1. We have a big problem with ticks and fleas at home. What can we do?
2. What should I feed my dog? I heard pellets are the best but my dog doesn’t like them?
3. Are fleas and ticks dangerous to humans?
4. How do I stop my two female dogs from fighting?
5. How often should I de-worm my dog?
6. How often should I wash my dog?
7. Should I be giving my dog multi vitamins and if so, what should I give him?
8. How do I stop my dog from digging up my garden?
9. Is milk bad for dogs?
10. Are bones bad for dogs?
11. Can I over exercise my dog?
12. Should I use a flea collar on my cat/dog?
13. My dog has a big sore under his eye? Should I treat it with anything? What should I look for before taking him to the vet?
14. Is there a way of telling whether my dog is fat or not?
15. My dog scratches all the time. What can I do to stop him scratching?

We have a big problem with ticks and fleas at home. What can we do?

Ticks and fleas are bloodsucking ectoparasites that can be hard to deal with both for the animals and for the owners! The infestations will flare up in damp and hot weather because this favours the hatching of the parasites eggs.

Common misconception about these parasites is that they live on animals…they only come on the animals to feed! They, in fact live in the immediate environment of the animal; in bedding, cracks and any small holes that may be present in your house/yard/kennel.

There are very effective anti ectoparasite treatment available on the market, namely:

• Permethrin – comes in the form of concentrate (Barricade®) that you must add to water and apply as bath or spray on the animal. Can also be found in the form of spray canisters (Tiquanis®)
  
• Amitraz – concentrate (TakTik®, Milbitraz®) that you must add to water and apply as bath or spray on the animal
• Fipronil – Pour on compound, that you put in small amounts over the back and it diffuses to cover the whole skin of your animal (Frontline®)

What should I feed my dog? I heard pellets are the best but my dog doesn’t like them?

Pellets are the best food in the sense that you will know exactly what is going in your dog and it’s also supposed to be a well balanced diet. I will always recommend owners to start weaned puppies on pellets for at least the first 6 -8 months of their lives; that’s the period of active growth for the animal and you would want to make sure they get the proteins they need to “bulk up” and have a good start in life.

The usual home cooked meals are good too but you have no indication nor control over the amount of protein and fat that is in them.

Remember also that dogs are predominantly carnivores and their system is not well equipped to process carbohydrates (rice, pasta etc) and if not exercised they will sure end up being obese if fed daily on carbs

Having said the above, you should choose carefully your pellets and check the contents before buying. As a rule of thumb, get dry food with highest protein content for puppies and pregnant bitches (yeah, pregnant bitches should get “puppy pellets”…) and opt for pellets with higher fibre (roughage) content for adult dogs

Are fleas and ticks dangerous to humans?

Not really…

If there is a dog and a human around, the flea will choose the dog. Flea saliva can cause irritations of various degrees depending on the persons and flea droppings have frequently been associated with allergies in kids.

Ticks also, will not readily parasitise humans but can be carriers of the so called “Tick-Borne diseases” of which the tick fever virus is dangerous for humans too.

None have been reported in humans in Mauritius

How do I stop my two female dogs from fighting?

There are so many causes of fights between dogs! The most common remains hierarchy problems. As a pack animal, a dog needs to know the exact position he/she occupies in the group and by “the group” I mean also you and your family. Two dominant dogs would fight or display aggressive behavior and postures until they establish who is the boss. It helps a lot if a human in the “pack” establishes the dominant role and clearly define each animal’s place. You can predefine each animal’s territory too.

Second most common cause of fight is “jealousy”. Usually happens when a new dog is brought in the household and is “naturally” given more attention than other dogs that were there already. If the newcomer requires comforting and cuddles, never do that in front of the other former “residents”

How often should I de-worm my dog?

Just like ectoparasites, worms have a life cycle with different stages and each stage occurs in different environmants or hosts. The deworming schedule is aimed to kill the adults in your dog’s intestines and also get rid of the secong reinfestation wave from the environment. Details as follows:

How often should I wash my dog?

Every 2 weeks is the most frequently you can do so but the best is to bathe it on a monthly basis. Dogs skin produce an oily substance that keeps the fur shiny and healthy and also protects the skin fron infestation and infections. If you wash the animal too often you take away this protection and the fur becomes dry and break easily or even falls off.

Should I be giving my dog multi vitamins and if so, what should I give him?

If your dog is on a healthy diet, there is no need for vitamins. But if you want really to boost appetite then go for the vit B complex and for general health and coat get some cod liver oil caplets (Vit A, D, E)

How do I stop my dog from digging up my garden?

Dogs digging in the garden are most commonly a sign that your dog is craving for attention or that it is stressed. So try to find out the cause and instead of scolding/punishing the animal, try to divert his attention on something else or give extra attention.

Dogs will also dig holes to bury bones.

Is milk bad for dogs?

Not necessarily…but just like humans, there are some individuals who have some sort or “lactose intolerance” and have diarrhea with milk. When giving milk as replacement from mum’s milk, add an egg to it because canine milk is normally richer in fat than regular cow milk.

Are bones bad for dogs?

All bones are bad for puppies because of their milk dentition. Remember, you do not give a bone to a dog for Calcium supplementation but mostly as an enrichment for gnawing and playing with (natural instinct).

Chicken bones are definitely dangerous for all sizes of dogs due to the fact that they will break with pointed edges when chewed upon and might injure the throat, soft palate of the animals. AVOID CHICKEN BONES FOR DOGS.

Can I over exercise my dog?

Yes. Just like any living creature, a dogs anatomy and musculature is built up during evolution for specific movements and functions. You can easily strain his muscles if you force him to perform actions that are not natural to dogs (muscles contracting outside normal range). This will manifest itself as lameness, not bearing weight on limbs, swollen joints etc…all usually on the next day (when the adrenaline rush is over and the muscles have cooled down)

Common dogs are not designed for long lasting exercise (running, chasing, jumping etc) especially in our hot climate here…so you can easily overexercise a “house-dog” with a sudden episode of excessive physical activity. Usually the dog will let you know that by lying down in a shady corner and ignore your “commands”.

Should I use a flea collar on my cat/dog?

I would not recommend flea collars due to the following:

• Not really effective
• If dog chews on it they will get intoxicated with the product in it.

My dog has a big sore under his eye? Should I treat it with anything? What should I look for before taking him to the vet?

Any sore, be it under the eye or anywhere else should be monitored and investigated. i.e get objective data such as measurements( big, small, large etc are all subjective and give no idea of the progression of the sore) and assess reaction of animal to palpation of the affected area.

Benign stuff should clear up in a couple of days…if not a vet check up is your best option.

Is there a way of telling whether my dog is fat or not?

Follow this link for further information: http://www.cathelp-online.com/health/bscore.php

My dog scratches all the time. What can I do to stop him scratching?

Scratching can have numerous causes (Allergies, Fleas, ticks, Worms, Mange, Hormones,Stress(Nervous) Fungus…) The best thing is to take it to a vet for a complete exam.