Identify & Treat Your Dog"s Skin Problems

Is your dog constantly biting, itching, gnawing, or scratching?

Well you are definitely not alone! Dog skin problems are very common in our canine companions. Unfortunately, the prevalence of this behavior has owners believing it is their dog’s normal manner – thus far too many dogs go untreated. Skin irritations are uncomfortable and unnecessary. Sometimes the solution is simple. With the right diagnoses and treatment for recovery, your dog can soon be comfortable again.
How To Control Dog Fleas

Check out your dog’s behavior. Is he frequently gnawing at the area above his tail? If so, chances are he simply has fleas. Fleas are pesky little devils, but the good news is that it has become very easy to rid them from your dog’s back.

 You can buy topical flea solutions, or oral pills over-the-counter at any vet hospital and some pet stores. The topical drops are applied on the dog’s neck, where he is unable to lick, directly on the skin. The two most common flea control brands are Frontline and Advantage. Frontline is a bit more expensive than Advantage because it also kills ticks and is water resistant in fresh water.

If your dog is a body surfer in the ocean, then you may need to apply Frontline every 3 weeks instead of the recommended once a month because salt water can strip it from his coat. Never treat your dog more than every 3 weeks however, due to the harsh chemicals. Fleas have been known to grow immunities to flea medicine after a while. This happens through the birth of one mutant immune flea that breeds with another flea. All of the eggs from the two can be born immune to the product. If this is the case, then switch to Promeris. Promeris has an entirely different active ingredient in it than any other topical flea medicine so it will quickly wipe out your freaky little flea infestation. If you have any cats at home then do not let them lick the Dog Promeris off his back because the chemicals can be toxic to cats.

Capstar is an oral pill that will kill the fleas instantly off the back of your dog within 30 minutes but it only lasts 24 hours. It can be given as often as once a day with no risks. You should always have a box on hand to give him one before he gets social at the beach, dog park, or kennel to prevent getting fleas from his dog fiends.

Each female flea has been known to drop 30 eggs a day! Most of those eggs fall into your carpet. To kill the flea eggs in the carpet you can buy Borax found down any laundry isle. Before vacuuming, sprinkle a moderate amount into your carpet and scuff it in with your feet to scratch up the existing eggs so they will be unable to hatch. Flea dips and flea shampoos do not work. They are the old fashioned method of flea control. The modern day consensus is that their chemical solutions can cause more harm than good.