If your dog begins to scratch the reason must be investigated immediately. A light rash on the stomach may be caused by an allergic reaction to something but it is likely that the scratching is caused by irritation from a parasite; indeed a dog can even have an allergic reaction to fleas.

Fleas

Fleas are small reddish-brown insects which thrive on blood and are not easy to see. They move quickly through the coat and can jump great distances. The presence of flea dirt which looks like small black grains of sand is a sure sign that your dog has fleas. A wide variety of insecticidal agents are available but they should not be mixed, so take your vet's advice in this regard.

Lice

Lice are also biting insects; they are flat, grey, wingless parasites that are about a twelfth of an inch long. They are very slow movers - in fact, they hardly move at all so are easier to discover and eradicate.

Dog lice only affect the dogs in your home and are not capable of surviving off of cats and humans. They tend to accumulate on the ears and neck.

Treatment is easy; use an insecticide spray or a bath to kill them. You may be required to cut off matted hair and wash your dog about once every week with the insecticide.

Harvest mites

Harvest mites look like tiny grains of orange sand which form clusters between the dog's toes and sometimes also collect above the eyes. They can be cleared by using an appropriate shampoo bought from the vet.

Ticks

Ticks are horrible! They're blood-sucking insects which attach themselves to the skin. If you walk you're dog(s) on moorland there's a good chance they'll pick up a tick.

You must be really careful when removing ticks. If you just take the body off the head which will still be present will just grow another body!

Regardless of what you hear, burning them with a hot match is not the way to remove them; it won't remove the head and you'll probably scare the hell out of your dog and/or injure him/her.

The best and safest method of removal is to smother them in oil or vaseline to suffocate the tick.