Fleas are the most notorious insects that are found on your pets. How do pets get fleas outdoors? Fleas make their way into the fur of your pets with their well-developed hooks and suckers on their legs. These creatures can also develop an infestation at home. They tend to jump from one pet to another when in close contact.
My pet dog was infested with fleas a month ago. I had to deal with the fleas on my dog with a lot of patience as these creatures are not so easy to eliminate. Finally, I could eliminate the fleas from my dog with some of the preventive measures discussed in this article.
Where do fleas come from?
Fleas are present outdoors in the dust or on the other animals. Fleas are likely to spread from another animal that has been infested. Once they are found on one of your pets, they eventually establish themselves in your home and spread among cats, dogs, and other pets.
If they are not eliminated quickly, they will develop an infestation. Adult fleas in the wild prefer to take shelter near long grass, bushes, or other forms of cover while waiting for a host to pass by.
How do I know if my pet has fleas?
If your pet has fleas on it, you can identify them by looking at the signs of flea bites. A flea bite can cause great agitation and excessive scratching in pets.
In addition to itching, red pimples or bumps on your pet’s back, belly, under the legs, or at the base of their tail. This may indicate that your pet has fleas. Hair loss and dry skin caused by scratching may also be a sign that your dog or cat has fleas.
Why does your dog have fleas?
Generally, dogs are infested with fleas as a result of contact with other animals or exposure to fleas in the environment. The fleas land on them when they go out in the yard to play or roll themselves on the grass. Fleas are the result of the exposure of your dog to the outdoors.
Fleas have exceptionally strong legs and can jump from one pet to another when they are in contact. If they are present on the ground or plants, they attach themselves to their host with their hooks and suckers.
How do pets get fleas outdoors?
Fleas thrive almost everywhere, and they can easily attach themselves to their host. Your pet is more likely to pick up fleas outside near playgrounds, pools, gardens, or lakes. Fleas can also infect your dog in the backyard, kennels, lawn, or dog park.
It’s simple to check your yard for fleas and treat it accordingly. It’s a little more difficult to determine whether a dog park or a walk is the source of your flea infestation. There is a high risk of your pet catching fleas in these places.
Giving up the dog park or walks due to fleas may be difficult with high-energy puppies. However, If you feel that your dog is infested with fleas, it is best to avoid going to dog parks because this may increase the chances of infestation.
What to do if your dog has fleas?
You should eliminate the fleas and the dirt by running a flea comb through the fur or rubbing your hand across the fur with a white paper towel. A regular bath can show great results by eliminating fleas. There are various methods for determining whether your dog is infested or not.
Begin by looking for black creatures in your dog’s fur and bedding. You can also identify them by looking for the flea dirt, which is the feces of adult fleas. If black specks flake off the towel, it’s most likely flea dirt, and your dog has fleas.
How to give a bath to a pet that is infested with fleas?
Giving a regular bath to your pet is very important to prevent fleas. Use shampoo or a soap that has flea repellant ingredients in it. Comb the fur with a flea comb while in the shower. This step ensures that the fleas that have fallen on the ground will drain off without returning to your pet.
How to prevent flea infestation on a dog?
Fleas are present almost everywhere, and it is impossible to stop them from reaching your pets. In some cases, preventive measures can help control the fleas on your pets. Some of the ways to prevent fleas are given below.
- Discourage other pets from entering your yard.
- Avoid leaving anything out that might tempt the fleas, such as your pet’s food, nuts, or seeds.
- Socialization with other dogs and pets is important for your dog’s health. But this may increase the chances of spreading fleas. So, make sure the other dogs are free of fleas.
- Using a flea treatment on a regular basis rather than restricting contact with other pets is the most effective way to protect your dogs from fleas.
- To reduce the chances of an infestation, practice flea treatments on all pets in your household.
- You should keep garbage bags in a bin to avoid attracting hungry foxes and raccoons, which might spread the fleas.
Can my dog get fleas from my backyard?
Yes, your pet can get fleas from the lawn around your house, the park, the backyard, and any other place where other animals gather. Fleas thrive in various climates, but they mostly prefer moist, humid, and shady environments.
These pests prefer to live in areas with tall grass. These kinds of surroundings encourage flea infestations. To control the fleas in your yard, use a yard spray designed to kill fleas and ticks in your home’s outdoor areas.
How do I treat my dog’s fleas?
Treating dogs for fleas can sometimes be a tricky task. The fleas are tiny and can rarely be seen with the naked eye. Some of the home treatments to get rid of fleas on your dogs should include flea combing and a good bath as your dog’s first line of defense against fleas.
Soap acts as a gentle insecticide, assisting in controlling minor infestations on your pet. However, combing helps reduce the need for insecticides, and this process is the most effective.
Flea combs have fine teeth that help to remove fleas from fur. Most of your pets would enjoy this treatment due to its soothing effect on them. Try to focus on the face, neck, and the area in front of the tail. To kill fleas removed from the pet, frequently dip the comb in soapy water or an alcohol solution.
Can animals get fleas from being outside?
Yes, animals can get fleas from being outdoors. These insects live in the outdoors on warm-blooded animals. Your pet is likely to pick up fleas from other animals when they come into contact with each other.
Your pet may come into contact with birds, rabbits, squirrels, other rodents, raccoons, or deer on a daily walk or even in your backyard. In this way, your pet can catch fleas.
Most flea infestations start when an outdoor dog or cat brings fleas from outside to the home. Fleas can even enter a house using hosts—fleas that are very small and can enter through window screens and doors.
Final Thoughts
Eliminating fleas is very important for the healthy development of your dog. These parasites suck the blood from their hosts. They make the host weak and immune to other diseases. Among all the pets, dogs and cats are more likely to be infested by these pests due to their fur and body heat.
Adult fleas are found on pets, whereas the larvae and pupa are established outdoors. Your pet is likely to attract them when they spend their time outdoors playing or rolling on the ground. You need to get your pets treated as soon as possible to avoid the deteriorating effects on them.