How to Tell if Your Dog Has Fleas
Look for signs of frequent, excessive itching and scratching., Examine your dog’s skin for sign of bumps and red pimples., Look for signs of hair loss, dry skin, and scabbing., Hunt down fleas themselves by performing a thorough visual inspection of...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look for signs of frequent
When fleas feed on your dog’s blood, your dog will itch, scratch, lick, or chew at flea bites due to experiencing irritation or an allergic reaction to flea saliva.
Your dog may also shake its head or scratch its ears.
Keep an eye on your dog more often than usual to watch for signs of itching and scratching. -
Step 2: excessive itching and scratching.
These signs are indicative of flea bites, and are most commonly found on your dog’s stomach, groin, armpits, under the hind legs, and at the base of the tail.
Gently roll your dog over on his or her back, and perform a full examination of the skin to locate flea bites. , Excessive itching and scratching can lead to hair loss, dryness, and scabbing on your pet’s skin.
If you are unable to keep an eye on your dog’s behavior due to spending time away from home, check for signs of hair loss and dry skin, which often suggest your dog is suffering from flea bites. , Adult fleas are between one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch (0.15 to
0.31 cm) in size, have flat bodies, and are brown or black in color.
Fleas that have consumed a high amount of blood may be lighter in color.
Have your dog lie on its side, and gently check between your dog’s hairs all over its body to look for visible signs of fleas., A flea comb is a metal, fine-toothed comb that can help detect and catch both fleas and flea dirt.
Run the flea comb along your dog’s back and belly using enough pressure to put the comb in direct contact with your dog’s skin, then submerge the comb into a bowl of warm, soapy water to drown the fleas and catch flea dirt.
This will help prevent any fleas you find from jumping back onto your dog. , This method is known as the white towel test, and can help you visibly spot fleas or flea dirt as you brush or comb your dog.
Flea dirt often resembles small grains of sand, and turns red in color when exposed to water on on behalf of blood being ingested and excreted by fleas., Fleas will thrive in all the same environments in which your dog spends most of its time.
Examine your dog’s favorite hang-out spots, feeding areas, and bedding for signs of fleas or flea dirt.
You can also try wearing white socks around the house and inspect them afterwards for signs of fleas or flea dirt. , Flea traps, also known as light traps, can help detect and catch any existing fleas in your household.
Fill a small bowl with liquid dishwashing soap and water and place it on the floor near your dog’s bedding or feeding area before going to bed.
Place a nightlight or flashlight on the floor next to the bowl of water, and allow it to sit overnight.
Fleas will be attracted to the light, and may likely jump into the bowl of water to get closer to the light.
Examine the bowl of water the following morning to check for fleas.
If there are several fleas floating in the water, your dog and home may be infested with fleas. , If there are numerous brown or black spots in the water, it’s possible your dog has fleas., Your dog’s vet will perform an examination to check for signs of fleas, and recommend the proper course of treatment to rid your dog of fleas.
Your veterinarian may prescribe anti-flea medicines for your dog, suggest that you buy flea shampoo, or recommend that your dog wear a flea collar to deter fleas. -
Step 3: Examine your dog’s skin for sign of bumps and red pimples.
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Step 4: Look for signs of hair loss
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Step 5: dry skin
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Step 6: and scabbing.
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Step 7: Hunt down fleas themselves by performing a thorough visual inspection of your dog’s skin.
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Step 8: Use a flea comb to check for flea feces
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Step 9: also known as flea dirt.
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Step 10: Brush your dog while having him or her stand on a white towel.
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Step 11: Inspect your dog’s living environment for fleas
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Step 12: including your home.
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Step 13: Set up one or more “flea traps” on the floor at nighttime.
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Step 14: Bathe your dog in a tub without draining the water
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Step 15: then inspect the tub water for fleas.
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Step 16: Take your dog to your local veterinarian.
Detailed Guide
When fleas feed on your dog’s blood, your dog will itch, scratch, lick, or chew at flea bites due to experiencing irritation or an allergic reaction to flea saliva.
Your dog may also shake its head or scratch its ears.
Keep an eye on your dog more often than usual to watch for signs of itching and scratching.
These signs are indicative of flea bites, and are most commonly found on your dog’s stomach, groin, armpits, under the hind legs, and at the base of the tail.
Gently roll your dog over on his or her back, and perform a full examination of the skin to locate flea bites. , Excessive itching and scratching can lead to hair loss, dryness, and scabbing on your pet’s skin.
If you are unable to keep an eye on your dog’s behavior due to spending time away from home, check for signs of hair loss and dry skin, which often suggest your dog is suffering from flea bites. , Adult fleas are between one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch (0.15 to
0.31 cm) in size, have flat bodies, and are brown or black in color.
Fleas that have consumed a high amount of blood may be lighter in color.
Have your dog lie on its side, and gently check between your dog’s hairs all over its body to look for visible signs of fleas., A flea comb is a metal, fine-toothed comb that can help detect and catch both fleas and flea dirt.
Run the flea comb along your dog’s back and belly using enough pressure to put the comb in direct contact with your dog’s skin, then submerge the comb into a bowl of warm, soapy water to drown the fleas and catch flea dirt.
This will help prevent any fleas you find from jumping back onto your dog. , This method is known as the white towel test, and can help you visibly spot fleas or flea dirt as you brush or comb your dog.
Flea dirt often resembles small grains of sand, and turns red in color when exposed to water on on behalf of blood being ingested and excreted by fleas., Fleas will thrive in all the same environments in which your dog spends most of its time.
Examine your dog’s favorite hang-out spots, feeding areas, and bedding for signs of fleas or flea dirt.
You can also try wearing white socks around the house and inspect them afterwards for signs of fleas or flea dirt. , Flea traps, also known as light traps, can help detect and catch any existing fleas in your household.
Fill a small bowl with liquid dishwashing soap and water and place it on the floor near your dog’s bedding or feeding area before going to bed.
Place a nightlight or flashlight on the floor next to the bowl of water, and allow it to sit overnight.
Fleas will be attracted to the light, and may likely jump into the bowl of water to get closer to the light.
Examine the bowl of water the following morning to check for fleas.
If there are several fleas floating in the water, your dog and home may be infested with fleas. , If there are numerous brown or black spots in the water, it’s possible your dog has fleas., Your dog’s vet will perform an examination to check for signs of fleas, and recommend the proper course of treatment to rid your dog of fleas.
Your veterinarian may prescribe anti-flea medicines for your dog, suggest that you buy flea shampoo, or recommend that your dog wear a flea collar to deter fleas.
About the Author
Tyler Rodriguez
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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