Many people have seen their pet succumb to one of the most annoying of pests they come across. This pest bites the victim for the blood underneath the skin, which they need to live. This pest is not a vampire, but the simple flea.
Fleas are very common. They love to live in animals and specifically often target dogs. Flea bites are awful itchy things that will irritate the animal or person affected by them. In particular is one species of flea. This flea is the Dog Flea. While similar to the Cat Flea, there are some anatomic differences. Where they are similar however is in their willingness to move one from their pets to their owners.
What Carries Dog Fleas?
People love their dogs. For many people, their dog is their best friend. For others, they are quite simply a member of the family. No one wants to see a member of the family being bitten by vermin. Specifically, no one wants their beloved canine friend to get dog fleas.
It’s not surprising that dogs are the most common animal to carry dog fleas. The name sort of says it all. However, they are not the only species that needs to worry about becoming infested. Dog fleas are a specific type of flea after all and not just limited to the blood of a dog. The hair of a dog is a perfect environment, but that can be replicated elsewhere.
Cats have been known to also suffer from dog fleas. This is pretty common in a household which has both species of animal as pets. Cats are clean and fastidious animals and they despise having fleas. Really any mammal can carry dog fleas, and that includes humans. Many humans may find themselves with a flea infestation and the bites to prove it.
Symptoms of Dog Fleas
When wondering if a person has contracted dog fleas from their pets, there’s some clear symptoms that they can look for on their body. The following are all likely:
- Bites - The first thing that is likely is that the body has been bitten. This is likely the first sign that a person will have, since most other symptoms extend from the bites on their body. Specifically, the bite of a dog flea will show up as a small red bump. The skin around it will extend as a halo of redness. It’s also likely that the bites will occur in clusters.
- Itch - The bites are exceedingly itchy and scratching them can cause more damage to the skin including infections.
- Rashes - This is a less common symptom, but it can occur when someone has a poor reaction to a cluster of bites. This is more common if there are several clusters of bites near each other on the skin.
When it comes to your pets, the bites are similar, but the main symptoms will be finding flea feces or eggs in their fur. It’s always good to check your pets for fleas regularly to ensure they don’t use your pets as a bridge to your skin. Keep in mind that even without pets, some people may have dog fleas entier their home simply from spending time in the yard of their house or at the park.
Treatment of Dog Fleas
The good news when it comes to flea bites is that they will go away naturally pretty easily. If there is treatment that is required, it’s going to be for the itchy skin. There’s several medications and creams designed for this use.
The best treatment with fleas is to get rid of the infestation to stop them from continuing. The best treatment from this point on is to have pets treated and a home checked and treated by a pest control effort. There are shampoos and creams that are sometimes effective at dissuading fleas, but a full purge is by far the best choice.
The articles on this website should not be used to start the use of dietary supplements or vitamins, natural or herbal products, homeopathic medicine or other mentioned products prior to a proper consultation with a doctor or certified health provider.
