Fleas are a big problem for dog owners everywhere. They cause a lot of problems for the dog and if left unchecked, they can soon your entire house. It is critical that you spot some early signs and treat your dog before anything serious happens to it.
Here are some signs you should watch out for:
You Can Spot Them on The Fur
While fleas are very small in size and difficult to spot individually without a microscope, you will be able to notice reddish-brown patches on a light coloured fur. They are usually present in large numbers (according to some experts, about a hundred fleas are present on a dog’s body around every single adult flea).
To spot them in time, you should comb your dog’s fur regularly. While combing, you should carefully look for any reddish-brown patches that are being developed on their fur. If the infestation wasn’t checked at an earlier stage and is allowed to grow, you’ll also be able to see the patches developing on the fur-less belly of your pet.
Your Pet Is Scratching Excessively
One of the earliest signs of fleas that you can spot is that your dog will be scratching more than usual. Even when you don’t spot the fleas while combing your pet’s fur, it might be possible that there are some fleas on it.
These fleas cause a lot of irritation to your pets when their saliva comes in contact with the pet’s body. Not just that, they also cause pain when they bite. So, keep an eye to check if your pet is feeling more itchy than they normally do and start early medication for these flea and ticks. Nexgard chews are one of the best options available for flea protection in dogs.
You Should Look For “Flea Dirt”
‘Flea Dirt’ are small specs of dried blood that usually appear like pepper. The blood is dried up and that is why it appears to have a brownish tinge. However, if you were to rehydrate it, it would turn red again.
You should keep an eye out for flea dirt in spots where your dog tends to spend most of its time like its bedding or the carpet of your house. If you clean these spots regularly, it won’t be difficult to notice the flea dirt and you will know that your dog is having fleas on it.
Your Dog is Losing A Lot Of Hair
Your dog’s neck and shoulder blades are the most common spots where fleas could gather. You should keep track of the hair in these regions. If you notice that they are losing it quickly, check for fleas in these regions. While fleas are not directly responsible for triggering this sort of hair loss, the irritation caused by them leads to incessant scratching by the dog and losing their hair in the process.
You Can Spot Red Marks On Their Skin
Whenever you comb your dog or check their coat for any signs of fleas, make sure to look for any spot that appears to be a bit irritated.
Flea bites cause a red mark on the skin. These marks are a bit raised and can be spotted if you look properly. Regions like the neck, tail and shoulder blades should get special attention as they are commonly the first parts where the fleas attack.
Your Pet Develops Anemia
This is generally the case when young puppies are infested with a large number of fleas. As fleas are capable of consuming blood up to 15 times than their own weight, your dog could suffer from a massive loss of red blood cells which can lead to anemia.
You can spot anemia by keeping a track of their gum’s appearance. With anemia, the gums tend to get paler.
You would be able to spot the larvae
Fleas lay eggs on their host’s fur which usually drops onto the spots like your bed. It’s quite easy to spot these eggs when they turn into larvae. Flea larvae have a brown head and are squiggly and appear similar to worms.
If you notice something like this, it means that your dog has been infested. Also, you’ll be able to spot tapeworms excreted through your dog’s rectum if there are a lot of fleas on them.
Fleas are very dangerous as they can lead to serious illnesses in your pet and can also transmit diseases to you. If you notice any sign of infestation, you must treat your dog at the earliest.