How did dog get fleas? To start with, as a dog owner, your first reaction to finding fleas on your dog shouldn’t be one of apprehension.
You need to calmly analyze the situation and make sure you find a solution as soon as possible as a delay could put your dog in harm’s way.
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What are Fleas?
Fleas are tiny, jumping insects that live and thrive on blood.
They are really annoying as they can get hitched on a lot of things ranging from clothing to skin. It is annoying to know that a flea can jump to a height ten times its size (even without wings).
These stubborn creatures also multiply at an alarming rate. A female flea can lay up to 40 eggs per day.
That said, while fleas are known to known to thrive and survive all year round in Southern USA, their presence is generally associated with winter.
Where Do Dogs Get Fleas?
- The great outdoors.
- Other dogs and animals.
- Your home.
- Containment facilities.
It is not surprising that you are asking “how did my dog get fleas?” as flea infestation is a pretty common issue for dogs.
That said, the outdoors is a pretty obvious avenue for flea infestation. Given that dogs love to be adventurous, you really can’t stop them from moving about. They could pick up the fleas as close as out in the porch or as far as out in the park.
Another possible medium is from interaction with other dogs or animals that have fleas. Remember we mentioned earlier that fleas can hitch-hike from one place to the other with ease. As a result of this they find it easy to move from one host to another.
Another surprising place where the dogs can get fleas is from your home. As far as one flea gets into your home (either through clothing or some other means), there is a risk of this happening. Also, small animals such as mice and rats can also bring it into the home.
Dogs could also get fleas from their containment systems. Say for instance, their kennel. Once a flea finds its way into its kennel, there could be an epidemic.
Watch this video to find out how to check for fleas.
What Health Challenge(s) Do Fleas Pose To My Dog?
A flea infested dog could have flea-bite anaemia. This could develop as a result of the depletion of the dog’s red blood cell (as fleas are primarily after the dog’s blood).
An infested dog is also at risk of getting tapeworm. This happens when the fleas lay eggs in the small intestine of the dog.
What To Do When My Dog Has Fleas?
Once you have confirmed that your dog has fleas, there are different treatment options available to you.
- Flea and tick pills
- Medicated shampoo.
- Topical treatments.
One way of combating fleas on your dog is to administer flea and tick pills to the dog. This should be done on the advice of your veterinary doctor. We are strongly against self-medication.
Medicated shampoo is another way to go. It is an inexpensive way of ensuring that your dog is flea free. The shampoo kills the fleas and ticks on the dog. After this, you could use a tick comb to remove the dead fleas and ticks from the body of the dog.
- GENTLE HEALING – Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Antiparasitic and Antiseborrheic Medicated Shampoo for Dogs contains coal tar, salicylic acid, and micronized sulfur to treat skin scaling caused by seborrhea, relieve mange and other parasitic infections, and treat fungal and bacterial infections. Colloidal Oatmeal and Allantoin hydrate skin and promote healing.
- FAST ACTING – Antiparasitic and Antiseborrheic Medicated Dog Shampoo works fast to help relieve the inflamed scalp, greasy or waxy skin, red skin rashes, bald spots, itch and flaky skin associated with dermatitis, mange, seborrhea, parasitic, and bacterial infections. To use, shampoo 2-3 times per week initially and then less frequently as skin improves.
- VETERINARY RECOMMENDED – Veterinary Formula Antiparasitic and Antiseborrheic Medicated Shampoo for Dogs is paraben, dye, and soap free. It will not remove topical spot-on flea and tick treatments and has been proven to safely treat fungal and bacterial skin infections, skin scaling caused by seborrhea, and parasitic infections like mange.
- FORMULATED FOR DOGS – Medicated antiparasitic and antiseborrheic shampoo is specifically formulated for dogs over 12 weeks of age. The pH balanced treatment is ideal for your dog’s sensitive skin. The effective relief of symptoms will make you and your dogs happy. Great for pets with sensitive, allergic and yeasty skin!
- EFFECTIVE AND AFFORDABLE – Veterinary Formula Clinical Care premium medicated products are created with veterinary-grade ingredients but available at a price that pet parents can afford. We know your dogs are more than just pets, because we are pet parents too.
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Furthermore, there are a number of other topical treatment methods you could opt for including powders, creams and on-the spot treatment. Then there are also flea and tick removal collars.
Your vet should be able to help you decide which method will be more effective for your dog.
Check out these other articles:
- How To Make A Dog Happy
- How To Tell If Your Dog Is Constipated
- How To Train Your Dog To Walk Off Leash
- How To Remove Dog Vomit Stains From Carpet
- How To Use Dog Nail Clippers With Guard
- How Often Should I Take My Dog To The Vet?
What To Do To Avoid A Recurrence
As regards a flea infestation, the saying “prevention is better than cure” is of utmost relevance. It is very wise to ensure that fleas don’t attack your dog in the first place rather than look for control measures.
Nevertheless, all is not lost as there are some steps that can be taken to make sure that your chances of asking the “how did my dog get fleas?” question are reduced.
One of the measures to take in order to forestall a recurrence is to ensure that you use flea treatment regularly. This treatment could be done on a monthly basis to ensure that your dog is safe from fleas.
Also, you could make sure that your home is free from rodents and wild mice that are easy carriers of this parasite. One way to achieve this is ensuring that solid waste (especially food items) are well disposed.
You also want to pay attention to the kennel or boarding facility you take your dog to. Ask questions and be sure that the authorities that be have taken measures to prevent a flea infestation epidemic.
How Did My Dog Get Fleas? — FAQs
Can I Get Fleas From My Dog?
You can certainly get fleas from your dog and basically any other pet you have. And those fleas will mean serious business as they will bite like they do with your dog.
Do Fleas Jump Off After Treatment?
It is possible for the fleas to jump off their host after said host has been treated. The only reason a flea would leave its host is if it is dying. So, if the treatment works, you should see them come off.
Can Fleas Live Off Humans?
Fleas cannot live or feed off of humans, especially the ones that infest animals. However, they can bite you like they do your dog. But they will need a different host if they won’t die of starvation.
Can Fleas Live On Humans Without Pets?
Fleas can’t live on or feed off of humans but they can certainly bite humans. Now, even if you do not have pets, they could bite you if they manage to get into your home.
How Long Can Fleas Live Without A Host?
Without a host, fleas can live for up to two weeks. And they can exist out in your yard or right their in the crevices and cracks in your home.
However, while 2 weeks might seem like a short time to wait for the fleas to leave if you do not have pets, consider that fleas do not need a host to reproduce.
So, while the adult fleas might die off after 2 weeks if you do not have a pet, the babies are ready to take their spot.
Will Fleas Go Away If The Pet Is Gone?
Eventually, fleas will die off if the pet is gone. And this is because they can’t feed on humans and the only animals they can live off is gone.
However, waiting for the fleas to die off on their own might take a while. And this is because fleas can reproduce whether or not there is a host.
