Fleas and Ticks
These insects live on your dog’s skin. They or their droppings may appear as small black dots when you look closely through your dog’s fur. Treatment involves both making your dog an inhospitable environment, and treating your home and yard to make them flea- and tick-free as well. Read more about Fleas and Ticks.

Heartworm
Heartworms are mosquito-transmitted and can be fatal to your dog. Getting rid of heartworms once a dog has become infected requires powerful drugs and possibly even hospitalization. Thus, it is much better to try to prevent the problem before it arises.

Start with an annual test to see if your dog is already carrying these deadly worms. This test involves having a blood sample taken and analyzed by a veterinarian.

If the test is negative, your veterinarian will recommend a preventive heartworm medication. This may be given either once a month or daily. These medications keep heartworms from maturing.

Ear Mites
Ear mites are tiny parasites that live on the surface of the skin lining in the ear canal. They pierce the skin surface to feed, causing inflammation and discomfort. If left untreated, bacterial infections and loss of hearing may result.

If your dog shakes his head excessively, it may cause blood vessels to rupture and soft swellings to form on the ear flap. This condition is called a hematoma and immediate treatment by a veterinarian is needed to avoid pain and possible ear deformity.

Ear mites can be transmitted from one household pet to another. Dogs with long, floppy ears are more prone to ear mite infections.

Checking a pet's ears as part of the grooming routine helps identify ear infections. When you do so, be sure to look for:

• excessive and persistent scratching around the ears
• head shaking
• restless behavior
• ears that are painful to the touch and the pet may cry out in pain
• brown material present in the ears
• foul-smelling odor

If you notice any of these, see your veterinarian and follow the advice and treatment recommended.

Remember, a certain amount of wax is normal. A word of caution: When you clean your pet's ears, use a cotton ball or clean washcloth. Avoid using a cotton-tipped swab, which can push debris into the eardrum and may damage the inner ear.