wrath. However, if you want to look for a few of the more uncommon snakes, you could look in parks and fields, on beaches or in rivers and ponds and even in the sea, depending on where you live, naturally, as sea snakes are inclined to live in warmer, tropical waters.

You will need to be wide awake and train your eyes to spot even the smallest movement. Wear clothes of dull, drab colours and move very slowly, stopping often to listen out for movement in the grass or bushes. In the beginning, you will have many false starts, until you learn to differentiate between the noises of the various animals that live or hunt in the grass.

Snakes are difficult to find. Most of the adventurous snakes get killed by frightened (and often ignorant) humans, but a good tip is to look for relatively damp areas in arid regions and, conversely, dry spots in damp areas. Look for where their prey might congregate. For instance, near water for toads and frogs. Watch for frightened lizards or birds fleeing for their lives. And listen for geckos warning each other of the presence of a predatory snake.

If you must move anything, at least don’t damage it and furthermore, make sure you put it back as you found it. Two useful tools to have while out looking for snakes and other reptiles are binoculars (for tree snakes) and a snake-hook, which should also be used for moving bits of debris so that you don’t risk getting bitten by a snake or stung by a scorpion. A camera, a torch and a notebook and pen are more or less essential, depending on how seriously you take your hobby of herpetology.

You might also take a rule or tape to measure your specimens and a few plastic bags and boxes to hold them while you are doing it. However, do not harm anything and do not take anything home with you either! Besides it not being right to walk into their domain and cause them harm, it is often contrary to the law too. Be very wary of picking up any snake that you cannot definitely identify as non-poisonous. You could be miles from anywhere and will probably not have any anti-venom with you. Since many snakes can kill within 30 minutes, you would probably die.

To summarize, go looking for snakes by all means. However, take it calmly and slowly and wear camouflaged clothing. Furthermore, wear strong, hiking boots to afford you some protection where you are most vulnerable and do not disturb anything unnecessarily. Take a snake-hook to move things if you have to; a tape, torch, camera, notebook and pen to record your experience and/or findings and a few clear plastic receptacles just in case you feel that you have to pick something up.

I hope you really enjoy your search for snakes and other reptiles, but always remember that snakes are not friendly and they are definitely not pets, so be on your guard against snake bites especially if your search is not taking place in the grounds of a hospital!

If you are interested in snakes and reptiles, you should go over to our website called Caring for Snakes Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

Powered by WordPress