Fleas On Dogs
All About Fleas on Dogs
Fleas on dogs are a man's worst enemy, when dogs are a man's best friend.
Fleas are not difficult to notice, but they are difficult to get rid of, once your dog has them. Fleas like moderate temperatures, seventy to eighty degrees, and moderate humidity levels, and they can keep themselves at optimal temperature and humidity when they live on a dog. In many areas of the United States, fleas on dogs can hang on through all but the coldest of winter days, especially on animals that live indoors.
Dogs often become flea-infested when they come into contact with another animal that has fleas, or when they enter an area that is infested. Fleas have strong legs, and they can easily jump from one animal to another. Fleas can't fly, because they don't have wings, but they are excellent jumpers.
Fleas on dogs cause the dogs to itch in almost any case, but if a particular animal is allergic to fleas, or has very sensitive skin, the scratching can set off loss of hair, skin infections and inflammation. If a dog is overly sensitive to the saliva of the flea, he can become itchy over his entire body even if he is only bitten by one flea.
If you see your dog scratching, how do you know if fleas are the cause, or if it's some other skin ailment? Fleas on dogs can be seen scooting on the skin's surface, unlike mites which may burrow into the skin. Fleas are usually a dark copper in color, and roughly the size of a pin-head. They are light-sensitive, so look in areas of relative shade, on your dog's underbelly or inside of his legs. Even if you don't see fleas, if your dog has them, you will see flea dirt, which looks like pepper, but is actually flea bowel movements. Set any suspected flea dirt specks on a moistened paper towel, and if they spread out like blood stains, that is caused by all the blood the fleas have ingested from your dog.
The flea's life cycle is fairly easy to follow, and unfortunately is very effective at keeping fleas in your environment, unless you treat that, your pets and yourself. Various treatments work on different parts of the flea's life cycle. Fleas on dogs go through typical stages, including egg, larvae, pupa and then adult stages. The life cycle is flexible, depending on the conditions where the fleas live. They flourish best in the ideal temperature and humidity levels, and they need a good host. Some of the stages are actually resistant to temperatures cold enough that you would think it would kill them, even including freezing cold temperatures.
The female flea in her adult phase will live on your pet for several weeks. This doesn't seem like a long time, but she will two to three times daily suck blood from the host animal and then she will each day lay 20-30 eggs. Over her lifetime, she may lay hundreds of eggs. The eggs fall from your dog into carpet, bedding, the yard, and anywhere else the dog might spend his time.
The eggs will develop wherever they land off the dog, and they are difficult to see at this stage. The eggs will hatch into larvae and the larvae live in your carpet or in cracks, or outside if the weather permits. They grow into the pupae stage and then hatch into their adult form. Then the cycle starts all over again, and it can make your dog's life very miserable, and yours as well.