Despite their name, cat fleas are capable of affecting dogs and an array of other animals as well as humans. The majority of North American flea problems are cat flea infestations. If your pet is exhibiting symptoms of a flea problem, it is likely that they are hosting cat fleas.
Does My Dog Have Cat Fleas?
All of these scenarios point to the possibility of a flea infestation: does your dog seem itchier than usual? Has it recently been at a new kennel or doggy day care? Does it have access to animals outside?
Symptoms: A dog that has fleas will be unable to conceal his annoyance. To try to relieve the itch, there will be a lot more licking, scratching, and biting at the skin. If the icky pests have been there for a while, your dog’s skin may have bite marks, scabs, or even areas where the hair isn’t growing because of all the scratching!
Causes: Generally speaking, dogs pick up fleas from other animals. A small house mouse may even be the source of a severe flea infestation in a household. Additionally, grassy areas can harbor fleas, particularly in the summer months when they are hot and muggy.
Diagnosis: Bathing your dog can actually determine whether or not he has fleas. A vet can identify fleas with a fairly basic examination using a comb. Once the dog is completely wet, you’ll probably notice tiny, wee fleas abandoning ship because they hate water!
See this article for a more thorough examination of flea symptoms, causes, and diagnosis: Fleas in Dogs
How Do I Treat My Dog’s Cat Fleas?
Fleas are bouncy bugs that can lay their eggs in any kind of fabric, including the carpet in your living room or on your dog’s bed, so getting rid of them can be quite the battle. The only way to keep these little monsters at bay is to be meticulous!
Treatment: There are two ways to deal with fleas on your dog: the inside and the outside. After fleas have bitten, you can help kill them by applying certain medications or even adding a small amount of apple cider vinegar to your dog’s water. The tiny beggars can be manually removed from your pet’s coat by using medicated shampoos and a flea comb.
Recovery: The majority of flea treatments prescribed by your veterinarian will eradicate any insects lurking in your dog’s fur. However, cleaning every fabric surface your dog comes into contact with thoroughly is the only way to win the war, not just the battle. It takes detergent and extremely hot water to kill fleas on fabric.
Visit Fleas in Dogs for all the flea information you could ever need, including stories from dog owners just like you and professional advice on fleas.
Does My Dog Have Fleas?
Your pet may initially exhibit signs of flea infestation when they begin to scratch excessively. If the infestation gets too bad, keeping scratching may lead to more infections. Furthermore, fleas may result in your dog developing an allergic dermatitis reaction. Fleas have flat bodies, winglessness, and a length of 2-3 mm. Their larvae are slightly bigger and dirty white in color. Not only can adults cause an infestation, but there will also be eggs present on your dog, in your house, or in your yard. The eggs are essentially invisible.
Symptoms include:
- Visible small red or black insects on your dogs coat
- Flea dirt, which is made up of flea droppings, looks like tiny black dots on the skin and coat of your dog.
- Allergic dermatitis
- Skin infections
- Scratching, licking, biting due to itchiness
- hair loss, skin sores, scabs, and hot spots in your dog
- Pale gums from anemia
- Tapeworms, which may be transmitted from flea bites
Fleas can infect your dog from contaminated soil or debris, from another dog or cat that is infected, or from other animals. Due to the lack of any barriers preventing them from dispersing the bothersome parasite far and wide, feral cats are frequently the source of flea transmission.
Finding out what kind of flea your dog has typically requires microscopic analysis, and it might not matter because the main objective is to get rid of them as quickly as possible!
Visit Fleas in Dogs and Flea Control Allergies in Dogs to learn more about flea infestations in dogs.
FAQ
How long can cat fleas live on dogs?
Can cat fleas transfer to dogs?
How do I get rid of cat fleas on my dog?
Can cats get fleas off dogs?