{"id":7184,"date":"2019-05-14T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T15:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.diamondpet.wearewoodruff.xyz\/?p=7184"},"modified":"2025-01-22T14:10:59","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T20:10:59","slug":"facts-fleas-ticks-dogs-cats-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/blog\/health\/flea-tick\/fleas-vs-ticks-in-dogs-signs-prevention\/","title":{"rendered":"Fleas vs. Ticks in Dogs: Signs and Prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fleas and ticks have been around for millions of years \u2014 in fact, they were around long before humans walked on the earth. Yet despite their long history and reputation for causing discomfort and transmitting diseases, many misperceptions about fleas and ticks still exist, like the myth that they\u2019re only a problem in spring<\/a> or summer. Knowing some basic facts about these tiny bloodsuckers can help make sure these pesky parasites don\u2019t become a problem for your dog (or you).<\/p>\n

What Do Fleas Look Like on Dogs?<\/h2>\n

Fleas on dogs can be hard to spot as they\u2019re only 1\/16 to 1\/8 inch tall and can move fast. They\u2019re dark brown and become lighter in color as they ingest blood. Fleas are most likely to be found in areas that are warm and protected like your dog\u2019s armpits and groin. They can also be easier to spot on your dog\u2019s tummy where the hair is typically thinner.<\/p>\n

Flea eggs are even harder to find than fleas. They may look like dried skin flakes since they\u2019re usually whitish, oval-shaped specks. What is easier to find is flea dirt (flea droppings), dark specks of digested blood that look like pepper on your dog\u2019s fur or skin. You can tell if it is flea dirt by placing it on a wet paper towel \u2014 if it\u2019s flea dirt, the digested blood will turn the paper towel red.<\/p>\n

What Do Ticks Look Like on Dogs?<\/h2>\n

Ticks are commonly found around a dog\u2019s head, ears and neck. If your dog has an embedded tick, you may first notice a hard bump on their skin. When you part your dog\u2019s hair and look closer, an adult tick may look grey to dark brown in color (although the color varies among tick species). Ticks have four life stages<\/a>: adult, egg, larva and nymph. If you look carefully, you may be able to see the eight legs of a nymph or adult tick, whereas tick larvae only have six legs. An adult tick that\u2019s filled with blood will be larger and easier to find.<\/p>\n

What Do Fleas Do to Dogs?<\/h2>\n

As well as causing intense itching, fleas on dogs can transmit immature tapeworms. When your dog is grooming themselves, they can accidentally ingest an infected flea and introduce a tapeworm into their body. Tapeworms don\u2019t usually cause symptoms in dogs unless the infection is severe, but tapeworms can infect people.<\/p>\n

Some dogs develop allergic reactions to flea bites due to antigens in flea saliva, a condition called flea allergy dermatitis (FAD). Dogs with FAD typically have reactions along the back half of their body and are often missing hair in these areas due to the intense itching and scratching. If left untreated, the itching and inflammation can lead to open sores that are susceptible to secondary skin infections. The good news is that if you eliminate the fleas, you eliminate the FAD.<\/p>\n

What Do Ticks Do to Dogs?<\/h2>\n

Ticks can carry and transmit several different types of disease-causing organisms (pathogens) and toxins, like Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The good news is that not all ticks are infected and most tick bites don\u2019t result in disease. The percentage of ticks infected with an infectious organism varies from one location to the next, and the ability of tick species to transmit toxin that causes tick paralysis varies with the type of tick.<\/p>\n

The feeding time necessary for disease-causing organisms to be passed to a host varies between ticks and pathogens. Some bacteria are transmitted with three to six hours of tick attachment, while others require more than 24 hours before transmission occurs. Since it\u2019s impossible to know if a tick is infected without testing it, prompt removal is key to preventing pathogen transfer to your dog.<\/p>\n

How to Treat Dog Fleas<\/h2>\n

There are many flea treatment and control products<\/a> \u2014 flea shampoo, spot-on topical flea treatments, flea collars and oral flea treatments \u2014 all with their pros and cons. It\u2019s important to realize that many flea medications don\u2019t kill fleas instantly. With topically applied products, most adult fleas are killed within hours, not within several seconds or minutes as some pet owners might expect. And with orally administered flea treatments, fleas must feed on your dog before they are exposed to the medication.<\/p>\n

Flea-infested environments are a constant source of new fleas, and dogs who go outdoors can easily pick up newly emerged adult fleas. These recently acquired fleas can mean that you see \u201clive\u201d fleas on a treated dog. The good news is, if the flea control product was applied or given appropriately, the fleas should be dead within 24 hours.<\/p>\n

If you want to avoid a flea infestation, all pets in the home must be treated with flea medications. Any untreated pet can carry fleas and become their new home if immature fleas are present in the environment.<\/p>\n

Adult Fleas Aren\u2019t the Only Dog Fleas to Worry About<\/h2>\n

Your dog may not have fleas after treatment, but the adult fleas found on dogs are only 5 percent of the flea population in your dog\u2019s environment. The other 95 percent are hiding as immature stages of the flea life cycle \u2014 flea eggs, larvae and pupae \u2014 in the environment and still pose a risk to your dog. That\u2019s why veterinarians recommend treating your home environment as well as all pets in your home for more than one month. Depending on the severity of the problem, you may need to call an exterminator or use over-the-counter insecticides to treat your home and yard.<\/p>\n

Fleas are opportunistic, and their immature stages are capable of hiding just about anywhere. It\u2019s not uncommon to find immature flea life stages in the cracks between hardwood, laminate or tile floor coverings and along baseboards. They\u2019ll also hide in your dog\u2019s (and yours!) bedding, even within or under upholstered furniture where your dog rests.<\/p>\n

How to Remove a Tick from a Dog<\/h2>\n

While there are \u201chome remedies\u201d for removing attached ticks, many are actually dangerous to your dog (and you). Using a lit or hot match to detach a tick is not only ineffective, it can easily burn your dog \u2014 remember, hair is highly flammable! Fingernail polish and petroleum jelly eventually suffocate feeding ticks, but by the time ticks die, they may have passed disease-causing microorganisms to your dog.<\/p>\n

The best way to remove an attached tick is to grasp it with tweezers as close to the skin as possible while avoiding the tick\u2019s abdomen (or body). Gently, firmly and steadily pull on the tick until it comes out. Jerking or twisting the tick can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin.<\/p>\n

Once the tick is removed, clean the wound with soap and water, and clean your tweezers with rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol. Of course, if you\u2019re not sure how to properly remove a tick, ask your veterinarian or a veterinary technician to show you.<\/p>\n

Even if you try to very carefully remove a tick from your dog, it\u2019s common for the mouthparts to remain embedded in your dog\u2019s skin. The good news is that the tick can no longer transmit disease if its body is gone. Your dog\u2019s body will wall off the mouthparts, and in a few days, what\u2019s left of the tick will be expelled naturally.<\/p>\n

While the mouthparts may cause temporary, minor inflammation, you\u2019ll want to monitor the site for signs of infection such as redness, swelling, pus and pain. To avoid potential infection, gently clean the area with soap and water. You may also want to call your veterinarian to discuss whether you should apply a small amount of antiseptic cream or antibiotic ointment.<\/p>\n

What you don\u2019t want to do is dig around in your pet\u2019s skin in an effort to remove the mouthparts. This can actually increase trauma to the skin and the risk of a local skin infection. If the site should become infected, contact your veterinarian.<\/p>\n

Fleas and Ticks on Dogs Can Be Prevented<\/h2>\n

Always consult with your veterinarian on the best flea treatments and tick control products for your dog. Many myths and misconceptions about fleas, ticks and how to prevent them from infesting your dog exist, such as \u201capple cider vinegar repels ticks,\u201d \u201cfeeding garlic helps repel fleas, ticks and mosquitoes,\u201d and \u201ccity pets don\u2019t need flea and tick prevention.\u201d The correct answers? False, false and false! Stick with the products recommended by your veterinarian.<\/p>\n

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Fleas and ticks have been around for millions of years \u2014 in fact, they were around long before humans walked on the earth. Yet despite their long history and reputation for causing discomfort and transmitting diseases, many misperceptions about fleas and ticks still exist, like the myth that they\u2019re only a problem in spring or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7402,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Fleas vs. Ticks in Dogs: Signs and Prevention","_seopress_titles_desc":"Learn more about the signs of fleas and ticks in dogs, their effects, prevention methods and how to treat infestations effectively for your pet's health!","_seopress_robots_index":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[245,28],"tags":[134,10,782,70,54,217,630,11,53],"class_list":["post-7184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flea-tick","category-health","tag-diamond-pet-foods","tag-dog","tag-dog-fleas","tag-dog-health","tag-dogs","tag-flea-tick","tag-flea-protection","tag-health","tag-safety"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}