Signs of Fleas and Ticks on Your Pet and Their Management

Fleas and ticks are hideous and they can latch onto our pets as and when they get the opportunity. Typically, these nasty critters are contracted from the outdoors but they can certainly infest your house once they find their way inside through your pet. Often times, they remain dormant when they are in their juvenile stage, which is why one never gets to know their house or pet is infested. These juvenile forms turn into adult fleas and ticks once they get the blood feed from your pet or from you. They then multiply to set up their habitat. Not just this, they also bring along a host of issues like anemia, tapeworm infection, Lyme disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, etc that are debilitating to both humans and their pets. Thus, it is imperative to know in advance the symptoms that your pet is infested so that one can take countermeasures before any harm is done.

Signs Your Pet Is Infested With Fleas and Ticks

Itching and Scratching

These are the foremost signs that your pet is infested with fleas or ticks. Reason being, fleas and ticks bite their host to take the blood meal and in turn deposit their saliva which causes itching. Since they mostly hide under the armpits, tail, head, neck or hind region, one can easily notice their pet scratching, biting and licking in these places often. 

Bald Patches

Due to incessant scratching and biting as a result of flea or tick bites, pets often pull off their fur which leads to bald patches as a result. Sometimes, this biting behavior is caused due to the reaction of flea or tick bites. Dogs that have sensitive skin hence develop Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) which leads to the next symptom which is more prominent. 

Red Scalds/ Patches

 Some dogs are hypersensitive to flea bites and can develop allergic reaction which may manifest in the form of rashes. These could be very itchy and may keep your dog consumed if not treated on time. At times, due to excessive itch, dogs bite their skin which can result in the expulsion of blood. Thus, make sure in case these patches are present on your pet, he must be treated right away. 

Flea Dirt

Flea Dirt is nothing but feces of fleas that appear as small, reddish-brown specks underneath the fur of your pet. These depositions can certainly confirm that your pet is infested. Try walking in your house wearing white socks to the places where your pet often visits. If you find these specks on your socks, it can clearly indicate that your pet has fleas and your house is apparently infested. 

Raised Bumps on skin

Circulate your hand over your pet’s coat. If you can feel certain bumps or swollen areas on his skin, it may insinuate the presence of ticks. 

Pale Gums

Fleas and ticks feed on the blood of the pet and thus a major infestation of these parasites can lead to anemia in the host. Thus, it is advisable to check the pet’s gums. Pale gums are secondary signs of flea or tick infestation in pets. 

Flea and Tick Control

• Use preventatives like Frontline Plus, Revolution or K9 Advantix to destroy the existing parasites if any and prevent them from infesting your pet in future. Make sure you follow the monthly dosage meticulously as per the indications without any lapses. 
• Avoid visiting places that could have a thick population of fleas or ticks. For instance, dog parks or picnic spots, filthy streets, etc.
• Check your pet regularly for fleas and ticks. Most importantly, when he returns from outdoors.    
• Use flea comb and tick tweezers to remove the parasites on the pet’s coat.
• Keep your house immaculately clean by vacuuming, dusting and washing the clothes, linens, etc regularly. 
• Use flea and tick sprays to repel these insects to come into your house. 

Fleas and ticks are hard to remove once they infest your house through your pet. Thus, holistic measures are imperative to prevent you and your pet from getting infected by these critters. So, make sure you take the measures in advance and if you see any of the above signs on your pet, get the professional help immediately.