The most common external parasites dogs encounter are fleas, mites, and ticks. Because they can spread diseases like the tapeworm for example, controlling them is a must. This article describes common dog parasites, and then explains how to get rid of them.

Fleas

There’s probably nothing more irritating to both canines and humans than dog fleas! Dogs that are especially sensitive to flea saliva suffer from what's known as flea allergy dermatitis, and one bite is enough to send a sensitive dog into a scratching and biting frenzy. Here are some ways you can get rid of the pesky little buggers and return to a normal, scratch-free life!

1. Get rid of the problem at the source. You will have more success at ridding your home of fleas if you attack the source from where they’re coming from. And that would be your dog’s coat. Adequate grooming with a flea comb and medical treatment should do the job just fine.

The treatment that you apply however should come from your vet. Forget the over the counter stuff. It's not as effective as what your vet has in store and it may not even be appropriate. Whether administered in pill or topical form, the product that's best for your dog takes your pet's lifestyle and climate into account – and it comes from your vet.

Program is a pill treatment that uses lufenuron to sterilize female fleas and prevent eggs from hatching. Within just two months, this breaks the flea life cycle. The only problem with the product is that it works on the fleas that bite the dog - and not on any others!

Frontline uses fipronil to kill fleas up to three months. This is a topical treatment that's applied between a dog's or puppy's shoulder blades. Since it won't adversely affect other medication, it's a great choice for dogs that suffer from additional health related problems.

Advantage uses imidacloprid and it too, is applied to a dog's back. The imidacloprid kills fleas on contact up to a month, and does not adversely affect other medication or present a danger to puppies.

2. Vacuum your home every week. Don’t just vacuum in the areas that your dog visits, vacuum the entire house. Vacuum the floors, the furniture, and the rugs. This is the only way you’ll get rid of dog fleas that travel throughout the house via kids, other pets, or even you. And don’t forget to seal up the vacuum cleaner’s bag and throw it away **outside** when you’re done.

3. Throw your dog’s bedding and fabric toys into the washer every week as well. If the bedding is too big to fit into a washer, throw it away outside, and purchase covered bedding so that you can remove the cover for a weekly washing. Be careful when removing the bedding’s cover. You don’t want to remove it in a manner that will send existing fleas soaring throughout a room (only to jump all over the house). Roll up the cover first and then unroll it before placing it into the washer.

4. Keep the house clutter free. All the "junk" around the house gives fleas the real estate they crave to jump to and hide in. Without having access to cover, they’ll be easier to spot and remove.

5. Restrict your dog’s access. If you restrict where your dog can go within the home, you’ll reduce the severity of an existing flea problem. It’s easier for example, to get rid of a flea problem in the den than it is to get rid of a flea problem all over the house!

6. Use flea control products in heavily infested areas. Don’t be shy about using flea control products when you feel overwhelmed. Ask your vet to recommend sprays or powders that are safe enough to use throughout the home. Food grade diatomaceous earth is an effective, natural product that can be used on the floor, on furniture, and inside crevices. It can be used outside the home as well. The least toxic products contain pyrethrins or pyrethroids, but the more toxic products contain carbaryl, diazinon, Dursban, fenthion, malathion, or Sevin. Chemicals that contain methoprene or pyriproxyfen prevent flea eggs from hatching and affected larva do not reach adulthood.

7. In the yard, rake up anything that could provide shelter for fleas: leaves, dead grass, and grass clippings. Remove children’s toys and sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth in shaded areas. Since fleas avoid sunlight, you’ll kill the bulk of them in anywhere that the sun doesn’t shine, so attack shaded areas as well.

8. When you bath the dog with medicated shampoo, leave it on for 10 minutes before you rinse. Try to find a product that contains d-limonene -- a natural insecticide that's safe for both puppies and adult dogs.

Keep an eye out for ticks during the year’s warmest months, and/or anytime that you allow your dog into a damp, wooded or grassy area. Ticks are a dangerous parasite that’s known for spreading life-threatening Lyme Disease to both dogs and humans. Severe infestation can cause anemia or paralysis. You'll know you're facing a tick problem when you spot a small but fat spider-looking insect that's attached to your dog's skin. The most common are the brown tick and the American tick, but you may also encounter the deer tick and the western back-legged tick. Here’s how to safely remove each kind.

1. Spray your dog’s coat with a tick repellant, and take care not to spray the dog’s eyes, nose, mouth, inside ears, anus, or genital area.

2. Use a flea comb to remove dog ticks that haven’t yet attached themselves to your dog’s skin.

3. Put some rubbing alcohol around the tick to help loosen its grip on the dog.

4. With a pair gloves (to protect against getting lyme disease) and a set of tweezers, grab the tick near its head and gently pull it out. If you attempt to yank it out, you’ll risk breaking it off instead of completely removing it. Yanking could leave the tick’s head embedded. So with a firm but gentle force, pull it out slowly.

5. Rub the affected area with a little antibiotic ointment and then put then put the tick in a jar of alcohol or insecticide. This is the only way to kill it. Never throw a live tick into the trash or flush it down a toilet since it will survive these things and then latch onto something else later on.

Demodex mites live in a dog's hair follicles. The damage that they cause, mange, is properly determined via biopsies or skin scrapings, but its symptoms are visually noticeable: patches of hair loss and red scaly skin around the eyes, face, legs, and mouth. If mange (or demodicosis) is present on the whole body, the skin is darker and thicker.

If demodicosis is hereditary within your dog's family line, get the dog spayed or neutered to prevent passing the condition on. In the mean time, you can treat mange with a prescribed ointment or simply let it heal itself if it's mild enough. Serious mange requires that its victim be dipped in a miticide once a week and clipped if the victim bears a long coat. Should the dog suffer from a skin infection, a vet may also prescribe antibiotics.

Scabies is a contagious diseases that results from a sarcoptes mite infestation. Its victims suffer from severe itching, hair loss, and crusty sores. When dogs bite and scratch to relieve the itching, they place themselves at risk for skin infections.

Because the condition is so serious, a dog diagnosed with scabies must be isolated from all other pets and household members. Only when the condition is cured and when those who came in contact with the infected dog are treated as well, may the dog re-enter the home and property. Treatment includes prescribed shampoos and dips applied for a month. Dipping is performed once a week. For severe itching, a vet may additionally prescribe a corticosteriod.

Otherwise known as "walking dandruff," cheyletiella mites create a mildly itchy problem noticeable by white specks along a dog's back. Skin scraping will detect this condition, and a series of medicated baths will treat it. Like with scabies, all other pets that come in contact with an infected dog must be treated as well. If you can control your puppy's or adolescent dog's exposure to fleas, you can reduce its chances of catching cheyletiella mites.