The health of our dogs.

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With the arrival of summer come the usual problems tied to the season. The dangers are many but if the appropriate precautions are taken, a lot of problems can be avoided. Here are some suggestions for preventing some of these problems.
The Foxtails	This annoying grass grows anywhere and resembles an ear of wheat. When it is green it is also beautiful to be seen but when it dries up, the seeds of the foxtail turn into minute needles that disperse into the environment, attaching themselves to everything. The parts most exposed on a dog are the ears but also the cracks of the toes and the genital zones. When these seeds break into fragments, they can invade the dog everywhere, and often cause serious damage. If we notice that our dog continually shakes its head, it is probable that it has some foxtail seeds or pieces in the ear tent. It is important, therefore to have the dog examined by a veterinarian to verify the presence of extraneous elements in the ears. Let's remember, therefore, to always cut the grass of the garden and to eliminate the cut grass. Our dogs will thank us!
The Phlebotomists	The Phlebotomist, commonly called "Pappatacio", is a similar bug to a mosquito that, however, doesn't send forth sounds. As with the mosquito, the Pappatacio also loves to suck blood. The females are the most dangerous because they are able to deposit their eggs when they are feeding on the blood. Therefore, even though the puncture of this bug is not a problem, it often becomes a problem because with the puncture this bug can transmit the Leishmaniosi, a very dangerous parasitic illness. If a female “Pappatacio" stings a dog that is already sick with Leishmania, the bug also ingests the parasite and then transmits it to all the other animals that she stings. A stung dog that becomes infected in this manner stays infected and becomes a carrier of the parasite for its whole life. The Pappatacio is present in the warm zones: the most dangerous zones are the islands and the coastal zones but in the last years many cases are also recorded in the inside zones. This bug is also present in the coastal zones of Italy, France, Spain, Greece and in many other warm countries of the world. If you decide to go on vacation in one of these zones, it is important to effect a preventive prophylaxis. Unfortunately vaccines don't exist for the illness and therefore the only remedies are to apply to the dogs some repellent products and to hold them in protected environments in the nighttime hours. We recommend in every case to arrange with your own veterinarian the most correct prophylaxis for your own dog.
Fleas and Mints	The fleas and the mints are some parasites that live in the environment and that nourish themselves with the blood of dogs and cats. These parasites are able to transmit some illnesses such as the tenia and the Piroplasmosi. It is therefore necessary to carefully check our dogs. The females of the mints are easily visible because they are larger than the males. It is important, therefore, to regularly treat our dogs with special products. Different commercial products exist but among the most effective are the so-called "spot on" ones: some drops are applied on the skin of the dog and are able to assure protection for a prolonged time. It is also important to provide to a disinfectant to the whole area where our dogs live. Unfortunately, these products are very expensive to use if there are many dogs or if one must disinfect a large number of zones. A small suggestion that will help you save a lot of money: if one wants to disinfect the ground, the products use a base of Carbaril. The product sold for use with dogs costs quite a lot but the same product can be found under another name, for agricultural use with a cost ten times less than the other! No, we cannot tell you the name publicly but it deals with a product commonly used for the protection of the potatoes. For a correct disinfection it is important, also, to regularly cut the grass of the garden.
The Travel	If during the trip we decide to bring our dog we must avoid too much suffering for the dog. If the car doesn't have conditioned air it is better to program the trip during the least warm hours. If we stop somewhere such as at a truck stop, we must not leave the car under the sun: 5 minutes under the sun can be fatal for a dog that, unlike us, is not able to disperse the heat with the sweat. Remember to use a divider or fence between you and the dog to avoid possible fines and to drive with prudence respecting the code of the road.