Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

Foggers generally contain permethrin or synergized natural pyrethrins
(pyrethroids). Some contain insect growth regulators. One disadvantage of
foggers is that the mist settles on top of carpets and may not settle into the
cracks in upholstery and beneath furniture. Flea larvae and pupae, however,
burrow deep into the nap and also seek out cracks and crevices. To offset this
disadvantage, shampoo carpets and spray beneath furniture before activating
the fogger.
Do not use foggers in rooms where toddlers and young children live or play.
Although labels on these products say that rooms should be vacated for one to
three hours, studies show that high residue levels can remain for a week or
longer. Especially dangerous are exposed plastic toys and stuffed animals,
which seem to attract the pesticide.
Mechanical cleaning and insecticide applications must be repeated at
three-week intervals. It may take nine weeks to eliminate all visible fleas.
With a heavy infestation, it may be advisable to enlist the services of a professional
exterminator.
Outdoor control involves treating the yard, kennel, pens, runs, and
favorite resting spots. For more information, see Disinfecting the Premises, page
133.
Ticks
Ticks are found in nearly all parts of the country and are especially prevalent
in spring and fall. Ticks are vectors for several diseases in dogs, including:
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Canine ehrlichiosis
• Canine babesiosis
• Canine hepatozoonosis
• Lyme disease
THE SKIN AND COAT • 123
In the case of Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, these diseases
can also spread to humans and cats. And ticks can carry different forms of
ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and hepatozoonosis that can affect humans and other
animals.
The saliva of ticks can also produce an allergic hypersensitivity reaction
and, in the case of the female wood tick, lone star tick, and Gulf Coast tick, a
disease called tick paralysis. The most common ticks, such as the dog tick,
have males about the size of a match head and females that expand to the size
of a pea after a blood meal. Deer ticks are much smaller—about the size of a
pinhead.