What Are Dog Fleas?
Dog fleas are very small parasites which live on the blood of animals and can be found living predominantly on dogs, cats and birds as well as in the environment. They tend to congregate around the tail and butt area of a dog or cat but if the dog is infested badly enough by fleas you will find them crawling all over the body, including face and ears.
Fleas on a dog or cat will not live 100% of their time on the dog but are likely to jump on and off the dog’s body and live in the environment. If you have brick paving or surface area with cracks and grooves the fleas can live in there for up to a year. That is why you will find, if your dog or cat has fleas, they will also be in the carpet and around the house or garden. 
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It can sometimes be difficult to determine whether your dog has fleas – one flea can cause allergy and skin irritation – as they can hide in the most obscure places, particularly around the anus and tail. A good way to determine if your dog has any fleas is to use a flea comb to groom through the whole of the dog’s coat.
Another way of telling if your dog has fleas is if you part the fur and see tiny black dots near the skin. These black dots are the flea dirt and, depending how prolific they are, they may not be easily visible, particularly if your dog only has one or two fleas – it is like looking for a needle in a haystack!
Four Paws Magic Coat LED Dog Flea Comb
The Four Paws Magic Coat LED Dog Flea Comb from Chewy.com is designed to help remove pesky pests from your furry friend’s coat! This unique comb is suitable for all coat types and is specifically designed to extract fleas and ticks from your canine companion’s fur. Load the comb with two AAA batteries (not included) and press the button to activate the LED lights located along the teeth. This feature allows you to get a clear view of those unwanted visitors, so you can remove them with the double-row, tightly spaced teeth. The LED Dog Flea Comb is also built with a comfortable ergonomic handle with grooves for your fingers for superior control.
The Flea Cycle
In order to address a flea problem, it is important to understand how the breeding cycle of the flea works, i.e. prevent them breeding and laying eggs. Below is a diagram of the cycle of the breeding cycle.
It is relatively easy for your pets to pick up fleas from other animals when they are out and about of the home environment. Adult fleas jump onto your dog’s body and then they start the breeding process of laying eggs which then develop into flea larvae, flea pupa and then become an adult. This whole cycle then repeats itself and with each adult laying multitudes of eggs, this then increases the population exponentially which, in turn, creates a major flea problem that needs to be eradicated. The most effective flea treatments are the ones that target the whole flea-breeding cycle. They not only kill the flea itself but also prevent any further egg-laying.
Check out the range of Flea Prevention Products at discounted prices at 1-800-PetMeds.com!
How Do Dogs Pick Up Fleas?
Dogs can pick up fleas from virtually anywhere – even the groomer’s, the veterinary clinic, the beach, the park are not excluded – basically, anywhere other dogs or cats, or other animals frequent. If fleas are living in the ground then there doesn’t even have to be another dog around at the time. Fleas can jump and that is how they are transmitted from animal to animal. If there is a population of cats in an area then that also increases the potential for your dog to get infected. At some point in your dog’s life there is likely to be a period of time when your dog does suffer from a flea infestation and you will need to take action to get rid of them.
Cedarcide Liquid Dispensing Flea and Tick Dog and Cat Brush
Turn brushing time into pest-fighting time for your pal with the Cedarcide Liquid Dispensing Flea & Tick Dog & Cat Brush from Chewy.com! Now you don’t have to rely on a spray or dip to keep your pet protected from annoying pests that can cause disease. This brush is specially designed to penetrate even the thickest of furs to get to hidden fleas and ticks that most sprays and lotions just can’t reach. Simply unscrew the handle lid, fill it with solution (sold separately) and then groom your BFF as you would with any ordinary brush!
Help protect your furry pal from annoying pests that can spread disease with the Cedarcide Original Biting Insect Dog & Cat Spray! This chemical-free, lab-tested formula uses the power of plants—from natural cedar wood oil—to kill and repel fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, bed bugs, mites, and chiggers, with no toxins or DEET. To help control infestations on your pal, simply spray and massage into his coat anytime you need it (or fill your Liquid Dispensing Flea and Tick Dog and Cat Brush with the formula), and let the formula work on contact—thanks to its lab-tested effectiveness of 99% kill rate for fleas. Not only will it work on any fleas and ticks that are on your pal, but it will help form a pest-repelling barrier when used regularly. Since it’s made with 100% natural, eco-friendly ingredients, it’s non-toxic and safe to use around the whole family, and it won’t stain clothes, fabrics, or upholstery. Plus, you will love the fresh cedar scent and its non-oily, quick-drying formula which makes for no more slippery coats!
How to Tell if Your Dog or Cat has Fleas and Allergy Dermatits
As mentioned above, these are the indications that might appear if your dog is suffering from flea infestation and/or allergy:
- Black specks of flea dirt can be seen throughout the coat and you can see fleas running around in the fur;
- A flea infestation will, in most cases, cause extreme itchiness causing your dog to constantly bite and scratch, especially around the tail area;
- Licking and biting in other specific areas;
- Red and raw inflamed skin and skin infections or sores as a result from the licking and scratching;
- Hot spots and bald patches.
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Flea Allergies and Skin Infections
Flea allergies and skin infections occur when the fleas suck out the blood from the dog or cat by leaving the saliva on the skin. This saliva is what some dogs are allergic to and can cause severe itching and great distress. This is quite often the cause of a dog constantly licking and biting. This repetitious licking and biting can then result in redness and inflammation which develops into dermatitis and hot spots if not treated immediately. Sometimes it only takes one or two fleas on a dog or cat to cause a skin irritation and allergy. Generally, this will lead to bald patches as the fur falls out from around the affected area. It is for this reason that a flea treatment program needs to be commenced immediately.
Fleas can also transmit tapeworms so if you dog does have an infestation of fleas then it is a good idea to worm the dog in conjunction with the treatment for fleas..
TropiClean Flea and Tick Spray for Dogs and Bedding 16oz
TropiClean Maximum Strength Natural Flea and Tick Spray for Dogs and Bedding kills fleas, ticks, flea larvae, and flea eggs on contact. This powerful, yet safe and natural, spray also repels pests, including mosquitoes, for up to two weeks.
TropiClean Flea and Tick Yard Spray 32oz
TropiClean Flea and Tick Yard Spray kills fleas, ticks, flea larvae, and flea eggs on contact. This powerful, yet safe and natural, spray will also kill common pests including mosquitoes, spiders, ants, aphids & more. One bottle covers up to 5,000 square feet.
Both these products are not for use around puppies and kittens under 12 weeks of age.
How to Treat a Dog for Fleas
Step One:….. Give the dog a really thorough flea bath using an effective flea shampoo. What shampoo you use will depend upon how severe the flea infestation is and whether there is any inflammation or irritation of the skin as a result of this. If it is bad then you may need to rinse the shampoo through twice to get rid of all the dirt and the fleas (they can be stubborn and sometimes difficult to get off). If you’re not sure of which flea shampoo to use check out our page on Flea Shampoos for ideas!
Step Two:…..Spray the environment around your home – inside and out (you may need to flea bomb inside). A tip for brick paving and slabs outside is to use some drops of eucalyptus oil in a bucket of warm water and wash over the surface. This will eradicate fleas plus it gets down into the cracks between the paving cracks. Alternatively, you can purchase flea treatments for the outdoor area.
Step Three:..Start your dog on a course of flea treatment. A spot-on treatment which kills the whole cycle of the flea, not just a flea collar and powder, may be more effective in the initial stages. These flea treatments all have chemicals in them of some sort which which kill fleas but not harm the dog. As we don’t know exactly what long-term effects these chemicals have on the dog’s body through absorption into the skin it might be a good idea to cease the treatments once you are confident that the fleas have been completely eradicated.
There are products which are non-chemical and safer to use around people and pets than the chemical products. It’s a personal choice as to what product works best for you and your situation.
Check out the pages below for more information!
How to Get Rid of Fleas in the Home
As mentioned in step two above you may find it necessary to treat the home area for fleas. Flea bombs can be used inside the house where carpet is laid on the floor and outdoor sprays and solutions can be purchased for the outdoor area.
Bob Martin Flea Bomb
This ‘Bob Martin Flea Bomb’ is easy to use and is effective over a room area of 36meters. Great for riding fleas from the rooms that your pet has had access to where the transference of fleas may have occurred. Fleas need never be a problem again with this highly effective treatment.
What is the Best Treatment for Flea Allergy Skin Irritations in Dogs
The first thing to do to help your dog’s irritated skin is to follow the steps above with the direct flea treatment program. As the fleas are killed off then your dog won’t itch so much however if you want to give your dog’s skin and coat a boost to healing even quicker, then check out:
SDISC Earth Animal Flea and Tick Daily Herbal Internal Powder 1lb
from: CherryBrook
Earth Animal Flea and Tick Internal Powders are for use in dogs and cats. This powder can be added to your pets diet to protect against fleas and ticks from the inside-out. The combination of herbs in the powder helps to change your pets natural odor so that fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and insects do not like the scent or taste of blood.
– Changes the scent of your pet so that it is not attractive to insects;
– Odor change is undetectable by humans;
– 8oz Herbal powder contains no yeast;
– Given internally, all year round, highly digestible and made in the USA
0Bug!Zone for dogs by Pet Wellbeing
0Bug!Zone for dogs by Pet Wellbeing – This chemical free insect barrier is a revolutionary, non-toxic tag that uses electromagnetic frequencies to create a protective barrier from pests, therefore Flea and Tick control is not a problem when you use the 0Bug!Zone™ for dogs in place of toxic topical applications. 1 Package = 1 Flea Tag & 1 Tick Tag and under normal wearing conditions this product will be effective for up to 4 months.
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Refer to our related pages:
Dog Flea Shampoo
Dog Flea Treatment
Dog Flea and Tick Collars