Fleas are a harsh pest when they attack your pets including dogs and cats. The bloodsuckers (fleas) will bite the dogs, causing irritation, scratching, pain, and even diseases. But how do dogs get fleas?
In brief, dogs may get fleas from places such as the backyard, the park, Pet facilities, or when they come into contact with animals such as wildlife and pets. Outdoor animals that may bring fleas to dogs include foxes, raccoons, deer, rabbits, opossum, skunks, squirrels, ferrets, birds, and rodents.
Details: How Do Dogs Get Fleas?
1. Dogs Can Get Fleas From Wild Animals
Despite that, you may be keeping your dogs in a domesticated way and they’re the only pets using the yard, fleas may still jump onto them from wild critters like rabbits, deer, and squirrels.
- Dogs could pick up those fleas when they come into contact with various wild animals; this is because they’re sociable animals that’ll move around the yards, parks, or even come near various pets.
You’ll notice that dogs will wander in areas where wild animals that carry fleas are equally frequent. In the backyard or during their daily walk dogs will get into contact with animals such as deer, raccoons, rodents, squirrels, rabbits, and birds.
Thus as the dogs take social activities, they may contact fleas via contact with the wild animals. Notably, fleas will jump onto dogs or humans and get carried to other locations where they’ll build up their colony.
Preventing Dogs from Getting Fleas and Ticks from Wild Animals
To prevent fleas from jumping onto dogs from the wild animals, it’s important to hinder the wildlife from getting into your backyard or garden.
- While at it, ensure to remove all objects or things that may attract the wild animals such as seeds, nuts, and other dogs.
Further, remove garbage and garbage bins from your backyard as they could attract wildlife. For example, removing garbage may help prevent the coming of hungry raccoons and foxes – this could have brought fleas to your dogs.
However, dogs may still socialize with various wildlife and other pets -which implies that the most critical control of fleas will be using an effective and regular flea treatment.
2. Contact with Domestic Animals
Flea-infested domestic animals and pets may also pose a risk to making dogs get fleas. For example, dogs may also get fleas through contact with feral animals and other domestic pets such as cats.
- You’d note that Ctenocephalides canis (dog fleas) may not just attack and suck blood from cats but could also jump onto and bite dogs and their puppies.
Fleas have back legs that are very strong that’ll allow them to jump onto the tail or body of the dog from other domestic pets that are in the house or backyard.
Dogs will also get fleas from grass – fleas will jump onto the dog and suck its blood – and then they’ll jump off back to the grass waiting for other hosts.
- You may notice that the dog is spending hours scratching themselves around the yard – maybe after picking those fleas from the grass or other pets.
However, humans too may pick fleas from the yard and the bugs will jump onto your pant legs, socks, and shoes – and you’ll carry fleas to your house.
Unfortunately, fleas could also get into your house in different ways and develop into a colony to finally attack your dogs. For example, fleas could into the house by hitching pets and clothes worn by humans or even climbing onto mice – they’ll come in and lay many eggs.
Preventing Dogs from Getting Fleas and Ticks from Pets and House
You can prevent the fleas from hitting your pets and your house by adopting effective flea treatment for your furry friends and the home area.
- For example, if there is a mice or rodent problem in the house, you may require to take up appropriate control for these animals from the home.
Wash and flea treat the pet bedding – washing should be done at 50 degrees Celsius as this will be appropriate to exterminate the flea eggs and also the adult fleas.
Also, I recommend that you vacuum the carpets and other such flooring materials to remove all the flea stages – and ultimately dispose of that dangerous vacuum bag.
- I also advise you to steam clean the floor and carpet to help kill those flea larvae.
3. Pet Service facilities
Dogs may also get flea some pets’ facilities; these may include boarding kennels, grooming facilities, and dog’s daycare facilities.
- Thus, dogs may stick fleas from these facilities even with the strict flea-free regulations and rules being adhered to strictly.
For example, dogs may also get fleas from the facilities of the pet groomer – fleas may hike the pet and come reproduce fast in your house, pet house, or yard.
- In addition, fleas could also have jumped onto the groomer’s clothes and gear that have become flea-infected.
So, ensure that the service provider in the pet care facility adheres strictly to all pest prevention protocols as this may guarantee that the dog is protected from fleas.
Further, check how the pet service facility responds or helps whenever a bug infection is found in any other pets that are attended there.
Treating Dogs From Fleas – Treatment
Treating the dogs and the surrounding off fleas will be an appropriate step to undertake for prevention and control of those blood-suckers.
- An appropriate and initial step that you must take is to flea-treat the dog using a suitable flea shampoo – especially one that’s prescribed for the age of your dog.
Use a flea comb that is fine-toothed for dogs that have long hair as this will help remove the fleas, their eggs, and also flea dirt from the fur.
- Additional flea treatment that you may use must be approved or prescribed by the veterinarian – and these must control all fleas in various life stages including larvae and adult fleas.
Conclusion
Summers come with heat and many fleas – which might land on your dog. We’ve outlined that dogs may get fleas from various places including the wildlife, backyard, other pets, the house, or the pet care facilities if appropriate flea-control measures are not adopted.
- Inspect the dog’s tail, underbelly, and fur for the presence of any adult fleas – check with your vet for appropriate and great flea control techniques to use on your dog.
Cheers!