Although small in size, fleas can be a huge nuisance for dogs—and pet parents.
Let’s quickly review the flea life cycle. When an adult female flea lands on a dog, she feeds on the dog’s blood and lays her eggs (up to 50 per day!) in the fur. The flea eggs eventually fall to the ground, where they go through several developmental stages to mature into adults. These new adult fleas find a host and the cycle repeats itself.
Flea bites can make dogs feel intensely itchy because flea saliva, which enters a dog’s bloodstream during a blood meal, can cause a strong immune reaction known as flea allergy dermatitis. This itchy feeling often causes the telltale scratching behind the ears.
However, in addition to itching, there are some less obvious signs that your dog has fleas. If your pet is exhibiting any of the below, the little buggers may be to blame.
Restless Behavior Is your dog looking nervous or annoyed? Is he constantly pacing without being able to get comfortable? The constant itchiness and discomfort from flea bites can make dogs restless. If you were feeling itchy all over, you probably wouldn’t be able to sit still, either.
Red Skin If your dog has fleas, he will likely be frequently scratching, biting and licking his skin to try to relieve the discomfort and get rid of the fleas. The scratching and biting will irritate the skin, causing it to turn red.
Hair Loss As with the red skin, the constant scratching, biting and licking will cause your dog’s fur to start breaking and falling out. Dogs with severe reactions to fleas will often have patches of hair loss where the fleas have caused the most irritation. Common areas of hair loss include the lower back, tail, head and inner thighs.
Severe Skin Lesions Dogs who are extremely sensitive to fleas can have intense reactions to flea bites. These dogs traumatize their skin so much that it becomes hyperpigmented and develops lesions like scales, crusts and papules (a type of pimple).
Pale Gums Severe flea infestations on dogs can cause significant blood loss. This blood loss results in anemia, which is a shortage of red blood cells. If your dog has a severe flea problem, his gums will likely be pale because of the anemia.
What Can You Do? Fleas on dogs can become a major problem because these fleas can set up shop inside your home and become very difficult to eliminate. Evidence of fleas in your home includes flea dirt (dark specks of flea feces) in your dog’s bedding.
Flea prevention is key to keeping fleas off of your dog and out of your home. A monthly flea preventative that is prescribed by your veterinarian is the easiest and most convenient method of flea prevention. For maximum protection, administer the preventative year-round to all pets in your home (including cats).
If you notice the telltale or more subtle signs of fleas on your dog, contact your veterinarian so that you can start treating your pets and your home for fleas.