All you need to know about fleas

External parasites are common to every dogs. A parasite is an organism that lives off the resources your dog has to offer: namely, fresh blood and a warm place to stay.

There are a wide range of parasites that affect dogs and the common ones are:

- Fleas
- Ticks
- Mites
- Lice

All of these parasites cause adverse reactions in your dog: typically, itching and inflamed skin, a dull coat, and bald spots. In advanced cases, your dog may develop anemia (blood loss) and become weaken, especially if she is very young, very old, or suffering from other conditions.

In addition to this, many parasites convey secondary and internal parasites to your dog – for example, fleas usually carry the common tapeworm, which causes constipation and flatulence, and ticks can cause a variety of much more serious problems like Lyme’s disease and paralysis.

So how do we detect and get rid of these parasite?

A CLOSER LOOK AT FLEAS

Fleas are without question the number one most common external parasite affecting dogs. They’re small, jumping insects that are light brown in color, although humans generally can’t see them as they move much too fast for our naked eyes. Thet live off your dog’s blood. The life cycle of a flea moves very rapidly from stage infancy to adult, and therefore capable of multiplying rapidly. An adult flea typically lays hundreds of eggs per day. Each egg will then become an adult flea, which lay hundreds more eggs of its own. One flea becomes a major problem very quickly! 

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR DOG HAS FLEAS

The symptoms of a flea infestation are unmistakable. A dog with a flea infestation will scratch almost constantly, often at areas that fleas seem to favor: the ears, the base of the tail, the belly, and the stifle which is the webbing of soft skin between the thigh and the abdomen.

It is actually the saliva of the flea that causes the irritation, not the bite itself, and some dogs have a genuine allergy to this saliva. Dogs with allergies suffer much more significant negative reactions to a flea infestation, and usually develop “hot spots”. These hot spots are areas of sore, inflamed, flaking, bleeding, and infected skin, caused by the flea saliva and your dog’s own reaction to it. Bald patches will sometimes develop too, from repeated scratching and ongoing inflammation.

If you suspect that your dog has fleas, you can confirm your suspicions by taking a closer look at his skin: you probably won’t be able to see the fleas themselves, but you should be able to see what looks like ground pepper, a thin sprinkling of fine black grains on his skin, which is the flea poop. If you have a flea comb, try wiping it on a paper towel after combing your dog:. If red blotches show up on the towel, you know that your dog has fleas as flea poop shows up red on a white backgrounds. 

TREATMENT FOR FLEAS

Because fleas only spend a small amount of time actually on your dog, and the rest of their time leaping through your house laying eggs and feeding on human blood, it’s not enough to just treat the dog: you also have to target his bedding, the entire house, all human bedding, and the yard. Even if it’s cold outside, you’re not necessarily off the hook: cold weather doesn’t kill flea eggs, it just puts them into a state of hibernation. The eggs will hatch as soon as it gets warm enough outside.

You will need a broad spectrum treatment which kills not only the adult fleas, but also any developing fleas, and the eggs.

PREVENTION IS THE BEST

Prevention is definitely the best cure – you should keep your dog’s flea treatments up to date with the use of a calendar, and use a treatment that’s prescribed by the vet. Off-the-shelf treatments aren’t recommended, since different dogs require different strengths depending on their size, age, and activity levels. A particular benefit of prescribed flea treatment is that most are also designed to prevent other parasites from affecting your dog.

FOR AN EXISTING INFESTATION

If your dog already has fleas, you have two options:

- You can ‘bomb’ your house and yard with a flea-pesticide. These come as foggers, which coat each room, and the yard, in a fine mist of pesticide and sprays which are applied manually to each surface throughout the house and yard. They are very effective in killing fleas and eggs, however the drawback is they are highly toxic to humans, dogs, and the environment. If you have anyone in the house with allergies or a health condition you might want to think again.

- A more health friendly alternative is to target the dog with a topical anti- lea solution prescribed by the vet such as Advantage or Revolution, and to rigorously clean the house on a regular basis until the flea problem has gone. This means vacuuming each room thoroughly each day. Change the vacuum bag to remove any fleas that get sucked up and wash all human and dog bedding in hot water as often as you can, once every day or every two days is recommended. You will be able to tell when the problem is gone because your dog won’t be scratching, and his coat will be clear of flea dirt when you inspect it. 

WHAT NOT TO DO ABOUT FLEAS

- Don’t use multiple products on your dog, it’ll make him sick, since you’ll be overloading his system with toxins.

- Don’t forget to treat all the animals in the house at the same time: cat and dog fleas are interchangeable, and if one animal has fleas, they all will have them, even if some are not displaying the symptoms.

- Flea collars are no longer recommended as a safe option for flea prevention, since the collars are highly toxic as vets have realized that placing a toxic material directly against your pet’s skin for long periods of time  is detrimental to your dog’s health. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PARASITES AND THEIR TREATMENT...

Fleas are just one of the many, many types of parasites that affect your dog. To find out more about the complete prevention and treatment of all types of parasites, both internal and external, as well as a comprehensive guide to all aspects of dog health, take a look at The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health. This book is an invaluable resource for the responsible dog owner, and will help you to ensure that your dog remains happy and healthy – just the way you want him to be!

Recommended reads:
Parasites (Natural Pet Care Pocket Series)
Guide to Skin and Haircoat Problems in Dogs
Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook