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Fleas are tiny dark brown wingless insects, like cockroaches. These insects are a significant cause of discomfort for your furry best friends or pet dogs. However, most of the time, fleas are found on street dogs. In this blog post, we will discuss what do fleas bites look like on dogs and how they feel.
These pesky insects or parasites are a common problem for dogs, especially those who spend most of their time outdoors like laying on the street, sandy or muddy ground, playgrounds, or in contact with other animals like street animals.
Fleas are usually small, about 1/8 of an inch in size, similar to the size of a grain of a sugar or smaller. They have a flat body, which allows them to travel through the fur of a dog’s body and have powerful jumpy legs that help them jump long distances, making it easy for them to move from one host to another.
What is a flea’s host? It is a place where they lay eggs. It can be dogs, cats, or sometimes even human beings ourselves. The good thing is fleas don’t survive on the human body for longer periods.
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How do fleas survive on a dog’s body? How does it affect the dog?
And these parasites survive by sucking blood from the dog, causing dogs to experience itchy irritation and discomfort. When a dog suffers from fleas on their body, it’s common for them to scratch excessively. This is due to the saliva that fleas inject from the mouth into a dog’s body while feeding.
What does fleas’ saliva contain of?
Fleas’ saliva contains substances like anticoagulants, enzymes, amino acids, and many more that prevent blood from thickening up while they suck blood from dogs.
And it triggers an allergic reaction in dogs, leading to intense and continuous itching.
Dogs with flea allergies may experience hair loss, redness on the skin, and bumps or inflammation in the affected areas.
In most cases, dogs can wound themselves by biting themselves, which can be painful and also lead to infection in those areas.
What are the signs of fleas on dogs?
One of the most visible signs of fleas on dogs is the presence of flea dirt. Flea dirt is actually flea feces, or you can say “flea poop,” which consists of digested blood. It appears as black specks on the dog’s skin or fur and is often mistaken for regular dirt or dandruff by the Dog’s Owner.
To check if specks are flea dirt, you can place your dog in the bathroom and, with a moist towel, rub the dog’s body gently. If you see reddish-brown on the moist towel, it is a clear indication of fleas on the dog’s body and that they are already affected by fleas.
What do fleas bites look like on Dogs?
Flea bites on dogs can appear differently depending on the individual dog’s reaction to the bites.
In some cases, flea bites may be seen as small red bumps or welts, similar to mosquito bites on the skin. These bumps are often caused by intense itching and can be found on the dog’s belly, armpits, groin, and the surface of its tail.
Dogs with a severe allergic reaction after flea bites may develop oozing sores (watery blisters) or wound themselves due to excessive scratching and biting the affected parts of their body.
Fleas carry and transmit diseases too.
Apart from the physical discomfort for dogs, fleas can also transmit diseases. The most well-known disease transmitted by fleas is flea-borne typhus.
It is a bacterial infection that can lead to fever, swollen lymph nodes, lethargy, loss of appetite, and fatigue, causing the dog to sleep more during the day.
The other disease is bartonellosis. Bartonellosis can lead to main symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, and many more.
Preventing Dogs from Flea Attacks.
Preventing flea attacks is a crucial part of being a dog owner, as dogs can face flea infestations unknowingly. Also, it is important for the well-being of our furry friend.
Regularly grooming and checking of your dogs fur can help detect fleas early.
Using a fine-toothed flea comb can help to easily remove big adult fleas and flea dirt from a dog’s skin.
Additionally, regularly cleaning your dog’s cage, bed, and the dog’s environment, like garden floors, will definitely help prevent dogs from getting attacked by fleas or experiencing infestations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, fleas and flea bites cause discomfort to the dog’s entire body, affecting both internal and external health. Recognizing flea bites on dogs can be indicated by excessive scratching and biting themselves, the presence of flea dirt, and visible marks like red bumps after being bitten by fleas.
There are various flea control products for dogs available on the market, but I recommend using a vet-recommended one. These products include topical treatments, oral medications, and flea collars. They work by killing adult fleas, preventing their reproduction, or repelling them from your dog.
It is important to consult with your veterinarian to determine the most suitable flea control method for your dog, taking into consideration their age, health status, and any potential interactions with other medications.
You can check pet-related articles and guides on pawsleaves.com
