GROOMING & CARING

EXTERNAL PARASITE CONTROL PROGRAM

MidogZ™ will put your dog on a preventive treatment programme

against the following external parasites:

·        ticks;

·        fleas;

·        ear mites, and

·        biting flies.

The dog’s immediate living area

MidogZ™  does not only apply preventive measures on your dog,

but also spray the dogs bedding; sleeping and favourite resting

areas, against the following:

·        flies (adults including house flies, lesser houseflies,

         stable flies;

·        fly maggots;

·        mosquitoes (adult);

·        fleas, bedbugs, cockroaches, fish moths, and

·        ants.    

 

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Parasites: Informative information

Introduction

Parasites are external and internal organisms, which exist by living

on a host such as your dog.

Parasites found on the outside of your dog’s body, are called

external parasites and on the inside of your dog’s body, internal

parasites.

External parasites

There are two groups of external parasites, namely:

·        Macroscopic
    These parasites can be seen with the human eye.

·        Microscopic
    Can only be seen by using a special instrument, such as a
    microscope.

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Macroscopic  

The most common external macroscopic parasites and how they can

affect your dog: 
          

Ticks
Ticks cause:

·        tick fever (billiary fever);

·        sores in the skin and wounds, and

·        ear irritation, which can lead to external ear infection.

Fleas
Fleas cause:

·        skin irritation which leads to eczema, and

·        tapeworm infection in dogs and humans.

Lice
Lice cause

·        skin irritation, which may lead to eczema.

Biting flies
Biting flies cause:

·        skin sores;

·        irritations;

·        anemia, and

·        during the summer months, blood is sucked from the

         dog’s ears.

Preventive Measures

·        put the dog on parasite control programme,

·        comb and brush dogs daily, and

·        treat the environment against these parasites.

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Microscopic

External microscopic parasites and how they can affect your dog:   

Sarcoptes

Infection takes place when a healthy dog comes into contact with

an infected one.   

Symptoms: 

·        sores on edges of ears; face and legs near the paws;

·        loss of hair which leaves patches, and

·        dog experiences a terrible itch.

Demodex

Symptoms:

·        First signs are: areas where the hair falls out, which leaves

         dry scaly patches that does not itch.

·        In more serious cases the skin is swollen and pimples

         appear, bleed and ooze blue-red.

·        By this time the infection rapidly spreads over the whole

         body.

Preventive Measures

·        place the dog on a parasite control programme,

·        comb and brush dogs daily, and

·        treat the environment against these parasites.

NB. Only a qualified vet can do an appropriate identification of microscopic parasite infection.  Suspicious cases should be

referred to your local vet for diagnosis and treatment ASAP.

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INTERNAL PARASITE CONTROL PROGRAMME.

MidogZ™  will put your dog on a preventive treatment programme

against the following internal parasites;

·        Tapeworm;

·        Roundworm, and

·        Hookworm

Informative information

Tapeworm

Description

·        The worm is flat and segmented.

·        They use nutritious foodstuffs that is a necessity in

         your puppy’s growth.

·        Mature dogs build up a resistance against the worms.

·        Tapeworm can be carried over by dogs to human beings.

Symptoms  

·        Ripe segments break off which appear in the faeces and

         looks like cooked rice grains.

·        Dog is in a weak condition.

·        Undeveloped growth.

·        Increased number of stools.

Roundworm

Description

·        Round sturdy worm; between 5 and 7,5 cm. in length and

         are light pink to light red in color.

·        Eggs that cannot be seen with the human eye are excreted

         in the faeces.

·        Infection occurs when the dog ingests the eggs by mouth.

·        This worm is more dangerous than the tapeworm especially

         in young puppies, which can be infected before or just

         after birth.

Symptoms

·        Rapid weight loss;

·        dull coat;

·        potbelly develops;

·        increased stools;

·        vomiting;

·        puppies often develop nervous symptoms, and

·        adult worms can often be seen in the faces

Hookworms

Description

·        A thin roundworm between 1,25 and 1,87 cm long.

·        Eggs cannot be seen with the human eye and are

         excreted in the faeces.

·        Adult worms are found in the intestines of the dog.

·        Infection takes place when the eggs hatch and the

         larvae penetrate the skin of the dog into the

         bloodstream, thereafter they make their way to the

         respiratory system.

·        This is the most dangerous worm to infect dogs.

Symptoms

·        Black, tarry soft faeces which can be bloody.

·        Pale mucus membranes (anemia)

·        Listlessness.

·        Poor appetite

·        Vomiting

·        Increase stools

Treatment

Preventive treatment is always the best treatment; however, if

your dog is infected with worms then the vet must be contacted

as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and treatment can save your

dog’s life.

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GENERAL GROOMING

MidogZ™  with each visit will brush and comb your dog.  We also

spray your dog’s coat with a cologne fragrance grooming spray while combing and brushing. This pet product also enhances the shine of

your dog’s coat.

Informative information
It is essential that you get your dog used to being handled by

humans from an early age. If you regularly play, handle and groom

your dog as a puppy, then there is far less chance of problems later

when it comes to human interaction.

Why should I groom my dog?

·      Brushing and combing also assist the consistent combat

       against external parasites like ticks and fleas.

       Brushing and combing the dog on a regular basis removes

       not only the loose hair but also helps to stimulate blood

       circulation, which is essential to ensure a healthy and

       shining coat.

·      Prevent the coat from matting, particularly in the case of

       heavy coated dogs

   ·      Aid shedding of the coat. 

·      Provide the necessary contact so that a close physical

       examination can be conducted. This is the ideal opportunity

       to inspect the dog’s skin for any skin irregularities like ‘hot

       spots’ as it is important to detect and treat skin problems

       ASAP.              

·     A dog finds brushing and combing mentally stimulating and

      helps the  dog to get used to human interaction like the

      examination process at your vet.

   ·     Dogs that are brushed and combed on a regular basis seldom

         need to be bathed.

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CLEANING OF EARS
 

MidogZ™  with each visit will keep your dog’s ears clean and free

of wax build-up by gently wiping the ears with a specially designed

product.

Informative information
As a pet owner you should understand that regular, at-home

maintenance is the first step towards healthy ears. Most dogs will encounter some ear problems at one time or another during their life.

The majority of the problems start with external ear infection in the

outer ear.

Causes   

·      External parasites (eg.) ticks. Ear mites and biting flies are

       the most common causes of ear problems.

·      Excessive earwax.

·      Foreign objects like grass seeds.

·      Sores that won’t heal.

·      Hypersensitivity to foods.

Symptoms

·      Restlessness.

·      Constant head shaking.

·      Scratching and rubbing of the infected ear.

·      Tilting of the head with the infected ear towards the

       ground.

·      Bad smell emanating from ear which is an indication of

       an excessively dirty ear canal.

·      Moist and red ear canal.

·      Certain breeds have genetic skin disorders that predispose

       them to ear problems.

Always return the dog for a follow-up exam to make sure the entire infection is gone.

In Conclusion...
If problems are noticed, the sooner the cause can be eliminated and managed, the sooner your dog will be able to live more comfortably.

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SHAMPOO YOUR DOG
MidogZ™  will also bath your dog twice a year. We prefer to

bathe the dogs before and after summer. When bathing the dogs

it removes the natural oils from the coat; this could be bad for the

dogs skin if the dog is bathed too frequently. These oils are also an important factor when dipping a dog for ticks and fleas, as these oils interact with most dip chemicals.

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WASHING & DISINFECTING THE FOOD AND WATER BOWL

MidogZ™  on each visit will wash and disinfect your dog’s food bowl,

as the dog’s food and water bowl becomes the ideal breeding

grounds for bacteria if not kept clean. This can cause nasty and

severe stomach and other disorders.

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ELEMENTARY HEALTH REPORT
MidogZ™  will on each weekly visit do an elementary health

examination of your dog and present the dog owner with a

standardised written report.

The examination will cover the following health points:

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General reaction of the dog.

On approaching the dog in it’s environment we will be able to see if

it is lively or listless.

Coat and Skin
When the dog’s coat and skin are inspected, certain specifics will

be examined, pimples, dull coat, hair falling out, ticks, sores, etc.

Ears
We will check to see if there are any sores in the ears or if there

are signs of irritation while cleaning the ears. 

Eyes
We will inspect the dog’s eyes to see if there are any abnormalities.

It sometimes happens that a mucous excretion appears at the

corners of the dog’s eyes, which is an indication of irritation of

the eye.

Mouth
See if any of the dog’s teeth are broken or if there are any sores

or swelling.

Mucous membranes
We will inspect the mucous membranes that are easily observed

and are situated in the dog’s eyes and mouth.  Here we will examine

the color of the mucous membranes, to see if there is any deviation

from the normal color, which is light red to pink.

NB. Any deviation should be taken as a sign of serious ailment

and the matter must be reported to your vet without any

further delay.

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The dog’s temperature
The dog’s temperature will only be taken if there is doubt as to

whether the dog is sick or not.  A healthy dog’s temperature is

between 38 and 39 degrees Celsius.  Remember that a dog’s

temperature will be higher on a hot day or after it has been

exercised.

Pulse
It is only necessary to take a dog’s pulse-rate when one suspects

that the dog might be sick.  The pulse-rate can vary between

70 and 90 beats per minute which is accepted as normal.  Again a

dog that has just been exercised will have a higher pulse-rate.

Summary/Action
The following points cannot be monitored by us but can easily be

monitored by the dog owner as he or she would be in a more

favourable position to observe the following:

The dog’s appetite
In other words, did the dog eat as normal, did he eat abnormally,

or not at all. Listlessness and loss of appetite is normally the early

signs when a dog becomes sick.

Faeces
Normally the stools are not loose or hard and are of a light-brown

of color.

Look at the following;

·        Is the color normal?

·        Are there any signs of blood in the stool?

·        What is the texture (loose or hard)

·        Are there any sign of worms? 

Urine
It should also be observed;

·        How frequently the dog urinates.

·        Any abnormalities from its daily routine

·        That the color of the urine should be straw yellow.

This elementary health check can also be easily done by the dog

owner. This way a dog owner can at an early stage pick up if his

dog might be sick and its always better if  a dog receives early

treatment. All information about the dog’s behavior, habits and any abnormalities are of great value to the vet in making a diagnosis and

would most often inquire about some of these issues.

NB. The help of the local vet should be called in if there any doubt

about the health condition of the dog. 

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