As a pet owner, there are additional types of pests that you need to be worried about. While a majority of the pests that we concern ourselves with are because of the chances of being bitten, fleas are predominantly found on pets and require completely different types of precautionary actions. In our blog post today we’re going to talk more about fleas and how you can care for them.
What are Fleas?
These tiny bugs are extremely common, and even more so for pet owners. Fleas are small flightless insects that are known for being freeloaders that live in or on other creatures, primarily dogs and cats. One of the big giveaways that your pet has fleas is that they are incessantly scratching. If you notice that your pet has fleas, it’s crucial that you get them taken care of as soon as possible so that they don’t become a more significant problem.
This is a pest that you need to be more concerned about during the warmer months of the year, though they are still around during the colder seasons. As we mentioned earlier, finding that your pet has fleas needs to be taken care of because in the case that they bring them into your home, there’s a chance that you could wind up with an infestation. These pests are able to survive the cool months just by being inside of a home, so taking care of any fleas your pet is carrying is crucial to avoiding an infestation inside of your home.
Signs of Fleas
The first thing that fleas are associated with is that incessant scratching that pets can have. There are other signs and symptoms, however, that are also associated with fleas. Those include but are not limited to:
- Excessive Biting or Itching
- Hair Loss
- Pale Gums
- Scabs or Hot Spots
- Flea Droppings
- Flea Eggs
- Allergic Dermatitis
- And More!
Do your best to take all the signs that your dog is showing you, seriously. This is the best way to get them back to a comfortable state and keep from having an infestation in your home.
Checking Your Pet for Fleas
As we’ve mentioned many times, checking your pet for fleas is one of the only ways that you can avoid an infestation in your home. In order to truly avoid an infestation, you need to know how to properly check for fleas. Start by looking for any flea feces in your pet’s coat. It’s best to brush or comb through their coat and see if any feces is brushed out. You can also brush their coat out on a white piece of paper so that you can see exactly what is coming out of their coat.
If you notice that dark specks do come out of your pet’s coat, keep the piece of paper and watch as the specks change color. If these are in fact flea feces, they will turn to a reddish color because of the blood that they’re taking from your pet. If these specks don’t become red, then the chances of them being flea feces are small and they’re more likely to be just regular old dirt.
Preventative Steps to Take
All pest infestations can be avoided, including the ones that your pets bring into your house. Given that they do ride on the coat of your pets the one thing that you want to take precautions with will be your pet’s hair. There are quite a few ways that you can do this, including consistent bathing. Aside from that, they’ve made it very easy for you to prevent fleas by creating a collar that deters them from hopping on your pet in the first place.
Flea collars are easy to throw onto your pet, last for long periods of time, and they minimize the chances of your pet getting fleas when they’re outdoors. They’re also relatively affordable and will treat your dog for as long as they’re on, which is roughly a month to three months of time.
In the case that your pet does get fleas and they come indoors, you’ll want to make sure that you are doing everything that you can to keep the areas that they spend the most time in, clean. That means the carpet, their bed, toys, and any things that they touch, could become a good home for these fleas. When you realize that they have fleas, do your best to wash all of their belongings so that you minimize, if not eliminate, the chance of these fleas reproducing and infesting your home.
These pests also enjoy shady, covered areas. So if you have anything like that outdoors, you will want to do your best to stay on top of upkeep and make sure that they don’t make a home outdoors in the first place. By keeping tabs on the area that you live in and taking preventative steps to avoid fleas, you’re already making a responsible choice that will lessen the chances of your pet getting fleas.
Call in the Professionals
If there is an infestation of fleas in your home, it’s time to call the professionals. These pests can create great discomfort for your pets and they need to be taken care of. The team at Earthwise Pest Management provides high-quality pest removal services to the greater Sacramento area. If you’re in need of assistance from our knowledgeable and experienced team, you can always count on us.
Feel free to contact our team today with any questions or inquiries that you may have. We’re always happy to help.