When you notice your dog is not behaving as himself and catch him constantly scratching himself, it could be that your dog is suffering from fleas. These tiny insects are common to ambush both cats and dogs who carry them around in their fur. With their incredible jumping ability, fleas can easily jump from the ground on your pet or from pet to pet. As a pet owner, you must check your dog for fleas regularly as they can make your pet not only miserable but also seriously ill if left untreated. Depending on the age and wellbeing of your furry friend, fleas can pose a serious health threat.
In addition to the itching they cause, fleas can also transmit severe infections and can cause flea allergy dermatitis and anemia. It is therefore extremely important as a dog owner to recognize a flea infestation and how to properly treat the ambush. Fleas are annoying tiny creatures and when your dog is ambushed, they can jump through your house and even jump to humans or other pets. Do you suspect your dog is suffering from fleas, but are you not entirely sure? Continue reading and learn about the key symptoms to determine whether your dog is suffering from fleas or not. You will also learn how to treat the infestation properly, so your dog can be his happy self again.
What are fleas?
Fleas are very tiny insects that mostly live in the fur of your cat or dog. Though they are tiny, the discomfort they cause to your dog can be huge. When it is time for fleas to reproduce, they rely on a blood meal and start looking for pets to ambush. Your pet and its fur make the perfect place for a flea to reproduce. The blood from your pet serves as fuel for the fleas to lay eggs, and your pet’s fur makes a safe environment for the eggs to come out.
An adult flea can produce as much as 50 eggs a day and to be able to do this, they need to consume big amounts of fuel. A flea is more than capable of doing so, as it can eat as much as 15 times its own body weight, which is a huge amount for such a tiny insect. Fleas have a rapid reproduction rate and can multiply themselves in a matter of seconds. The average amount of fleas a dog can carry in its fur when being infested is between 200 and 300 fleas.
Health implications
Many dog owners are aware fleas cause itching and discomfort to their dog, but many often don’t realize the serious health implications a flea infestation can cause. For many dog owners, a flea infection seems innocent, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When left untreated, a flea ambush can make your dog not only miserable but, in some instances, even seriously ill. Fleas have a rapid reproduction rate and need loads of blood to survive.
This can lead to your dog suffering from a low level of red blood cells or even Anemia, which is a serious health condition that needs treatment immediately. If left untreated this can lead to extreme fatigue, hyperventilation or even death. Of course, you don’t want that to happen to your furry friend!
Tapeworm infection
Dogs try to ease the itching by scratching or biting themselves. If a dog accidentally swallows a flea, this could lead to tapeworm infection if the swallowed flea is infected. Once the flea reaches your dog’s stomach, the tapeworm will attract itself by sucking itself to the intestinal lining. You can recognize a tapeworm infection by spotting white rice-like eggs around your dog’s backside. It is important to treat the infection quickly to prevent serious discomfort from happening.
Bartonellosis infection
Not only do fleas cause severe itching, but they can also transmit serious infections to your dog through feeding on your dog. When a flea bites an infected animal, the flea becomes infected itself and can transmit this infection to your pet. Research has shown that fleas can transmit the bacteria Bartonella to your dog, which can lead to a bartonellosis infection.
Even though the source of the infection remains slightly unclear, increasing evidence shows the infection to be linked to fleas. Bartonellosis can cause a number of symptoms including nausea, loss of appetite, fever, irregular heartbeat, vomiting and diarrhea. Some dogs also suffer from joint pain and altered brain function. When your dog has been infected, it is unlikely he will show any symptoms. Symptoms for Bartonellosis usually show when the infection is already posing a serious health threat.
FAD (Flea Allergy Dermatitis)
On top of this, many dogs are allergic to fleas and suffer from FAD (Flea Allergy Dermatitis). When your dog suffers from FAD, an immune response is triggered when your dog is bitten by a flea. This response leads to severe skin itching and irritation, skin infections and hair loss. Dogs will continue to suffer from these symptoms until flea infestation is treated. This is one of the most common reasons dog owners take their dogs to the vet for treatment.
With the naked eye, fleas might be hard to spot for dog owners. Your dog can suffer from flea infestation and it causes them severe discomfort and restlessness. It is therefore of high importance to take immediate action when you suspect your dog has fleas. It is therefore vital to recognize the symptoms of a flea ambush so you can prevent your dog from becoming unhappy or even seriously ill.
How do you recognize fleas?
Fleas are tiny, tiny creatures. They are only between 1.5 mm and 4mm. It does not come as a surprise that some flea infestations go unnoticed, since the invaders are smaller than a sesame seed. However, there are a couple of ways you can notice an infestation. One of the most obvious ways of recognizing a flea infestation is by noticing your dog scratching himself excessively.
Dogs scratch themselves from time to time, but if you notice your furry friend scratching themselves far more than usual, this could be a great indicator your dog has been ambushed. Even though fleas are not the only cause of itching, it is of huge importance to not let this symptom go unnoticed. When your dog is ambushed, it is important for your dog to get treatment quickly to prevent the infestation from escalating. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Begin a search
If your dog indeed scratches himself more than usual, it is important you investigate his fur. Check your dog’s fur for fleas and flea dirt to prevent serious health complications from happening. When living in your pet’s fur, fleas excrete a substance which is called flea dirt. Flea dirt is made out of undigested blood which gets left behind in your dog’s fur.
Flea dirt looks like small reddish/black crumbs in the fur of your pet and can be found close to the skin. It might be difficult to spot the fleas with the naked eye, that’s why flea dirt is a great way of confirming a flea infestation. When you find flea dirt in your pet’s fur, it is important to take action immediately. There are a couple of things you can do as a dog owner to prevent the infestation from escalating. The most important one is to treat the infestation as soon as possible.
My dog has fleas: what should I do now?
Once you are sure your dog is suffering from a flea infestation, it is important to take immediate action. Start by giving your dog a lukewarm bath and use mild shampoo. Fleas aren’t the biggest fans of water and a bath can help the fleas leave your pet’s fur and skin. You can use any mild dog shampoo that you already own.
If you plan on using an anti-flea shampoo, make sure to contact your vet before you use this shampoo. Some dogs can have an allergic reaction to these shampoos. It’s therefore of great importance to check with your vet if you can use the anti-flea shampoo you intend on using. If your dog doesn’t react well to baths, you can by all means skip this step.
Flea comb
While a bath can help remove fleas, it is not an essential step. When your pet is fully dried, comb his fur with a special flea comb. Make sure to be gentle with this step as your dog’s skin can be overly sensitive when suffering from a flea infestation. Pay extra care to the neck and tail area, as these are the places fleas tend to feed the most. Flea combs are also great for removing flea dirt. When catching a flea on the flea comb, make sure to kill it in a tub of hot and soapy water. This is the best way to kill the fleas.
Don’t try to kill the fleas by hand, as they are extremely hard to kill this way. Also, the chances of the fleas escaping are really high. After you think you have removed all the fleas, it is important to do regular checkups. Another way to treat the infestation is by taking your dog to the vet. The vet can examine your dog and prescribe the most suitable treatment. Often you can buy flea treatments over the counter in your local pet shop. It is however important you discuss the usage of these products with your vet first to exclude any allergic reactions from happening.
You now know what the signs are when your dog possibly has fleas. Fleas can be very dangerous for a dog, so it’s very important that it is treated in time. If you know your dog has fleas, make sure to comb the fur of your dog with a special comb. If you don’t know how to do this, or you’re scared for the health of your dog, make sure you take your dog to the vet. The vet will know how to treat it. Has your dog ever had fleas? How did you cure it? Please let us know in the comments, we would like to know your experiences and tips!
