How can my dog get infested with fleas?
A dog can get infested in places where many fleas are present. A contaminated dog can then infest other pets. Flea eggs from the environment can also stick to your shoes or pet, leading to a new infestation.
What symptoms does my dog get from fleas?
Your dog mainly experiences itching from fleas. These symptoms aren’t always clearly visible; sometimes, it’s just some scratching. Other dogs may develop skin inflammation with crusts, especially if they’re allergic to fleas. In puppies, a severe flea infestation can lead to anemia. Besides the issues fleas cause directly, they can also transmit tapeworms to your dog. Fleas ingest tapeworm eggs, and a dog can get infected by ingesting an infected flea during grooming.
How do you recognize fleas in your dog?
Fleas aren’t always easy to find, especially if your dog has only a few fleas and isn’t allergic. Preferred locations for fleas are the armpits, groin, and tail base. You can sometimes find fleas by combing your dog with a special flea comb. Sometimes, you’ll find black specks during combing, which could be flea feces. If you place these specks on a moist, white tissue and they turn reddish-brown, they’re flea feces, consisting of digested blood.
How can I protect my dog against fleas?
When combating fleas, it’s important to address both the adult fleas on the dog and the immature stages in your home. Treat your dog with a flea collar or a spot-on treatment like Adimere Fleas and Ticks. If your dog has many fleas, washing with a flea shampoo can help. A shampoo usually has a residual effect, providing protection against new fleas for some time. After this period, it’s advisable to treat your dog with, for example, a spot-on treatment to continue repelling fleas. Choose a product that includes an insect growth regulator to kill eggs and larvae. Skin flakes will then contain the active ingredient, coming into contact with flea eggs and larvae. Treat the environment when your pet has fleas, for example, with an environmental spray like Virbac Indorex Defence Spray, which combats immature flea stages and adult fleas as they emerge from the pupal stage.
Note: Products for dogs are often not suitable for cats or rabbits, and vice versa!
Natural flea control in dogs
Some people prefer not to use chemical agents against fleas. There are various natural methods to make your dog less attractive to fleas. Always pay close attention to the product’s effectiveness. Many natural products change the dog’s scent, which is believed to make them less appealing to parasites, such as Formel-Z or Biofood Garlic Tablets. This effect isn’t 100% proven, so continue to check your dog for fleas. Only products containing dimethicone, such as Beaphar DIMETHIcare Line On or Knock Off Flea and Tick Collor Dog, immobilize fleas, causing them to die.
Fleas and the veterinarian
Veterinarians receive daily questions about fleas and flea control in dogs and cats. The last thing you want is a flea infestation! But which anti-flea product is best to use? Often, you can effectively combat fleas yourself, but sometimes veterinary intervention is necessary. Whether or not fleas are found on your pet, if there’s itching, it’s always a good idea to visit your veterinarian. Flea allergy is the most common form of hypersensitivity in dogs. Sometimes, a product available only through your veterinarian is chosen. View our overview page with all anti-flea products for your dog.
If you have questions about fleas in your pet and how best to approach prevention or treatment, download our Flea Plan, where all steps are clearly outlined. Our veterinarian is also happy to help. Send an email to veterinarian@vetsend.co.uk or call customer service.
Fleas can cause a lot of discomfort. The Vetsend Flea and Tick Guide has useful tips and helps keep track of when you need to give your pet tick and flea treatment.