Fleas on Dogs

One of the things that all dog owners dread about the summer is fleas. Fleas on dogs are a nuisance that might represent some health issues.

The most common forms of dogs getting infested with these brown insects are through contact with other dogs or from the air. These insects have strong legs which allow them to jump long distances from host to host or from the air to the host. They cannot fly but they can certainly move long distances with one leap.

When a dog gets fleas, it will cause itching. But if a dog is too sensitive to the bite, it would only take one flea to make him itch all over.

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How To Detect Fleas on Dogs

Since they are very tiny, fleas on dogs are hard to detect, especially on dark-coated dogs. Look for “flea dirt” on your dog. They look like loose pieces of pepper. Place them on a wet paper towel. If they spread on the paper towel, it is definitively flea poop and your dog is infested. Due to the 14-day life cycle of fleas, it is important to treat not only the animal but the outdoor and indoor environment where they live. There are usually two types of treatments: Chemical and Non-Chemical options

Chemical removal of Fleas on Dogs

Fleas are persistent and they will usually not go away on the first try. Some of the best options is buying a tablet for the dog to take orally. This will eliminate at least 90% of the fleas during the first 30 minutes. Spot-on treatments will usually take a few days to work. Some of them only target one stage of the fleas, so it is important to get the right one.

Non-Chemical removal of Fleas on Dogs

You can also find some pretty good tick and fleas removal shampoos on the market. Just make sure that your dog is comfortable being soaped and soaking wet for 10 minutes since that is the time it takes for the shampoo to sink in.

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