A Maltipoo needs to be protected from ticks since these little creatures can transmit dangerous diseases.
Some of the diseases that they carry are anaplasmosis (this sickness lasts up to 7 days with fever, joint pain and other symptoms), babesiosis (symptoms can be mild to very severe including compromised immune system and anemia), ehrlichiosis (has 3 stages; if it reaches the 3rd stage it can be fatal with low blood cell counts, neurological disorders, and kidney disease), and Lyme disease (can cause fever, lethargy, lameness, and swollen lymph nodes).
Ticks are most active in the summer and fall; however, many ticks can come out of hibernation in the winter, all it takes is a day that is above freezing.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are the only transmitter of heartworm larvae. Once in a dog’s body, the larvae grow into adult worms that invade the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels. A full-blown infection can consist of hundreds of heartworms that clog vital organs.
Attempted treatment for an infestation of adult worms is with very powerful drugs and/or surgery; although, those options have their own risks as well.
With heartworms, there can be no symptoms at all for months or even years. Signs that include coughing and lethargy often only appear once it is in the severe stage. It should be noted that heartworm protection medication won’t stop the transmission of the larvae; it works by killing the larvae before it can develop into full-grown adult worms.
Mosquitoes can also transmit West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis (a disease first seen in horses but now also seen in canines).
Fleas
It’s rather easy for a dog to catch fleas if a preventative method is not used; they can jump from animal to animal and can live up to 4 days off of a host (just waiting for your Maltipoo to walk by and be the new host).
A flea infection alone can cause severe itching; but, a common additional issue is flea bite dermatitis, which is an allergy to flea saliva. This can lead to very intense itching. Due to severe chewing and scratching, skin can break open leaving it vulnerable to infections.
It’s much easier to prevent fleas than to treat for them. This is because if a dog has fleas, there is a very high chance that the entire house is infested. They can burrow very deep into carpeting, furniture, bedding, and other items in the house. All pets and the house – top to bottom - will need to be treated.
Parasitic worms
One important thing to know about worms is that lots of puppies are born with at least one type, roundworms. This is because dams that are being given worm protection medication still have dormant larvae in their bodies and this is transferred to the pups during pregnancy or right after birth, at which time the worms awaken and become active.
Another vital aspect is that without a good parasitic prevention medication, a Maltipoo of any age can catch roundworms, as well as whipworms, pinworms, tapeworms, and hookworms. The most common way that this happens is via contaminated soil, grass, or water.
Symptoms of a Maltipoo having worms varies by the type; however, common signs include changes in appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, intestinal issues, and lethargy.
To summarize: Now that we’ve covered these insects and parasites, it’s clear that a Maltipoo should be protected from them. However, this leaves the issue of how to do this in the safest way possible. And, this is what we’ll cover next.