These are small fast moving parasites with long legs. They make dogs restless by biting and constantly jumping on their bodies causing allergic pruritus, ruining the coat. Fleas also suck blood (leading to anemia) and transmit infective organisms into the body of the host. Fleas serve as intermediate host for tapeworms so it is mandatory to deworm the dogs in case of flea infestation.

Fleas are hardy; these can survive for several months without food. The female lays hundreds of eggs infecting the beddings, carpets, crack and furniture. It is said that for every single flea on the body of the dogs, there might be hundred fleas lurking nearby.

By virtue of their long legs, fleas jump from one dog to the other in proximity; thus if one dog is showing signs of infestation other dogs in the house may also be harboring fleas.

Prevention of infestation:

Control of fleas involves not only treating the animal but also his environment. Fumigation or spray of the dog house, doggy articles and other things with insecticides ( Amitraz, cypermethrin etc.) has to be undertaken. If your dog spends time in the lawn or the yard, that also has to be sprayed.

Regular application of antiparasitic powder will certainly help in preventing the flea infestation. One of the commonly employed pesticides for control of fleas is carbaryl which belongs to carbamate compound. Carbaryl is least toxic and has is a wide margin of safety with 307-850 mg / kg oral LD₅₀ value in rats. This implies that carbaryl preparations are quite safe in pets. For elimination of existing fleas, insecticides like Amitraz, Cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, Coumophos etc. can be used with proper dilution, since they are toxic to the pets.

Flea collar is also effective. Use of flea collar impregnated with acaricides and flea repellant will be useful.

These small wingless pests are very annoying. The claws of legs are used to cling to the hair. Lice are largely host-specific. dogs may get infested with Linognathus setosus (sucking louse), Trichodectes canis and occasionally the biting louse Heterodoxus spiniger. Adult lice are missed at casual glance but if the dog is scratching and doesn't show sign of fleas, then look thoroughly for the reddened spots on the skin and 'nits' or the egg on the hair, these are ash coloured pinheads; use of magnifying glass is helpful. Lice do not move but penetrate the skin and suck dogs' blood.

Control and treatment is the same as that of fleas.

Ticks are the most dangerous of all the blood sucking parasites of dogs. These eight-legged pests are hardiest and transmit several diseases. These are most common in warm, moist environment. Tick has a lare abdomen and as it sucks blood, its abdomen distends to 1/3 rd of an inch.

Mating takes place on the body of the host and the gravid female drops off and lays hundreds of eggs in concealed places like under the carpet, furniture or behind the drapes.

CONTROL AND TREATMENT

Tick can be controlled by regular spraying of insecticide in the kennel. For elimination of existing ticks bathe the dog with proper and effective nsecticide at regular intervals. Ticks have to be pulled out be tweezers or hands. It is important to extract their heads otherwise abscess may be formed.

A good method is to soak them with alcohol (methylated spirit) then pull them. Regular application of antiparasitic powder will protect from ticks infestation. Sprays with insecticides should be adapted to prevent reoccurence.

Mites are not visible to the naked eye. There are 3 different types of mites that causes mange viz.,

• Sarcoptes scabiei var canis
• Psoroptes
• Demodex canis

Sarcoptic and Demodectic mange are common and are discussed below :

Sarcoptic Mange (Canine Scabies)

Sarcoptes scabiei var canis infestation is highly contagious disease of dogs. The mites are fairly host-specific, but animals (including man) that come in contact with infested dogs can also be affected. The adult mite is roughly circular in shape, without a distinct head and has four pairs of short legs. The entire life cycle (17-21 days) is spent on the dog. Sarcoptic mange is readily transmitted between dogs by direct contact.

"Scabies incognito" has been described in well groomed dogs; these dogs, infested with Sarcoptic mites, are pruritic, but demonstrating the mites on skin scrapings is difficult because the crust and scale have been removed by regular bathing.

Prevention and Therapy: Regular spraying of antiparasitic powder prevents infestation of mites. Therapy includes clipping of hir, crusts and dirt removed by soaking with a good antiseborrheic shampoo and acaricidal dip applied. Amitraz is an effective scabicide. Ivermectin is not approved for this use, but 0.2 mg / kg SC is effective. Ivermectin is contraindicated in Collies and Collie crosses.

Canine Demodicosis

This common skin disease of dogs occurs when large numbers of Demodex canis mites inhabit hair follicles, sebaceous glands, or apocrine sweat glands. In small numbers, these mites are part of normal flora of the skin and cause no clinical disease. The mits are transmitted from dam to puppies during nursing within the first 72 hours after birth. Immunosuppression, natural or iatrogenic, can precipitate the disease in some cases. Other factors known to predispose demodicosis include systemic diseases, estrus, heat worm infection etc.

Therapy : The only approved treatment for demodicosis is whole-doby amitraz dip (0.025%) applied weekly or once in 3 days depending on the degree of infestation. The secondary bacterial infection must be treated with appropriate antibiotic, Carticosteroids are contraindicated.

It is an immunologic or metabolically mediated dermatoses that occurs only in Dalmatians, characterized by prutirus, discoloration and moth eaten appearance of coat, papules and urticarial wheals especially on rump and back region and predisposes the dog to secondary bacterial infections. The etiology is unknown,. It has occurred in Dalmatians with hyperuricosuria (excessive excretion of uric acid ), uric acid urolith and urinary tract infections (secondary). How hyperuricosura happens? In mammals, uric acid, by product of purine (Adenine and Guanine) metabolism is excreted in urine. Before excretion, it is further oxidized to allontion in presence of Uricase enzyme. The normal excretion of uric acid in other breeds of dogs is 50 mg / 24 hrs., whereas in the case of Dalmatians it ranges from 200-800 mg (or more) / 24 hrs. This is basically ascribed to failure in the renel reabsorption of uric acid and not on account of absence of Uricase enzyme. Thus the Dalmatians are believed to have a leaky kidney to uric acid. Dalmatians that excrete more that 550 mg of ureate per 24 hrs. are at increased risk for ureate urolithiasis since ureate begins to precipitate at this value. Diagnosis : No specific diagnostic criteria but clinical appearance, Urine analysis, hematology and uric acid metabolism evaluation are useful. Clinical Management : General principles for reasonable control and providing comfort to the dog are :- Allopurinol (specific enzyme inhibitor) @ 10 mg / kg every 8 hrs orally should be administered to reduce the production of uric acid. Check the levels of uric acid in urine; if reduced, the dosage of allopurinol should be brought down to 2 or 3 mg / kg every 8 hrs. Control of urine pH may be necessary too, since uric acid crystals form readily in acid media, while triple phosphate crystals form in alkaline media (Ideal pH in this case is 6.2). Sodium bicarbonate should be given if the urine pH is consistently below 5.5 while ascorbic acid should be given if the Urine pH is above 7. Meat free diet, vegetable diet should be given exclusively. Fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins should be provided regularly. Dogs must have water intake of at least 1500 ml / day to produce large amount of low osmolality urine. Appropriate antibiotics should be administered to control urinary tract infections. Avoid using dogs with this syndrome as breeding stock.