Blood-sucking bugs can cause your pup intense itching and scabbing, making his life miserable. The nasty parasites can even transmit diseases and lead to harmful conditions, such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and anemia. Luckily, your vet can come up with a treatment plan to combat the nasty annoyances.
Bugs
Problematic blood-sucking bugs include fleas, sucking lice and ticks. Fleas are tiny and black. They're fast moving and can jump. Lice are tiny, brownish and fairly slow moving. Ticks are oval-shaped, have eight legs and burrow their head into your pup's skin. They look grayish when engorged. Fleas and lice live in groups and fleas infest your house; ticks do neither. Mosquitoes can also suck your pup's blood, but do not pose as much of a concern as the others. Mites generally don't feed on blood. Bed bugs can affect your pup, but they much prefer humans.
Treatment
If you notice any bugs on your pal, make a vet appointment. Your vet can accurately ID the parasite. Shampoos and medications can remove and prevent fleas and lice, while you can simply pluck ticks right out -- your vet can show you how. Because fleas infest your house, you'll need to eliminate them from your home. You can try home remedies, but contact a pest control specialist if they don't work.
References
Writer Bio
Located in Pittsburgh, Chris Miksen has been writing instructional articles on a wide range of topics for online publications since 2007. He currently owns and operates a vending business. Miksen has written a variety of technical and business articles throughout his writing career. He studied journalism at the Community College of Allegheny County.