Table of Contents
Introduction
You’ve got a furry friend, and you love them. You know their favorite toys, what they like to eat and how much time they spend sleeping. But did you know that these little furry friends can also be carrying dangerous pests? We’re talking about fleas and ticks. And while they are not usually fatal to your pet, they can cause some serious issues if left untreated. Both fleas and ticks feed on the blood of animals—usually cats or dogs—and can transmit diseases through their bites.
And so it begins.
While we’re on the subject of fleas and ticks, let’s take a moment to talk about how to check for them in your pets.
There are several ways you can go about checking for fleas and ticks. The best way is by feeling around the body of your pet with your hands, but that may seem like a bit too much work for most people. You could also feel around the fur with a comb or brush to see if there’s anything crawling around in there.
If there are no pets nearby at the moment (or if they don’t want you feeling them up or brushing their fur), then I recommend taking a look at some photos online that show what it looks like when an animal has fleas and/or ticks on them so you’ll know what they look like when they appear later on!
Check your pet’s skin and fur for fleas and ticks.
After you have done some research and determined that your pet is at risk for carrying fleas and ticks, you should start looking for signs of infestation. The first step in this process is to look for the pests themselves.
- Look for fleas on the skin, fur, and bedding of your pet. If you see tiny black specks moving around your dog or cat’s coat (which are probably flea feces), it’s not a good sign! In addition to being gross AF, these little guys can make pets scratch themselves bloody—and they’re also carriers of other diseases besides just blood-sucking ones like plague or typhus fever (which we’ll get into later). If you notice any crawling bugs or tiny black specks on any part of your pet’s body—especially near their tail base—it might be time to treat them with something like Advantage II® topical solution so they don’t become an infestation problem later down the road when new eggs hatch every day from existing colonies within hours after being laid by adult females who already had offspring before dying off shortly thereafter due to lack sufficient nutrition intake during gestation periods lasting up until about three weeks after mating takes place between two types: males (who leave behind droppings called “flea dirt”) and females (who lay eggs which turn into larvae before emerging as pupae; these turn into adult fleas within about 24 hours).
Check for flea dirt (flea feces).
Flea dirt is a good way to determine if your pet has fleas. Flea feces looks like tiny black dots, which look like little poppy seeds. These spots are very small and can be found around the neck, under the chin and behind the ears of your dog or cat.
Spend time at home with your pet.
- Spend time at home with your pet.
Before you go out on a walk, spend some extra time in the house with your pet. This will give the fleas and ticks more opportunity to find their way onto your dog or cat, where they can be easily removed using a flea comb.
If you do notice any fleas or ticks on your pet, don’t panic. There are several over-the-counter treatments available to get rid of them.
If you do notice any fleas or ticks on your pet, don’t panic. There are several over-the-counter treatments available to get rid of them. Your veterinarian should be able to recommend one that is safe for your pet and effective in ridding them of the pests.
As far as prevention goes: remember that animals can carry ticks and fleas into your home even if they are not showing signs of being infected themselves, so it’s important to inspect all pets before letting them inside your home after being outside.
Conclusion
With a little bit of time and patience, it’s easy to check for fleas in your pet. With this guide, you’ll be able to keep your house and pets safe from pesky fleas and ticks.