Let’s talk about fleas and ticks on your pets. The annoying and horrifying little creatures that attach to your pet’s skin and fur, feeding off their blood, making them super uncomfortable and sometimes even ill. In this article, you’ll learn how to figure out if your pet might have them, and wat to do if they do.
Fleas can spread diseases such as dermatitis, tapeworm, and even anemia. Plus, they reproduce so fast that sometimes it might even lead to an infestation of them in your entire home.
Fleas can be hard to find at the beginning of their life cycle, but some things can help you tell if your pet has them. You could use a comb to look for actual fleas, but you can also be on the lookout for the following signs: Frequent scratching or chewing, small red bumps or pimples, flea dirt (small dark droppings that smear into reddish-brown streaks), and hair loss.
On the other hand, ticks are part of the same family as spiders. And they usually feed off your pet by digging their head into their skin. Ticks will spend only around a week on each host if they can manage to crawl to a new one.
Now, ticks are usually easier to find than fleas. You can try looking at warm, dark shelter areas (ears, armpits, and between toes). Some signs you can be on the lookout for are: Frequent chewing, licking, or scratching on specific areas, fever, head shaking, and small bumps or lumps.
If you find fleas or ticks on your pet, you should take them to a vet as soon as possible. To avoid it from escalating. If you can’t find fleas or ticks on your pet but have seen some of the signs we mentioned, you should still take your pet to the vet.
The treatment options to eliminate fleas or ticks include powders, sprays, shampoos, and topical liquids. Your vet may even prescribe creams and antibiotics in severe cases. Although the best way to deal with fleas and ticks is by preventing them from ever getting to our pets, and for this, there are also different options.
If you want to know more about how to prevent fleas and ticks from getting to your dog, you can contact us on our website or on Instagram.
