Why do dogs get fleas. Fleas in dogs

Today there are more than two thousand. It is almost impossible to distinguish between them without special equipment and without sufficient knowledge. However, without going into scientific terminology, they can be classified as follows:

• canine;
• rat;

What do fleas look like on dogs? (a photo)

The body of the flea is laterally compressed and covered with scales, bristles and spines. In length, it reaches from one to five millimeters, although there are especially twice as many. The oral apparatus is of a piercing-sucking type. Fleas do not have wings, which gives them additional maneuverability in the thick fur of animals. Long strong limbs on the abdomen allow you to move quickly. The photo shows what fleas look like in a dog under a microscope and in real size.

Features of reproduction of dog fleas

Where Do Dogs Get Fleas From?

Signs of fleas in a dog

The main signs of a dog infestation with fleas are:

• restless behavior and aggressiveness;
• constant scratching;
• increased molting and the appearance of bald spots;
• wounds, sores and redness on the skin.

If symptoms are found, the dog's coat should be examined. Pay special attention to places at the withers, stomach and behind the ears. Small brown insects, white eggs or tiny dark balls of excrement are easy to spot.

Why are dog fleas dangerous?

Why are fleas dangerous for dogs? They cause discomfort to the pet, while they can serve as carriers dangerous infections and diseases such as: plague, typhoid, encephalitis, as well as eggs of worms and salmonella.

Any pet store now has a sufficient range of anti-flea drugs. The most common means are listed below. Their prices fluctuate from 100 to 700 rubles.

Shampoos

Shampoos have rather a preventive effect, their action is short-lived. According to their composition, they are divided into two types: based on natural ingredients and based on insecticides. The use of the second should be approached carefully, as they can cause an allergic reaction.

When applying, it is important that the composition does not get on the mucous membranes and eyes of the animal during bathing. Carefully read the instructions for using the shampoo, it describes whether puppies can be bathed with it. Shampoos are usually harmless unless ingested.

The average cost of flea shampoo: 150 rubles.

Sprays

Anti-flea sprays are quite effective, but problematic in application. When using, protect yourself with a respirator and rubber gloves and do not direct the spray at the muzzle of the animal. In addition, it is important to prevent the possibility of licking the wool for several hours, otherwise a number of side effects such as vomiting and difficulty breathing. If this happens, please contact veterinary clinic indicating which tool was used.

You should try to spray the spray not on the coat, but on the skin of the dog, while protecting it from licking off the drug with a special neck collar. Two days after the use of the product, the animal should not be in contact with children and other animals, it should not be wetted and subjected to water procedures.

The average cost of a flea spray: 300 rubles.

Flea collars

The average cost of drops from fleas: 350 rubles.

Powders

The cheapest option would be to use powder. It is made to order in a veterinary pharmacy based on Butox. Before using it, you should conduct a series of tests on the dog's skin and monitor its condition. But this method of treatment requires a fairly long course, an average of about two weeks.

The average cost of flea powder: 150 rubles.

All of the above products (except shampoo) are very toxic, so you should carefully read the instructions.

Folk remedies

• A decoction of wormwood and dried twigs located in the dog's habitat will help to effectively repel fleas.
• A gruel of onion and garlic is applied to the withers of the animal.
• The solution can be prepared from lemongrass oil, eucalyptus and tansy.
• A decoction of celandine is suitable for rinsing wool while bathing.
• Essential oils of mint, eucalyptus and lavender are added to shampoos.
• Also, it will be useful to put a few drops on sleeping place animal.
• You can put citrus peels in the dog's kennel.
• A solution of soda and salt in a one-to-one ratio is suitable for disinfecting a room in which an infected pet lives.
• For wool treatment, in the absence of specialized shampoos, it is recommended to use tar soap.

Most herbs for making infusions, as well as essential oils can be found in a pharmacy. And although these funds are not so effective, the natural composition will be as harmless as possible for animals and their owners.

How to get rid of fleas in a puppy?

Fleas can be especially dangerous for puppies, because they the immune system not yet formed and the consequences could be much more serious. In the future, this can have an extremely negative impact on the health and development of the individual.

But treatment should be approached especially carefully, because even many folk methods wrestling is not always suitable for fragile organism. It is highly recommended to consult a veterinarian or a consultant in a pet store in this matter.

The shampoo purchased must be suitable for puppies, which in without fail indicated on the packaging. The situation is similar when choosing a collar.

Herbal home remedies should be avoided with strong smells, as they can damage a puppy's developing sense of smell.

Preventing fleas in dogs and puppies

Timely prevention, can significantly reduce the risk and extent of infection.

It is necessary to prevent contact of the dog with homeless animals, and also try not to be in their habitats. The dwelling, whether it is a booth or a couch, must be cleaned at least once a week.

by the most important rule can be called Attentive attitude to your pet, it is important to notice any change in his appearance and behavior. Taking early action will help you avoid serious problems in the future and live the dog long and healthy life to the delight of their owners.

In addition, rat and human fleas are found in cities, and hundreds of other species are found in natural foci. In this article, we will dwell on the dog flea in more detail. Let's discuss whether dog fleas bite a person, in what situations dog fleas are transmitted to humans, and try to find the differences between dog and cat fleas.

What do dog fleas look like

Like the rest of their squad, dog fleas go through four stages. life cycle. All stages, except adults, live outside the host: in carpets, crevices, beddings of animals.

Adult dog fleas are reddish-brown in color and are 2-4 mm long. Of the three pairs of legs, the last powerful pair is jumping. The dog flea is wingless, the body is laterally flattened, covered with a hard shiny exoskeleton adapted for movement in the animal's fur. The design of the oral apparatus is adapted for piercing the skin of the host and sucking blood. The height of the jumps reaches 25 cm, the length is 40 cm.

How Do Dog Fleas Reproduce?

Dog fleas lay their eggs in the fur of animals, after which they get enough sleep in external environment(about 60% of the eggs laid fall within the first two hours). Flea eggs resemble chicken eggs, only on a micro scale, oval shape, milky white color, size 0.2-0.5 mm.

The larval stage of the dog flea resembles earthworm half a centimeter long, without legs, but with a wide mouth. original larva white color, but through the translucent walls of the body, the intestines are visible, where the eaten feces of adult fleas (digested blood) fall, so that the nymph soon turns brown. When moving to the next stage, she weaves a whitish cocoon around herself and turns into a chrysalis. And an adult flea is already emerging from the cocoon.

Adult fleas are only the visible tip of the iceberg, 5% of the colony, which includes all 4 stages. Therefore, the fight against fleas, in addition to the destruction of biting adults, involves the destruction of larvae and eggs in the room.

What is the difference between cat fleas and dog fleas?

In both cats and dogs, the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is more common than the dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis). According to one study per share cat fleas account for 95% of flea infestations in these animals. But with the naked eye, one cannot be distinguished from the other.

When carefully compared under a microscope, you can see that dog fleas have a steep forehead, while cat fleas have a flat one. The proboscis of the dog flea is longer, the stigmata of the abdominal tergites are larger, and the manubrium of the sex claw expands more strongly in the male. Due to these differences, dog fleas look more massive.

Pet owners are concerned about whether dog fleas can spread to humans and how dangerous their bites are.

Do dog fleas live on humans?

Why are dog flea bites dangerous?

Here's why dog ​​fleas are dangerous to humans:

• They cause itching and allergies
• Carry infectious diseases
• If severely infected, they can cause anemia

Itching occurs for two reasons:

1. Flea dermatitis is a direct irritation from a bite on the skin.
2. Flea allergy dermatitis - allergy to components of insect saliva

The reaction to a flea bite is individual. Not all people experience severe itching after being bitten. However, people with flea allergic dermatitis complain of itching and suffer from the effects of prolonged scratching of bite sites. At the site of the bite, a secondary infection penetrates through the damaged skin into the wound.

Methods for dealing with dog fleas

To remove dog fleas in an apartment, the premises are disinfected simultaneously with the treatment of pets. Adult fleas live on the body of animals, and immature stages on the floor, so an incomplete set of measures for destruction will give only a partial result, which is not enough.

09.06.2017 by Evgeny

How to understand if a dog really has fleas? What does a flea dog look like?

How to recognize if your dog has fleas

Look out for a few signs:

• your dog is constantly itching. But your pet may itch for more than just fleas. Perhaps it's a tick. To understand, pay attention to how your dog itches. If everywhere - then it's fleas, and if it scratches only one place, then it's a tick. Take a close look at this place;
• white grains on wool. These are flea eggs;
• black and white dots that fall from the animal's fur. This is flea excrement;
• while bathing your pet, you can easily see fleas on his head, because fleas are afraid of water. Or you will see them already in the water;
• when combing, fleas remain on the comb.

Can fleas be transmitted to humans from dogs? Yes, they are transmitted. Dog fleas cannot live on a human body, but they can bite. Such bites for humans may not be as harmless as they seem, since fleas are carriers dangerous diseases, for example, encephalitis, typhus, helminthiasis.

Precautionary measures

To reduce the risk of flea infestation, you should:

• protect your pet from contact with homeless animals;
• if you go to nature or your dog is involved in hunting with the owner, be especially careful. In nature, flea breeding grounds are animal burrows (especially foxes) and bird nests;
• do not think that in winter you do not need to be afraid of fleas. On the street they die from frost, but they remain in warm houses. So that preventive measures from fleas should be carried out both in winter and in summer.

How to remove fleas from a dog at home

Some owners prefer home remedies for getting rid of fleas. These methods save the family budget, but require the investment of more effort and time:

• bathing. Purely mechanically washes fleas from the dog's coat. You need to start bathing from the dog's neck so that the fleas do not run over to the head, from where it will be more difficult to wash them off. It is effective to use tar soap in bathing;
• combing. After you have killed the fleas with soap, you need to comb them out. Convenient to do soapy water and rinse the comb in the process of combing, washing off the fleas that have fallen on the comb.

After you have gotten rid of fleas on your pet, you need to clean the house. Vacuum everything thoroughly, especially the rug of the dog itself. There are often fleas. Also, walk well along the baseboards and various crevices. The trash container should be thrown away immediately so that the fleas do not get back "to freedom".

Home remedies for fleas can help, but do not guarantee a 100% result. Therefore, it is better to contact special means from fleas.

In any case, consult your veterinarian before choosing any flea treatment.

Almost all pet owners know what fleas look like in dogs, as well as the symptoms of their appearance and, of course, treatment methods.

• human;
• suction;
• canine;
• feline.

Human fleas can infect not only dogs, but also cats and pigs. The suckers are characterized by birds and people. Dogs live well on dogs, but if they are absent, they can bite a person. For cats the best option, of course, is the body of cats, but for not the name of the best for them, a dog is also suitable.

The process of reproduction and localization of fleas

The female flea has the ability to produce many eggs, which she scatters on the ground, floor, and upholstery. After some time, the eggs mature, instead of which many worm-like larvae appear. The time of their maturation depends on the environment (temperature and humidity). Most often it is about two weeks. After this time, the larva spins a cocoon the size of an oat grain. It is from it that a young flea appears. Its task is to take a place in the room at a height of thirty centimeters, which allows it to be localized with confidence on the body of cats, dogs and other suitable animals. Their goal is to find favorable conditions for normal life. The lifespan of a flea can be up to three years. The structure of their body allows you to easily move through the body of animals among thick wool. They can also jump from dogs to cats and vice versa. It depends on the type of flea.

Unlike the other three types of fleas, suckers differ in that they do not pursue the goal of constantly jumping from one place to another. They are owners of a permanent place of residence, that is, for example, the ears of cats, dogs or other animals are their permanent place of residence. They produce one bite and suck blood, from which the bite itches and even allergies can occur.

In order to answer the question of how to remove fleas from a dog, you need to know what they look like. As a rule, this a large number of small insects, the size of which does not exceed four millimeters. The body is flattened, long, smooth. The paws are directed backwards, the surface of which is densely bristly. The bite of each of these insects provokes allergies in a dog or cat, so this place is constantly itchy, which causes anxiety in the pet owner. After all, a pet suffers from the fact that there is no peace. The place where the flea made a bite itches, the animal is in an excited state, from which it loses strength over time, therefore it can become seriously ill. In addition, a flea bite can provoke an allergy, which, if left untreated, eventually develops into eczema, dermatitis and others. skin diseases. This is because the dog is constantly itching. The affected area is covered with a crust. This is where the infection develops.

Consequences of a flea bite

Biting the animal, the flea injects a little saliva into the affected area. It is she who causes the following consequences:

• itching, redness, swelling on the skin surface;
• scratching the bite site, provoking skin diseases;
• hair loss, worms and various viruses;
• allergy;
• anemia;
• fatal outcome.

Symptoms that indicate the presence of fleas in a dog

If the animal constantly itches, trying to catch an insect with its teeth, then most likely it has fleas. In order to be convinced of this, it is necessary to make a thorough examination of the dog's coat using a comb. Most often, fleas are localized on the ears, croup and armpits. You can identify fleas by bathing your dog. Trying to move to a dry patch of wool, they crawl out into prominent places or fall into the water.

How to rid your dog of fleas

Today, there are multiple remedies that can be used to treat a dog against fleas or the consequences of their bites. All of them are more or less effective, but the main task of each is to save the animal from torment. Folk remedies, drops from fleas and ticks for dogs, various ointments, as well as other remedies should have, first of all, quick action, so many pet owners use complex treatment.

Experts in the field of veterinary medicine advise starting the fight against fleas with water procedures, that is, the dog needs to be thoroughly washed using a special flea soap. Then comb out the dead insects as carefully as possible. After that, process the wool using folk remedies or special anti-flea (Bars). You can do both at the same time. The main thing is that there is no allergy to an overdose medicines. After completing the procedures, it is imperative to clean the room where the dog was treated, since fleas are characterized by a special speed of movement and extraordinary vitality.

Bathing a dog in the presence of fleas is simply necessary, as this is the only procedure that allows you to most effective way reduce the number of insects, and understand the degree of development of the disease.

Rules for bathing dogs with fleas

1. Intensively lather the animal using laundry or tar soap. The duration of the procedure should be at least ten minutes;
2. Rinse the soap off the wool thoroughly with plenty of water. This will wash away most of the fleas;
3. Dry the coat, combing out the dead fleas in the process.

Folk remedies for fleas

From eucalyptus extract, oil tea tree or cedar, you can make a special anti-flea rub for bathing dogs that are infected with fleas. Since the flea does not have the ability to resist the effects of specific odors, bitter wormwood is excellent in the fight against them. This is one of the most effective anti-flea remedies, but some animals may develop allergies, so wormwood, like other folk remedies, should be used with extreme caution. If the allergy does not appear after the first use of the rubbing, then you can additionally make bedding in the place where the dog is resting or in its booth from the same wormwood.

Advice: it is better to mix wormwood with spruce sawdust.

Modern remedies for fighting fleas in dogs

The use of anti-flea shampoos allows you to rid your dog of fleas, cure a rash caused by an allergy, and also restore damaged dog hair. The manufacturing of these preparations is based on insecticidal or natural herbs and oils. Means with insecticidal action will quickly and efficiently rid the dog of fleas, but they have a toxic effect, so in case of an overdose of shampoo, allergies, vomiting, redness of the place where the insect bite was made and other complications will occur. Means based on natural ingredients are used as prophylactic, that is, for healing combed wounds, as well as restoring hair affected by fleas. If pet if you are allergic to insecticidal flea products, then they should be replaced with natural ones, but the treatment should be supplemented with drops on the withers like Bars, anti-flea collars or special sprays. The result of the action of natural shampoos will significantly increase and the animal will soon get rid of torment.

Anti-flea drops for dogs Bars

This is one of the most effective flea and tick remedies for dogs. Thanks to selamectin, fipronil and permethrin, which are the main active ingredients, drugs of this type have a complex effect. The active ingredient in Bars is permethrin, which insects absorb, from which their nerve activity is blocked and they die. Leopard has a liquid consistency, so it is enough to simply apply it to the withers of the dog. Why at the withers? This place is practically not available to the animal for licking, so there are no cases when the dog has an allergy to the drug. After applying Bars to the withers of the animal, permethrin penetrates through the skin into the blood. And since the flea is a blood-sucking insect, after a while, after making a bite, it dies. Using Bars against fleas and ticks for a dog, the owner will notice that the animal itches less, becomes calmer and more cheerful. Already a few hours after application, the insects stop torturing the pet. The duration of the drug Bars lasts about four weeks, so after this time you should pay attention to the behavior of the dog, as fleas can hit it again.

Anti-flea drops are not suitable for puppies, pregnant or lactating cats and dogs.

What to do if fleas are found in an animal, there is no way to bathe it?

Advice: in this case, you can use an anti-flea spray. It's also quite effective remedy, but has its drawbacks. When using it, eye irritation or the occurrence of allergies, malaise, dermatitis, baldness, and vomiting as a result of licking are not excluded. Sprays are applied when necessary or when to do more effective procedures no possibility.

One of the most common flea control products for dogs is a special collar. It performs not only a therapeutic function, but also a preventive one. Their validity is designed for four months, during which the animal gets rid of blood-sucking insects and is protected from infection with new ones due to its repellent property. At the end of this period, the collar should be replaced with a new one. The special collar is impregnated active substance which, when worn, comes to the surface skin and then into the blood. It is put on the dog's neck in such a way that freedom is about one and a half centimeters. The rest of the length should be removed for convenience. High toxicity active drug with which the collar is impregnated does not allow its use for puppies, pregnant women, nursing pets, as well as patients with nervous and renal diseases.

Some amateur dog breeders prefer to use in the fight against fleas in their pet chewable tablets. This is not a very popular tool, as it has many side effects. Most often, the dog has an allergy, there are problems with the central nervous system and work gastrointestinal tract.

The flea feels great without a victim for eight months, so procedures with the animal should begin after the sanitary and hygienic treatment of the premises:

• skirting boards, furniture, cracks;
• hard-to-reach places in the house;
• washing the dog's bedding, as well as treating it with an insecticidal agent;
• the height of the walls is treated with a tool that does not harm a person.

Veterinarians recommend adding repellent foods to your dog's diet. For example: garlic. Garlic-scented animal blood is of no interest to blood-sucking insects, but not all dog breeds can be supplemented with garlic, so it's best to consult a veterinarian first. The problem may lie in one thing: how to get a dog to eat garlic? Instead of garlic, you can use preparations that include its extract.