Labrador Retriever Skin Problems

Ticks and other parasites are a particular problem of course in the warmer months as your Labrador will typically tend to spend most of his summer time outdoors.

Because of this it is very important to be careful about parasites, bugs and other micro-organisms that can harm your Lab while he gets his leisurely whiff of fresh air.

Any one of these pests can cause a lot of nuisance and damage but ticks are the number one enemy of a Lab owner since, like fleas, they carry diseases.

What Are Ticks

Basically they are horrible. They are arthropods which means they have eight legs and appear round and flat.

That is unless they have managed to gorge themselves on the blood of your unfortunate Lab in which case they will be bloated and have the appearance of a baked bean on legs.

They are a big contributor to cases of Labrador Retriever skin problems.

Ticks transmit themselves by climbing up taller structures or plants and drop onto any living and moving human or animal though they can also be dropped onto your Lab or into your garden by birds.

The danger of diseases or kinds of diseases transmitted by ticks depends upon the country and climate, but the danger of having ticks on your dogs body begins once the tick bites.

The bite itself is painless and unfeeling but the place of bite might get infected in no time.

Consulting a veterinarian is advisable for treatment which normally involves oral antibiotics. The most common disease spread by a tick bite is Lyme disease.

This very unpleasant condition can actually cripple a human never mind a Lab but don’t be alarmed, your vet will be able to tell you how high the risk of Lyme Disease is for your geographical location.

The best way to avoid ticks is to avoid walking your dog in the midst of dense vegetation during tick season. For this reason it is important to always keep the vegetation around your house trimmed and avoid overgrown fields when out walking.

Prevention is always better than cure and certain preventive products are available though your vet will be able to advise on the best products to use in your area.

Do not use any medications without consulting your vet and ensure that the products instructions are closely followed.

Removing Ticks

When your dog comes back from outdoors make sure to check him carefully for ticks. They are normally found in warm body areas, under the arms, in the ears, between the toes and in the folds of the skin.

If you find any ticks, remove them carefully. Do not touch the tick, use an alcohol swab, then pull it up slowly with tweezers.

Make sure that you do not leave any parts of the tick sticking to your dog, for example if you pull off the ticks body you may leave its head in the Labs skin; this will cause an infection. After removing the tick clean the bite with iodine or alcohol before applying antiseptic ointment.

If you are unsuccessful at removing the tick or you have any reason to be concerned contact your vet immediately.

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