How to Check for Fleas on Puppies

Fleas on puppies may be common, especially in the flea season. Puppies don’t have a proper defense mechanism against external parasites and, if they are very young, they are not able to benefit from the many preventative medications available. Fleas are very small parasites and they also move quickly—able to jump long distances, so they can be difficult to detect. If you suspect your puppy may be infected by fleas, you will have to check.

Check for Fleas on Puppies

Fleas are small external parasites that are wingless but have legs. They are dark brown and can jump really quickly. If you happen to see 1 flea, this means that the dog is infested with parasites and he has many other fleas on his body. However, it’s very difficult to detect a flea with the naked eye, so you should look for additional clues.

Check for Bites on the Puppy

Since fleas are difficult to spot, you should look for bites. Fleas feed on animal blood and they will cause tiny, red and swollen bite marks. The stomach area is very likely to be filled with flea bites, so look for small red dots in this area. There may be several bites on the dog’s stomach. You may also check the face, the back or the neck of the pet to see if you can see any bites. When massaging your pet, you may also feel the bites, especially the fresh ones. The bites can be felt as raised bumps.

Check for Flea Feces

Fleas produce feces that consist of digested blood. The feces may be visible as small dark particles. If these dark specs are squeezed against a blank sheet of paper, you will notice that there is blood. Consequently, you can use a brush or a comb to remove the flea feces from the dog’s fur, but place the dog on a white towel, a newspaper or a light colored background. You can check if the dog’s fur filled with dirt from fleas. If you don’t want to squeeze the dirt you obtain from combing through the dog’s coat, you can spray some water on the dirt. If the dirt is from the fleas, the specs will turn red or dark red. If the color remains brown or black, the dog is not affected by fleas.

Check for Flea Eggs or Larvae

The flea eggs or larvae will have the appearance of dandruff, but when touched you will feel that the eggs or larvae will be sticky and more liquid.

You should detect signs of fleas as early as possible,  fleas can cause anemia in puppies. In addition, fleas carry diseases and these could be dangerous. The fleas can be treated with various conventional or at home remedies. If the puppy is older than 6 weeks, he can get a monthly flea protection treatment, which will prevent future flea infestations.

 

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