Even worse, your dog can get these things and more! All it takes is a flea or tick bite, and both are preventable.
When we adopted Otis, he was a sick little thing. He had tested positive for Erlichiosis, and worse, Lyme Disease. Erlichiosis is a bacterial infection transmitted by the Lone Star Tick. The bacteria, erlichae, affect the body by infecting the white blood cells and then destroying them. Your dog will likely be very fatigued/lethargic, may not have much of an appetite and lose weight, will likely have a fever, may become anemic, and may suffer from an enlarged spleen and lymph nodes. It more or less causes flu-like symptoms and lasts a couple of weeks with treatment. Treatment is generally well tolerated is typically is a course of the antibiotic doxycyline. It took Otis several weeks to recover, but he was also dealing with Lyme Disease.
Lyme Disease is also spread by ticks, usually the black-legged tick. It has some odd symptoms like sudden onset of lameness, which may or may not be accompanied by a fever. Anorexia and lethargy are also common symptoms. Once Otis came home with us, he spent much of his first week sleeping. Lyme Disease has lasting symptoms like arthritis or stiff joints when left untreated. Luckily, Lyme Disease in dogs is treatable by antibiotics like tetracyclines (such as doxycycline) and cephalosporins.
There are tons of other flea and tick borne infections and diseases such as babeiosis, bartonellosis, anaplasmosis, tapeworm, and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, just to name a few. These can cause serious illness, and even death, in both dogs and humans. It's a risk you can easily reduce or eliminate.
Prevention is key. The good news is that there are many things you can do to prevent fleas and ticks on your dogs. Some of them are store-bought, some are natural, and some are just elbow grease.
If your dog already has fleas, s/he will need a flea bath. You can do this yourself by purchasing or making a flea shampoo. Alternatively, you may prefer to take your pup to a groomer or vet for a flea bath. Some examples of a store-bought flea shampoo is Vet's Best Flea Shampoo or Advantage II flea shampoo, available at pet stores or online at places like Chewy.com or Amazon.com. Make sure to check your dog for ticks, too. Ears, groin, creases of skin, skin folds, and in between toes are places you might commonly find a tick.
You can make your own flea shampoo, too. I found a simple recipe on Food.com that is perfect for natural flea treatment. All you need is one cup of liquid dish soap (Dawn is preferable), one quart of water, and one cup of white vinegar. For best results, mix the ingredients then put the mixture in a squirt bottle, like an old shampoo bottle. Shampoo your dog and let it sit on him for at least five minutes (it's okay to keep massaging him while the shampoo does it's thing). You can use this on yourself, too. You'll also need to treat your entire home. You will need to wash all bedding (and blankets/throws around the house) including your dogs bedding. You will need to vacuum every room, every corner, every baseboard and throw out the bag when you're done. If you have a bag-less vacuum, empty it and wipe it out. Vacuum your car, too, even if your dog hasn't been in it lately, since fleas may hitch a ride on your clothing and infest your car. You'll probably also need to purchase a spray or fogger and kill off all of the fleas. You may also need to spread granules or spray your yard to kill the fleas there and prevent re-infestation.
If your dog does not yet have fleas or ticks and you want to keep it that way, then you need to work on prevention. There are inexpensive flea collars available, which I am not a fan of as they can cause irritation to your dog's skin. The skin reactions seem to be more common in cats, but it does also happen to dogs. However, if you are on a tight budget, a flea collar is better than nothing at all. You can also make your own flea collar using Apple Cider Vinegar and Lavender oil, but it does need to be replaced weekly. I'll provide recipes at the bottom of this post.
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| example of a brand of flea collar |
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| example of contact dermatitis (allergic reaction) caused by flea collar. |
There are oral medications such as Capstar or Comfortis, that will help kill and repel fleas. They don't really work for ticks, though, but are a good option if your dog's skin is too sensitive for topical medications. I prefer topical medications that are applied once a month. They work even after your dog gets wet or is bathed and lasts for several weeks. Better yet, they kill and repel not just fleas, but ticks and other parasites like mosquitoes, which transmit the dreaded Heartworm. I prefer K9 Advantix II over Frontline because I live in an area with a lot of mosquitoes, and K9 Advantix repels mosquitoes, whereas Frontline does not. That being said, the Heartworm preventative I use repels mosquitoes so I could probably use Frontline without issue. I just feel better knowing that my dogs have as much mosquito protection as possible.
Other forms of prevention require some elbow grease, and should be done in addition to your other forms of flea and tick control. Flowerbeds and corners of the yard should be cleared of leaf debris. Bushes/shrubs should be kept trimmed back, making sure the leaves or needles of the bush don't touch the ground and all leaf debris is cleared from under it. You may want to spray your yard or spread granules - though read labels carefully since many of these products can be toxic to dogs. I like to use Eco-Smart products (available at places like Home Depot, Lowe's Home Improvement, Walmart, etc) because they are safer around kids and pets, but use whatever works best for you.
Natural Flea Collar
(recipe courtesy Everyday Roots)
3-5 drops Lavender oil
1-3 tbsp water
fabric collar or bandanna
Mix the ingredients, then apply several drops (5-10) to the fabric. Repeat weekly. Another method is to dip the fabric in the mixture.
Natural Flea Spray
(recipe courtesy Everyday Roots)
1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 qt. fresh water
3 drops Lavender oil
Mix ingredients and put into a spray bottle. Lightly most your dog, taking care to avoid her face. You can spray a washcloth and then rub the washcloth on your dog's neck and face.
Flea Shampoo
(recipe courtesy Food.com)
1 cup liquid dish soap (preferably Dawn)
1 qt. water
1 cup white vinegar (ACV would also work)
Mix ingredients, put into a squirt bottle. Shampoo your dog, letting shampoo sit for about 5 minutes.
Sources:
VetInfo
CDC
VetStreet
WebMd
Food.com
Everyday Roots
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