As pet owners, we are always aware that our beloved cats or dogs can catch fleas. But don’t get it wrong! You still may discover a problem with fleas even though you do not have pets at home.
Your pets can pick up fleas from other animals or places and give them a ride home. Flea bites can cause a wide variety of issues for your pets, one of them is allergic and skins irritation. Learn how to deal with fleas on dogs and equipped yourself to flea prevention tips!
First thing first, ensure if it’s fleas!
Not all scratching indicates your pet infected by fleas. Scratching on ears might be indicates that your dog have a fungal infections or ear mites. Scratching or licking other body parts may also indicates that your pet have a food allergy or skin irritation.
Adult dog fleas are 2 to 3 mm long (as big as size of an apple seed). Red to brown in colour, have a flat body and have the ability to jump about 6″ vertically. Take a look on your pet’s bedding to find out whether there are any actual fleas or fleas droppings, or you can directly inspect your dog from their back and neck – where the areas that allow fleas to hide best.
Flea life cycle and appearance
- Type of parasite: insect with 6 legs
- Popular hosts: dog, cat
- Lifespan: more than 100 Days
- Reproduction: lay 20 to 40 eggs per day several weeks
- Climate preferences: warm temperatures
How do I know if my pet has fleas?
Very often, you may notice your pets scratching from time to time. Is this a normal habit or something more harmful that requires attention? When do we dwell further? Are your pets suffering from fleas disease?
Did you know? Dogs can be infected with fleas infestation but yet show minimal or no obvious symptoms? Fleas are common home pest especially in home with pets. They feed on blood to survive and usually are brought in to an environment through pets.
In some cases, there may be signs of skin irritation including inflammation and redness, resulting from self-chewing or scratching. This is because fleas will latch onto its skin, causing these irritations.
The signs will turn obvious when the fleas are more visible on the skin, as the size becomes larger due to bloating effect or dogs are seen to be suffering from severe skin itch and inflammation symptoms.
The condition escalates into a higher severity, where the dogs experience symptoms such as mild to high fever, loss of appetite, pain and lethargy, or spread of diseases such as Lyme Disease, tick paralysis and encephalitis, or gastrointestinal illnesses, impaired immune function or anemia.
What to do if my pet has fleas?
It’s critical that you deal with a flea problem before it exists. The following actions can help prevent fleas from infesting your pets:
- A thorough vacuuming of carpets, furnishings, and upholstered furniture once a week
- Groom your pets regularly with a flea comb and wash their beds weekly
- Wash your pet’s bedding regularly
- Invest in dog repellent as additional protection
Professional flea control
The most effective way to get rid of fleas is with the help of a professional pest controller. A qualified pest exterminator can provide expert services and solutions to completely eliminate a flea infestation.
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