All featured product are chosen at the delicacy of the GreatPetCare editorial squad and do not reflect a verbatim indorsement by the author or reader .
If your dog or computerized axial tomography starts strike excessively , the first thing most preferred parent want to reign out is an unwelcome flea infestation . alas , these small , plaguey parasites can be hard to spot ! It may be tempting to take up your pet is flea - free if you ca n’t find any literal bugs on their hide or coat . However , it ’s important to keep your eyes disrobe for another common telltale signaling they leave behind : the presence of flea grease .
Whether you find flea dirt repellent or you ’re not even sure what it is , we ’ve got answers to all your questions about fleas , flea turd , and how to slay both from your pets and your home right here .
What Is Flea Dirt?
Let ’s start with the bedrock . Flea dirt may sound like something you ’d expect a mussy cuss to leave behind . But it ’s a bit more knotty ( and grosser ) than that . Flea dirt is technically the faecal matter of adult flea — so it ’s just a nicer way of saying “ flea crap . ”
When grownup flea take up abode on your pawl or cat , they consume your darling ’s blood to pull through . And when they defecate , they pass mostly undigested blood in the form of dark pellet that stay in your positron emission tomography ’s coat .
These flea poop pellets also serve as a food source for flea larvae , which are baby fleas .
What Does Flea Dirt Look Like?
Perhaps unsurprisingly , flea dirt looks a lot like , well … stain . The sinister pellet are often described as look like coffee tree ground in your pet ’s pelt or slight black dots on your pet ’s skin . Typically , the pellet are ruby - disastrous or sorry brown .
It ’s often easy for pet parent to err normal grease , dandruff , orscabsfor flea crap . However , there ’s a simple fashion to say the difference of opinion between real flea dirt and other lookalikes . just of all , it ’s free and you could do it at place !
How to Conduct the Flea Dirt Test
Also know as the “ paper towel flea dirt mental testing , ” this easy at - home method will reveal in an instant if those suspicious pinpoint on your dog or cat-o'-nine-tails are flea scandal or not .
Here ’s how it work out : Simply transplant the aver flea shite from your pet to a soused paper towel . If the shit dissolve and leaves a cherry-red stigma , it is most potential flea crap . The blood portion of the flea poop is responsible for the reddish hue . Normal dirt or tegument scabs should not call on the theme towel red when sloshed .
Dangers of Fleas and Flea Dirt
If you find flea dirt on your weenie or cat , it indicates the late presence of grownup flea . Outside of regain actual flea on your darling ’s trunk , flea dirt is the clearest sign that your darling has a flea plague .
That means you should take immediate action to treat the plague and prevent re - plague since fleas can posehealth risksboth for your pet and for your category .
In ducky , flea can causeanemiadue to blood loss , flea allergic reaction dermatitis(an allergic skin reaction),tapeworms in dogsandcats , as well as other diseases like bartonellosis .
The presence of flea and flea dirt on your dearie also increase your family ’s risk of exposure of shrink flea - bear diseases that affect citizenry , include :
When and Where to Look for Flea Dirt
Now that you do it what flea filth look like and why it should interest you , here are some guidelines to tell you when and where to reckon for it on your ducky .
undue itch is one of the most vernacular sign that you should canvas your frump or cat for the presence of flea shit . But it ’s not the only indicator . You should also check for flea scandal on your pet if you notice these signs :
When search for flea turd on your ducky , you’re able to either part the fur and look around the base of the hair shafts for speck of flea dirt , or use a flea cockscomb . If using a flea cockscomb , comb in the direction of the fur . The flea comb may pick up both flea dirt and actual alive flea .
You may also bump flea dirt in your pet ’s bedding or in other areas where they care to rest — include your couch and your bottom !
Though flea stain attend the same on both hotdog and hombre , there are some differences to keep in creative thinker when it comes to where you are most potential to find it . flea tend to congregate in different areas on domestic dog than they do on computed tomography . Here are some pointers to aid your hunt :
Flea Dirt on Dogs
Flea dirt on dogs can be find anywhere on your dog ’s body . However , dog flea dirt is most coarse around the tail end , specially the lower back , tail base , breakwater , underbelly , and thighs .
Flea Dirt on Cats
Like dogs , flea dirt can be found on any part of the cat ’s body . However , Arabian tea incline to be fastidious groomers ! Because of this , you may notice more flea or flea dirt around a cat-o'-nine-tails ’s neck or other areas that are harder for them to groom themselves .
How to Get Rid of Flea Dirt
Unlike actual dirt , getting rid of flea dirt command more than a deep cleansing sitting . you’re able to remove every speck of flea dirt , but if there are still fleas living on your favourite , they ’re just go to poop out more . To amply free your pet or home of flea dirt , you ’ll also have to get rid of the flea , themselves .
At the first sign of flea grease , be sure to babble out with your veterinarian about the best flea bar and handling architectural plan for your dog or African tea . Depending on your favorite ’s needs , your vet will in all probability urge some combination of the follow manoeuvre to rid your ducky and home of fleas and flea crap .
Oral or topical flea medication
When it comes toflea medicinal drug for dogsorcats , there ’s no shortfall of options to select from … so many , it can finger overpowering . That ’s why it ’s of the essence to get direction from your vet , who can advocate the best option for your pet ’s species , free weight , age , and needs — both immediate and farseeing - full term .
Flea medications fall into two category : Flea contraceptive are designed to stop flea plague from initiate , while flea treatments are designed to extinguish an alive flea infestation on your deary .
Since it ’s much estimable to maneuver off flea infestations before they start , veterinarians typically advocate a monthly flea preventative , such asCredelio(lotilaner ) cuttable tablets ( which are also effective against tick ) , as part of a long - term plan .
Some oral and topical flea encumbrance , includingRevolution PlusandSimparica TRIO , also volunteer broad - spectrum protection against other parasites that threaten deary , such as ticks , tinea , hookworms , and heartworms . It ’s of import to note that your favourite will have to be tested for heartworms before beginning this type of medication .
If your pet has an active case of flea , a fast - play flea treatment may be in order . CAPSTAR(nitenpyram ) is an oral medication that can get going killing adult fleas in 30 minutes . However , it ’s not effective against flea testis and larvae , so be sure to ask your veterinarian about what flea preventative you should use , as well .
Whichever flea medicine you dispense , it ’s extremely important to make trusted you only give dog flea bar to bounder and cat flea prevention to cats . Permethrin is a chemical substance in some topical flea products destine for andiron . If placed on a cat , this product can cause tremors and seizures .
Treatments signify to be put on the skin could also be toxic if ingested , so make certain you ’re giving the medicinal drug correctly . If you have doubt or concerns about oral or topical flea medications , make trusted to talk with your veterinarian .
Bathe your pet
If your favorite has a luck of flea dirt ( and fleas ) trap in their coat or on their skin , bathing your dog or cat can help remove them and provide moderation . But think back this is also a short - term solution that does nothing to preclude any larva that survive the bath from get through maturity .
Be certain to use a soft , preferent - dependable shampoo to remove the flea dirt and prevent skin irritation . You may have heard that usingDawn dish soapis a good idea for bathe darling with flea . However , experts caution that the detergent is n’t any more effective than other shampoos and may be more irritating .
If you use Dawn dish goop , you may desire to comply up with a soothing preferred - dependable shampoo . Keep in intellect that you may need to do several rounds of shampoo if there is a lot of flea dirt trapped in your pet ’s coat .
Vacuum pet beds, furniture, and carpets
Fleas can inhabit in your pet ’s bed , on furniture , and in your carpet . So if you want to get rid of flea and flea grunge in your home , be sure to give your household some extra cleaning TLC , too .
Thoroughly vacuum soft aerofoil and anywhere you fleck flea dirt . Consider using a steam cleansing agent , as well . Do n’t forget to consider other resting arena , such as favourite chair or cat trees , while cleaning up !
When emptying your vacuum cleaner , be sure to dispose of the contents in a sealed bag placed into the tripe outside of the home base to prevent reinfestation .
Consider other pets
If one positron emission tomography in your family has fleas , your other pets likely do , as well . Make trusted to find out them all . irrespective of what you find , all your pets should receive flea prevention to prevent flea infestation .
Tips for Preventing Flea Dirt on Dogs and Cats
As cite , the better way to keep flea dirt off your dog or Caterpillar is to keep them from have the flea that bring on it . Work with your veterinarian to determine the veracious flea - bar medication for your pet and get with it .
However , medication is n’t the only artillery at your disposal in the fight against fleas and flea crap . In accession to meds , you’re able to abbreviate the risk of infection of flea plague even further with the following tactics :
With consistent flea bar and open-eyed monitoring , you may aid keep your positron emission tomography — and your home — free of flea and flea crap !