External Parasites

External parasites include fleas, ticks, lice and mites.

Fleas

Fleas are nasty things that bite and transmit disease to your poodle. The bite is itchy.

If your dog is infected, his bed and your house will have them, too. There are medications, dips, sprays and shampoos to help eliminate them. Be sure to wash his bedding.

Fleas feed off of dog blood, and if your pet has a severe flea problem it can lead to anemia.

Watch for intense itching and hair loss as this can signal an allergic reaction to the fleas. Call your vet immediately if you notice this.

If your pooch has fleas, they're probably in your house as well. Your vet can give you flea medication, and you can buy a shampoo that will kill fleas on him.

Get Rid of Fleas

How to kill fleas? Vacuum the rooms your dog is in daily, if not the whole house. This helps kill the flea population and any eggs that have hatched.

Your pet's bed will need frequent washing to kill fleas and eggs and prevent more from joining your dog in his bed.

For natural ways to help keep external parasites like fleas off of your dog you can put a little eucalyptus oil in his bath water, put minced garlic and brewer's yeast in his food, and buy a flea comb and use it daily.

Ticks

Dog ticks suck blood and can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease.

You can use certain flea treatments for ticks, too. Poodles with certain clippings will have skin exposed which is a perfect place for ticks.

black miniature poodle puppy with two barettes in her hair

Bites can cause infection in your dog. Wear gloves to remove them. They're not as hard to eradicate as fleas. Check your poodle if he has been in areas where ticks might be.

Deer ticks are active in fall and spring and can cause an infection that, if not treated, can cause kidney, heart, joint and neurological problems later on for your dog. There are antibiotics to treat the infection when caught early.

If you find a tick on him, use tweezers to remove it (better than with your glove covered hand). Pull the tick out slowly making sure you have the head.

Flush it down the toilet, and apply antiseptic cream to the area on your poodle where the tick was. Check her for a few weeks for any illness and call your vet if you suspect anything.

Lice, Mites

Dog lice cause bad itching in dogs, some kinds bite the skin (which they feed off of) while others suck blood.

Mites also cause extreme itching. Check your pet's ears for a dark, waxy residue which might mean mites.

Your poodle might shake his head or use his paws to touch his ear, too. Mites live in the outer ear canal. Talk to your vet about treatment which usually lasts one month.