Fleas are the most common parasites dogs encounter in the summer. Learn about how to spot dog fleas, where do fleas come from, how fleas infect dogs, how to prevent and treat them. Fleas can be a huge problem for your dog and your household if you fail to get rid of them. If you have a flea problem, it is important that you act quickly. There are many different ways in which fleas are spread to dogs and home environments. This article aims to give you some advice on identifying fleas, steps to take to reduce the risk of getting fleas, and how to kill them if they become a problem. Flea eggs and larvae can fall off the animal, lay dormant and develop into an infestation of its own when conditions are right. When the right conditions are gone these flea eggs are the ones that survive. These can’t develop into their adult form without your pet so they often die without ever creating a problem. Spotting dog fleas requires being able to look for small motile insects on a dogs skin and fur, whether that’s examining the dog itself or its bedding. In addition to potentially spotting dog fleas in the hair of your dog or looking for flea fecal matter, another option is to inquire of your vet to see if they provide a rudimentary or thorough inspection of your dogs nest area. When searching for dog fleas, you may want to look for black specks on areas of the dog that are warm and moist, such as around its paws in areas where it lays down and by its tail. There are a number of ways to spot and prevent dog fleas, but this article will supply you with a quick overview of how to do so.

How To Spot Dog Fleas

Introduction

When you notice your dog scratching, biting, or chewing excessively at its coat, this is often a sign they have fleas. If you don’t act quickly and try to eliminate the fleas, there’s a likelihood they will either bite you or cause an infestation in your home. Follow these steps so that the next time your pooch starts scratching its fur off, you know how to pin down the problem.

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Look for fleas on your dog.

When you’re looking for dog fleas, the best place to start is by observing your pet. Look for them in their fur and on their skin—especially around the ears, tail and paws. You may also want to check for fleas in the eyes and mouth as well as inside of the ears, where they can be especially difficult to spot.

Examine your dog’s tail and rear areas.

Examine your dog’s tail and rear areas. Fleas are often found in these places because they prefer the warm environment of a dog’s body. They also have a tendency to travel back and forth between the front and rear legs, making it easy for them to hitch a ride on your pet when they move from one spot to another.

Part your dog’s hair and check skin.

Once you have combed through your dog’s fur and found no evidence of fleas, it’s time to examine their skin.

Checking the skin is an important step because it is where a large majority of flea infestations occur. If you do not see any visible signs of fleas on your dog’s body (like dirt or sand), then this could be a sign that there are some hidden away in its coat or even clinging to his skin.

The best way to get a better view of these pests is by parting your pet’s fur and looking at its stomach and back areas. It helps if you use an ultraviolet light so that even very small black specks will show up clearly against the lighter background coloration of most pets’ coats (especially since flea eggs tend to be dark brown or black). You should also check between toes, under legs and around ears as those areas can all harbor both adult fleas as well as their larvae!

Find out if your dog is scratching, biting or chewing itself.

Now that you know to look for fleas in your dog’s bedding, let’s talk about how you can tell if your dog is scratching or biting itself. A dog that has fleas will scratch or bite the area where it feels like something is crawling on them. It may also lick excessively at its skin and sometimes even try to chew off pieces of hair or fur from their body. As a result, you may notice redness and irritation in the affected areas of their skin which are usually caused by these bites as well as excessive grooming from trying to remove whatever insect might be bothering them.

You can follow these steps to find where fleas are on your dog so you can then treat them.

• Check your dog’s tail and rear area for fleas. Fleas are usually found on the base of the tail, in their ears and around the anus. If you find any of these places with flea dirt (small black specks that look like pepper), you can be sure that there are fleas in your home as well.
• Examine your pet’s hair by parting it into sections and checking its skin for signs of redness or irritation caused by bites from fleas or ticks. If a dog is scratching itself excessively, this can also be a sign of an infestation.
• Find out if your pet is chewing or biting at its fur by simply watching them for awhile after returning home from outings such as walks or playtime outside with other dogs

Conclusion

You can now see how easy it is to spot fleas on your dog. You should always keep an eye out for fleas and ticks when you are grooming or petting your dog to make sure they don’t have any parasites that can cause harm. If you don’t know what to look for, check out this article on how to spot fleas and ticks on dogs so you will be able to tell if your furry friend has any unwanted guests!