Here are some important points you should know:

• Ticks are arachnids that require an oxygen-rich environment to survive.
• They are parasites, meaning they feed on the blood of other organisms.
• When ticks bite, they will immediately bury their heads in the skin of their host. After that, ticks feed on the host's blood.
• Ticks live in tall brush or grass, where they can attach to dogs and outdoor cats.
• Ticks commonly attach themselves to pets' fur when they come indoors from the outdoors.
• Ticks are most commonly found close to the head, neck, ears, and feet of pets but can be attached anywhere on the body.
• Ticks are particularly prominent in warm climates.
• Most ticks can be visible to the naked eye but ticks are often the size of a pinhead before they bite and are overlooked until they swell with blood

TICKS IN KENYA:

Canine ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne disease that is one of the most prevalent diseases in dogs in tropical and subtropical regions. This possibly deadly disease is transmitted by the brown dog tick or Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Some information about the brown tick:

• It is reddish-brown in color.
• It has an elongated body shape.
• It is found on dogs, in kennels and houses, and occasionally on wildlife.
• The most common places for attachment on dogs are those areas the animal cannot groom easily.

Symptoms and Symptoms Can Include:

• The disease can take the acute or chronic form.
• Fever.
• Depression.
• Lethargy.
• Dyspnea.
• Anorexia.
• Weight loss.
• Lymphadenopathy.
• Hemorrhage.
• Epistaxis.
• Increased hair loss.
• Vomiting.
• Blindness.
• Edema.
• Ataxia and polyarthritis.

There is an abundance of the brown tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) in most areas in Kenya due to favorable weather. Despite the control measures, this increases the risk of the disease in dogs in our warmer climates in Kenya. Therefore, protect your dog with our monthly treatment at Westlands Veterinary Clinic that covers ticks, fleas, and mites.  

Mites are tiny eight-legged arthropods that belong to Arachnida, the same class as spiders. They feed off of their host's blood, skin, and hair and can cause problems for pets.

Some signs and symptoms of mites:

• Itching Patches of hair loss.
• Excessive ear wax.
• Jerking head shaking.
• Flaky skin or scaly patches on the skin

To check if you have mites at home, look in your pet's bedding and around its living area for shed body parts like legs or dead mites.

Mites in Kenya:

• The Scabies Mite, also known as Sarcoptes scabiei.
• Presents as a contagious skin condition called sarcoptic mange (dogs) or notoedric mange (cats) and is extremely itchy and painful.
• The transmission is mainly through direct contact with other animals, contaminated grooming equipment, boarding, pet bedding, and blankets.
• The mites tunnel into the skin, causing a severe itchy sensation, and your dog or cat will incessantly scratch and bite their skin.
• Attacks skin on the ears, hocks, elbows, and usually underside of the face and chest, but can be found anywhere on the body
• Symptoms appear pretty rapidly, causing hairless and red patches to appear.
• You may also notice crusty areas on the tip of the ears, which is a characteristic sign of scabies.

Here are a few ways that you can help contain and control the spread of ticks, fleas, and mites:

• At Westlands Veterinary Clinic, we recommend monthly prevention medication to control fleas, ticks, and mites.
• Try to keep all your house and yard areas that your pets use clean.
• As your pet roams the house, fleas can hop on or off, and their eggs can fall everywhere. Cleaning, mopping, and vacuuming regularly is essential to clear out these annoying pests.
• Bedding, brushes, and other equipment should be cleaned and washed regularly to help prevent reinfestation. Avoiding other animals with apparent lesions.
• Brust your pet's fur and inspect your pet's skin regularly to check for signs of mites, fleas, or ticks.
• When boarding, make sure they have had flea/tick/mite prevention beforehand, and also bath your pet immediately after boarding sessions.
• Check that your groomer is professional and constantly disinfects his tools, and cleans all equipment.
• Remember that regular grooming will also help keep your pet's fur clean, and you will be able to notice any bites from these pests.

Worms in Dogs can be very painful and cause many other serious diseases that are preventable with monthly prevention medicine, fecal tests, and monitoring. At Westlands Veterinary Clinic, we have compiled a list of common questions that will help you understand all about worms.

Q: WHAT ARE WORMS IN DOGS?

Worms are tiny parasites that are very dogs. The five different types of worms that affect domestic dogs includes roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, heartworms and whipworms. Symptoms of worms depend on the type of worm and dog breed.

Q: DO ALL DOGS HAVE WORMS?

Surprisingly, in one study, almost 36 percent of all dogs and 52 percent of dogs sampled harbored at least one major intestinal worm parasite. Symptoms for intestinal worms are more evident in puppies. It is a fact that almost all puppies are born with roundworms and hookworms, and even those that appear healthy will usually have some worms inside them.

Q: IS DEWORMING NECESSARY FOR DOGS?

Deworming is an essential preventative care regime for reducing parasites (internal and external) and improving your pet's health. It is also vital to help prevent the transmission of parasites to you and your human family members!

Q: WHAT IS HEARTWORM, AND HOW SERIOUS IS IT?

The first worm you should be very aware of is HEARTWORM – possibly the worst of all those nasty worms!

Heartworm disease is a severe and actual fatal condition affecting dogs and cats. It is caused by a mosquito carrying the parasite that then bites your dog, injecting the parasite. The signs and symptoms of heartworm can develop very slowly, making it hard to recognize at first. Early symptoms include a lack of energy, lethargy, exercise intolerance, coughing, and difficulty breathing.

REMEMBER: Heartworm disease is increasing in frequency and is a serious and deadly disease that many of us forget to protect our dogs against. At Westlands Veterinary Clinic, we STRONGLY recommend giving your dog monthly heartworm prevention and testing YEARLY for this disease.

Q: WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER WORMS?

Transmission of intestinal worms (hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms) commonly occurs when your dog ingests contaminated soil or feces containing eggs or immature worms (larvae) that have been passed from other infected animals in the environment. Tapeworms, from eating a flea that consumed a tapeworm egg, or meat contaminated with tapeworm eggs.

At Westlands Veterinary Clinic, we recommend that puppies be dewormed every two weeks until twelve weeks of age, then monthly until six months. Once they have reached six months, a puppy can transfer onto an 'adult' worming schedule. All adult dogs need to be dewormed every three months for adequate protection.

Q: WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF DOGS HAVING WORMS?

• Diarrhea.
• Abdominal pain.
• Weight loss.
• Vomiting.
• Poor coat appearance.
• Pot-bellied appearance.
• Lethargy.
• Dehydration.
• Excessive scooting and chewing at their bottom

Q: HOW LONG FOR THE TREATMENT TO WORK?

It could take as little as two hours for the worm to start dying and 12 hours after the medication to eradicate all the parasites and worms. Keep in mind that you may still see the worms in your dog for about 1-2 weeks.

Q: WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF A DOG IS NOT DEWORMED?

The worms remain hidden away, deep in your pet's guts. Your pet could be playing, sleeping, and eating just fine, but inside he may have worms feeding, growing, and multiplying - causing your dog a lot of pain and other medical conditions.

Q: IS IT SAFE TO TOUCH A DOG WITH WORMS?

Tapeworm eggs can attach firmly to a dog's fur and accidentally ingested if you pet your dog and touch your nose or mouth. Tapeworms cause cysts in the liver and lungs, which in turn can lead to coughing blood, abdominal pain, and life-threatening allergic reactions.

That doesn't mean that you shouldn't give your dog love; it just means being sensible, avoiding mouth kisses, and washing your hands after loving your dog.

Q: CAN DOGS EAT AFTER DEWORMING?

After your dog is dewormed, it may have little or no appetite. This is a normal side effect and shouldn't be worrisome. It's a good idea to make your furbaby a meal they like after deworming as it will definitely cheer them up and encourage them to eat normally.

Q: WHAT DOES POOP LOOK LIKE IF A DOG HAS WORMS?

Roundworms can be several inches long look like spaghetti. Tapeworms cannot usually be seen in dog poop, but their egg sacs, which look like rice grains, can be found in dog poop or sticking to a dog's behind.

REMEMBER: Your dog can have worms even if they don't show in the dog's poop.  

Fleas, Ticks & Mites:

• Puppies: Most flea/tick/mite products for puppies are not considered safe to use until eight weeks of age. At Westlands Veterinary Clinic, we will be able to recommend a flea and tick preventative for your puppy to safely use and advise you on when it's safe to begin administering it to your puppy.
• Adult Dogs: We recommend that you use a monthly flea/tick/mite medicine

Heartworm:

• Puppies: Can start as early as 6 weeks of age then continue monthly.
• Adult dogs: Every month

Deworming:

• Puppies: Puppies should be dewormed every 2 weeks until 12 weeks, then we recommend monthly until six months of age. At 6 months, a puppy should continue onto the adult deworming schedule.
• Adult Dogs: Every three months for adequate protection.