Thursday, October 18, 2012

Treating Fleas, Ticks & Common Parasites In Your Bulldog

Fleas, ticks and intestinal parasite are all very common issue in dogs, with English Bulldogs being no exception. Although common, the treatment and prevention of these parasites should be taken seriously, especially since most Bulldogs are house dogs.

Luckily, all of these problem bugs can be treated (and prevented) relatively easily. Fleas and ticks are best handled before they become a problem! This is best done by using a flea and tick preventative once a month.

We use Frontline Plus for all of our Bulldog Pros Bulldogs and puppies. It's a quick and easy way to prevent common fleas and ticks. It works very well and can be used on puppies as young as 8 weeks of age.

Frontline Plus is reasonably priced and comes in easy-to-use applicators that take less than 30 seconds to apply. Just make sure you read and follow all the directions before applying any of these types products on your Bulldog.

If a preventative was not used and you find yourself with a Bulldog full of fleas or ticks, there are many shampoos and dips available that do a great job of ridding your dog of these nasty little things. If you are unsure of which product to use, or how to use them, your local pet groomer should be able do this properly for you at a reasonable rate.

Just be sure NOT to apply a preventative immediately following a flea bath/dip and vice versa. Read the directions for each to determine the length of time to wait between products, as a combination of these can poison your Bulldog.

Intestinal parasites (worms) are also a very common problem, but are also treated and prevented in a fairly easy manner. There is a wide range of de-worming treatments that can be found in almost any big-box store that do good job of ridding your dog of worms.

However, if after a few treatments, you are still seeing worms in your Bulldogs stool, you will need to get a stronger de-wormer directly from your vet. Certain types of worms must be treated with a specific medicines and only your vet will be able to determine the type of worm and treatment required.

The best way to handle all of these common issues is to have a preventative plan in place immediately upon adopting your Bulldog. In addition to their vaccinations, they should be on scheduled preventatives to stay healthy.

Your best option is to ask your vet what products your Bulldog will need, based on his or her age and current health, and how often they need to be administered...and then make sure to follow their advice.