Can My Dog Get Chiggers?

We all know that dogs love to roam and lounge around various areas of our homes. Our dogs are like part of our family, and most pet owners care a lot about their dog’s health.  But have you ever found your dog scratching? You may not be able to see them, but chiggers are a type of parasite that can be caught by your pet dog. It will cause your dog to itch and scratch its body continually. Basically, your dog can get chiggers, and it can be a huge problem if it is left on its own, and untreated. Constant scratching from this type of parasite can leave your dog with broken skin, which will become prone to infection and other complications. It is therefore important for you to treat your dog and prevent it from catching chiggers.

WHAT ARE CHIGGERS?

So what are chiggers? Chiggers are a type of parasite or mites that are very itchy. They may attach themselves to your dog. They are usually found in dark areas, but they can also be found almost anywhere. Chiggers are most common on dogs during the season of fall or spring. While they are similar to fleas or ticks, their marks aren’t visible to the naked eye, so it will be more difficult to catch and determine if your dog has become the host of chiggers. So the next time you find your dog scratching but don’t find any visible marks, then your pet might probably has become the host to chiggers.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Seeing your pet dog suffer from the constant scratching isn’t really the best feeling. But the good thing is that various methods and remedies can easily treat chiggers. Below are some ways you can treat your pet that is suffering from chiggers. Here are some ways to relieve the symptoms:

Topical Medicines

You can apply topical medicines or steroids to combat the chiggers on your dog. These topical creams can help alleviate the itchiness from chiggers, and will also help reduce the swelling as well.

Natural Treatment Solutions and Options

For more natural remedies, you can place ice packs over the affected skin area on your pet as well. This will help with the itching. You can also bathe your dog with diluted green tea in order to help with the itching. What you can do after bathing your dog with green tea or other natural remedies to combat the itching is to apply topical creams or medicines on the affected areas.

Visit Your Veterinarian

If none of these treatment options works, then you may want to visit your veterinarian. He or she might be able to suggest a much better topical cream or method in order to get rid of the chiggers on your pet dog. This is especially if the itching doesn’t go away after a few days. The bumps should also heal and go away in a few weeks as well.

PREVENTION

Prevention is also a good thing. In order for you to prevent your dog from catching chiggers, you can constantly clean your home or the areas where your dog usually frequent in. Avoid creating a place for chiggers or other bugs or insects may want to thrive in. This is why you should maintain the cleanliness of your home and garden at all times.