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Protecting Labs From Ticks & Fleas
from: The Complete DogOutdoor dogs sooner or later come get a case of flea infestation. Especially In the summer, fleas are pretty much everywhere your Labrador wants to go, so get ready to battle against their presence on the dog and in your house. Fleas certainly like dogs, but they also go for certain humans.
Fleas are very nasty insects, since they bite the host, itch like crazy, suck blood and quite often pass on tapeworms. It takes no small effort to get rid of them from their hiding place. You can get started by buying a flea spray or powder from your vet, pet store, or grooming parlor. The dog's coat has to be completely doused with the repellent for it to work effectively, but be sure to apply it safely. Starting with the head, work down to the body, applying it against the grain of the coat. Be very careful that you protect and cover the dog's eyes, nose and mouth, because these products can be very irritating to sensitive tissue. It doesn't hur to have two people doing the head with one protecting and the other slowly and carefully applying the anti-flea agent.
Anything item frequently used by your dog (a crate or a bed etc.) should also be sprayed to kill the breeding colonies not on the dog. If the fleas work their way into carpeting and furniture, apply a heavy-duty insect bomb (available in hardware stores) to the entire house and evacuate the area for several hours. There are also commercial products (sprays, powders or liquids) you can apply to your rug after the bombing to keep embedded eggs from hatching and re-infesting the area.
To help eliminate further infestations, you can place a flea collar on the dog when he's outside (remove it inside, if you like). If the collar ever gets wet, immediately remove it because it can be very irritating to your dog's skin. If normal efforts fail to rid your dog of fleas, a flea dip may do the job. Either take the dog to a professional groomer or carefully bathe him at home following the directions given on the product's label.
Ticks are also common problems for Labradors, especially black ones whose dark coats mask their presence. Specific species are also the vectors of Lyme disease, which affects humans as well as other mammals. Ticks gnaw through the dog's skin and implant themselves in order to suck the dog's blood and must be carefully removed, not simply ripped off, because improper removal may cause the head to be torn from the tick's body and remain embedded in the dog's skin, where it may become infected or abscessed.
To remove a tick, use tweezers or your thumb and first finger to grasp it as close to the skin as possible. Exert a firm but gentle and constant upward pressure (don't twist, as this can tear the body). Some prefer to apply a tick dip to the area before removal. The dip suffocates the ticks and makes the task of removing it much easier. This isn't necessary if care is taken to remove the tick properly. A thick, red spot may remain for several days where the tick was removed. Never burn a tick off with a match or cigarette as this is simply dangerous and unnecessary.
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