With the onset of spring heat, the owners of dogs try to spend more time with animals in nature. But in this warm time, various dangerous insects also activate, in particular ticks that hide in green grass and on young leaves of bushes and low trees. Today, it is not necessary to go out with a dog to the forest, where it can be bitten by a tick: more and more often these insects meet in the centers of large cities. In addition, an inattentive owner can bring this blood-sucking parasite into the house on his clothes.
What does the tick tick look like in a dog?
The so-called ixodid tick, which poses a huge danger for both animals and humans, looks like a small spider of black or brown in size from 0.1 to 0.5 cm. This bloodsucking insect feels a warm-blooded animal or a person at a distance of up to ten meters . Clinging to the wool of a passing dog, the mite crawls along the body of its victim for some time and looks for a place with the most delicate skin, into which it subsequently bites. Most often it happens on the neck, back or on the ears of a dog.
Penetrates the skin of the mite gradually and after three to four hours to extract it can already be difficult. Within a few days, the mite feeds on the blood of the dog. At this time he releases into the blood of the animal special substances, which can contain pathogens of such dangerous diseases as pyroplasmosis and borreliosis.
Consequences of a tick bite in a dog
Unfortunately, after a tick bites a dog, it can take quite a long time (several weeks or even months) before the consequences of the disease begin to manifest itself. Every dog owner should know what symptoms an animal can have after a tick bite. The attentive owner may notice that his dog has become sluggish, refuses to eat. And although such a malaise can be caused by many reasons, it is necessary to carefully examine the skin and hair of the dog after any walk. The animal can begin to itch, rub against various objects or even roll around the floor, as the dog's itch appears at the site of the tick bite.
After a while, the tick ticked into the skin becomes more noticeable, as he got drunk with blood and swelling. At this time, his body looks like a bloated pea of pinkish, gray or dirty-yellow hue.
Treatment of a dog after a tick bite
Having discovered a tick on the body, it is necessary to remove it as soon as possible. Many are interested in what can be treated with a tick bite in a dog. After removing the mite for disinfection, the place of bite should be greased with iodine or green. Now you should carefully monitor the condition of the dog. Experts recommend that the temperature be measured for about two weeks, and if its reading rises above 39.5 ° C, the animal should be urgently treated with the veterinarian.
If you find a mite that crawls on the body of a dog, then you need to remove it and burn it.
The procedure for extracting the tick from the body of the dog should be carried out in rubber gloves. So you will protect yourself from dangerous diseases that are carried by ticks.