Dog Flea Facts & Information
Protect your home or business from dog fleas by learning techniques for identification and control.
Dog Flea Treatment
How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Dogs
What You Can Do About Dog Fleas
As with any flea species, hosts and surrounding areas need to be treated in order to effectively eradicate a dog flea population. Fleas on dogs and fleas on puppies can be very painful and aggravating for your pets. A dog flea can survive on a host for a few weeks but can rapidly reproduce causing an infestation. A veterinarian can discuss safe and effective treatment methods for your pet, but contact your local pest control expert to discuss science-based solutions and extermination options for your home.
Does Orkin treat for fleas?
Your local Orkin Pro is trained to help manage dog fleas and similar pests. Since every building or home is different, your Orkin Pro will design a unique flea treatment program for your situation.
Orkin can provide the right solution to keep dog fleas in their place…out of your home, or business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Behavior, Diet & Habits
Understanding Dog Fleas
What do dog fleas look like?
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Color: Usually dark brown or black. Can look reddish black when full of blood.
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Size: Very small, about 1-2mm long
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Shape: Oval shaped body and a hard exterior shell
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Legs: Six legs with long hind legs used for jumping
Dog fleas (Ctenocephalides canis) are common pests and are extremely similar in appearance and behavior to cat fleas, and the two are often times confused. The differences between them are best distinguished through microscopic study. In North America, fleas known as cat fleas affect both cats and dogs.
What do dog fleas do to dogs?
Fleas extract and consume the blood of host animals in order to survive. Neither cat nor dog fleas leave the host voluntarily and will typically remain with one host throughout their lifespan. However, if dog fleas are forcibly removed from their host, they will locate a new host or return to the original host if possible.
How long do dog fleas live?
A dog flea can live up to a few weeks without a host. With a host and proper conditions they can live for up to a year.
How to Check Dog for Fleas
Grooming is a good way to check your dog or puppy for fleas. Lay down a white towel or white sheet under your dog so that it is easier to see the fleas if they fall off. Use a comb or flea comb to gently part your dogs fur to see the skin. Use the comb and run it slowly through the hair starting close to the skin. Wipe off the comb every stroke using a wet towel to keep the comb clean.
How to Prevent Fleas on Dogs
There are several flea prevention methods for dogs such as medication, ointments, collars and shampoos that should be discussed with your veterinarian. To help prevent flea infestations in and around your home you will need a pest control solution to help get rid of these pests.
Do flea collars work?
Yes, flea collars do work and are effective at killing fleas on dogs and cats. However, if there are fleas around or within the home you will need a flea exterminator for effective treatment.
More Information On Fleas
Fleas are very small, usually brownish in color, oval-shaped insects with thin, flat bodies that allow them to easily move through hair and fur.
A flea's life cycle consists of four stages-- egg, larva, pupa and adult.
How do you know if you have a flea infestation? Fleas can be seen moving along animals or surfaces; however, your pets may show signs they are a host to fleas.
Do flea bombs work? Flea bombs release insecticide throughout a room to get rid of fleas but can miss cracks and crevices, making them ineffective at removing a flea infestation.
Are cat fleas and dog fleas the same?
Dog fleas and cat fleas are two different species but can look fairly similar to the human eye.
Learn how to get rid of cat fleas.
Can people get fleas from cats?
Learn what flea bites look like
Are sand fleas actually fleas?