How does my dog get fleas and ticks?
Fleas and ticks are external parasites that your dog can pick up from the outdoors, usually when they go outside to go potty. This is the most common time for them to be exposed to these parasites.
Dr. Noël Lucas
Blue Oasis Pet Hospital
Can fleas and ticks spread in my home and to my family?
Yes, fleas can spread easily in your home and to your family members. When a flea comes in on your dog, it sheds eggs into your environment. One female adult flea can shed 30 to 50 eggs per day. These eggs can hatch into new fleas that can potentially bite you or your family members. Ticks usually stay on your dog, but they can hitch a ride on your pet, come inside, and then crawl off your pet and onto you.
Can my dog get fleas and ticks if they're primarily an indoor dog?
Yes, even indoor dogs can still get fleas and ticks. While they may spend most of their time indoors, dogs do go outside to go potty. Anytime a dog goes outside, usually to use the facilities, they can be exposed to fleas and ticks.
How effective are flea and tick medications these days?
Flea and tick preventions and medications are extremely effective. There is a large variety of safe and effective treatments and preventions available for dogs.
What different types of preventative treatments are there?
Traditional types of preventative treatments include topicals. Newer generation treatments include oral flea and tick preventions, and some pet owners also use flea and tick collars. These are the most common types of preventative treatments.
What will my veterinarian recommend for flea and tick treatment?
Every veterinarian has many choices on the market, and there are lots of great competitor products available. Your veterinarian will either decide for you or work with their team of doctors and colleagues to choose the best treatment for your dog, based on efficacy, safety, and budget. It's a good idea to have a discussion with your veterinarian about their recommendations for your dog and the area you live in.
How do I identify fleas and ticks on my dog?
Fleas are small, black insects that live on your dog. You may see them if you move the hair coat up and look around on the skin. Fleas also take blood meals and leave behind excrement, called flea dirt, which looks like little pieces of dirt. If you take one of these pieces and put it on a white piece of paper or cotton ball with water, it will dissolve into a blood stain. You can also use a flea comb to trap the insects. Ticks are usually found attached to your dog's skin, with their head embedded. They can be small or engorged after feeding on your dog's blood. Nymph ticks, which are about the size of a poppy seed, are the most common ticks to pass disease.
What should I do if I see fleas and ticks on my dog?
Consult your veterinarian or bring your dog in for a visit. Your veterinarian can help recommend the best ways to remove the fleas and ticks from your dog. If you find a tick that is attached, it's a good idea to call your veterinarian for guidance on how to remove it safely without exposing yourself to the tick's blood, which can carry diseases. So working with your veterinarian to find the best way to remove and prevent these parasites is the best course of action
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (615) 975-2583 , or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media https://www.facebook.com/BlueOasisPetHospital/, https://www.instagram.com/blueoasispet/
Dog Flea and Tick - FAQs
Dr. Noël Lucas
Blue Oasis Pet Hospital
How can I keep my dog from getting fleas and ticks?
To prevent your dog from getting fleas and ticks, you should use a prevention method. Dogs that go outside are always exposed to these parasites, so it's important to have some kind of prevention in place.
Is flea prevention needed year-round?
In areas with year-round flea and tick exposure, such as Tennessee, it is recommended that all dogs stay on year-round flea and tick prevention.
How do I control fleas and ticks in my dog's environment?
Controlling fleas and ticks in your environment can be done by using prevention on your pet. If fleas get into your house, vacuuming and laundering your pet's bedding and blankets are recommended. Avoid using fogging or insecticides in your home, as these can be harmful to both you and your pet. So we want to discuss preventing and treating fleas and ticks on your pet and managing your environment safely.
Are there vaccines for flea and tick-borne diseases?
Yes, there is a vaccine available for a tick-borne disease called Lyme disease.
Will fleas and ticks resolve themselves on their own?
Fleas and ticks will not resolve on their own. Fleas will increase in volume and infest your pet and home, while ticks will take a blood meal and fall off. If your pet is not on prevention, you may not even know they have ticks.
Are there any home remedies to prevent fleas and ticks?
While there are many products on the market claiming to be holistic or natural flea and tick preventions, they have not been proven effective and may even cause harm, and the same goes for products that have been on the market for a long time. We still see the spread of diseases and the problems associated with those parasites in pets using these preventatives. Some examples include brewers yeast and diatomaceous earth. It is recommended to consult with your veterinarian for effective prevention methods.
If you have any questions about fleas and ticks, prevention, or treatment, please contact your local veterinarian for assistance.
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (615) 975-2583 , or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media https://www.facebook.com/BlueOasisPetHospital/, https://www.instagram.com/blueoasispet/
Dog Flea and Tick - FAQs 2
Dr. Noël Lucas
Blue Oasis Pet Hospital
How do vets find fleas on dogs?
Vets can easily find fleas on dogs if there's a large population, as they are visible to the naked eye. However, if there's a small population of fleas, it might be more difficult to spot the live adult fleas. In this case, vets look for flea dirt, which appears similar to regular dirt but dissolves into a rust or red stain when water is added. This is because flea dirt is made of digested blood and serves as evidence of fleas just like finding a live flea would.
What do flea bites look like?
Flea bites may not always be visible, but when they are, they appear as small red dots, typically in the belly or thigh area where the hair is thinner. These red dots are caused by inflammation related to the flea saliva injected into the skin. When dogs have an intense inflammatory reaction to the flea saliva, they may chew, scratch, or lick the area, which can lead to further inflammation and infection called flea bite allergies.
Can my dog still have fleas if there are no signs on them?
Yes, it's possible for a dog to have fleas even if there are no visible signs. Vets may find fleas on a pet that the owner believed was flea-free by using a flea comb or looking for flea dirt. If a dog is not on any type of prevention and comes in with itchiness, the first thing vets will consider is flea allergies.
If one pet in the household has fleas, will the others get them?
Yes, fleas can easily spread to other pets in the household. When one pet has fleas, the fleas lay eggs in the environment, which then develop into larvae, cocoons, and eventually new baby fleas. The life cycle takes about three weeks, and the baby fleas will jump onto other pet family members, causing an infestation in the home and on other pets. To prevent this, it's recommended that all dogs and cats in the household be on some type of flea prevention.
If you have any questions about fleas and your dogs, feel free to contact your local veterinarian or Blue Oasis Pet Hospital for assistance.
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (615) 975-2583 , or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media https://www.facebook.com/BlueOasisPetHospital/, https://www.instagram.com/blueoasispet/
Dog Flea and Tick - FAQs 3
Dr. Noël Lucas
Blue Oasis Pet Hospital
How do veterinarians find ticks on dogs?
Veterinarians find ticks on dogs similarly to how pet parents do. They move the dog's hair coat aside, feel along the hair coat, and check for any lumps or bumps. However, finding smaller ticks, such as nymphs, can be more challenging since they are about the size of a poppy seed and often go unrecognized. Ticks are parasites that jump on, get a blood meal, and then fall off, making them difficult to find at times.
Is there a test to diagnose tick-borne diseases?
Yes, there is a test to diagnose tick-borne diseases. In middle Tennessee, for example, about 9% of the tests run on pets for heartworm and tick-borne diseases come back positive for tick-borne diseases. The most common tick-borne disease in Tennessee is Ehrlichia, but Lyme disease is occasionally seen as well.
What do tick bites look like?
Tick bites may appear as an inflammatory nodule, which can be raised, hard, and firm. If a tick's head gets detached and remains in the skin, it can cause a foreign body reaction, leading to inflammation and a small nodule. However, it may be difficult to identify a tick bite since it could resemble any other exposure or irritation on the dog's skin.
If one pet in a household has ticks, will others get bitten as well?
Not necessarily. Ticks do not usually jump from one pet to another. However, if one pet has ticks, it indicates that ticks are present in the environment, so it is more likely that other pets may also come into contact with ticks. Infestations with ticks are rare unless there is a large number of them in the environment right outside your home.
If you have further questions about ticks on your dog, how to prevent them, or the diseases they transmit, it is recommended to consult with your veterinarian or contact a local pet hospital like Blue Oasis Pet Hospital.
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (615) 975-2583 , or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media https://www.facebook.com/BlueOasisPetHospital/, https://www.instagram.com/blueoasispet/