Tick infestation and its effect on dogs

External Parasite infestation is on the increase among our canine friends here at home and many dog owners are seeking total eradication.

Ticks (Rhipicephalus Sanguineus) are the most dangerous external parasites that affect our dogs here in St. Vincent.{{more}}

When a dog (adult or puppy) becomes infested with ticks the animal may develop health complications which, if left untreated will lead to anemia, paralysis, canine ehrlichosis and even death.

Ticks feed on the animal by sucking blood and during this process they inject saliva into the blood system of the dog. The dog develops anemia due to the constant removal of its blood by the tick.

These ticks breed in the grass and from there may move around in search of hosts which in this case are our canine friends.

Every dog should be checked properly for ticks, since some may go undetected due to their size during the early stages of development.

The war against ticks should be an integral one where both the animal and its surroundings are treated regularly with the end result of ensuring that our dogs are tick free and thus improve the quality of life of our canine friends.

Next week’s article will deal with integral war against ticks.