You may question the signs of flea infestation. It is very easy to detect flea infestation but eradicating them is a tough task. To identify flea infestation, you must first check your pets closely to notice any strange behavior like:
Scratching: Fleas bites are always itchy; so when you see your pet scratching excessively, check their fur.
Hair loss and Reddened skin: If your pet’s hair is falling off, and its skin is becoming reddish, it may be suffering from flea infestation.
Dogs: Check the hind quarters of your dogs. Those are common targets for fleas.
Cats: Fleas often target the neck and head of cats.
What if I see the insect on my pet?
If you find a flea moving inside the fur of your pet, or if you pet’s skin has become reddened or stained with black spots, contact your veterinarian to know the suitable flea treatment you need. The black spots, or flea moving is a strong sign your pet has a flea infestation.
Scratching
If you check your pet and don’t find any insect on it, it may have a skin infection. Contact your veterinarian to know the cause and possible treatment options.
Identifying Fleas: What to look out for
Shape: Fleas have a flat wingless body.
Length: Fleas are about 2.5 mm long.
Legs: Fleas have six long legs
Jumping: Their long legs help them in jumping to a long distance
You can’t tell the level of flea infestation by merely seeing signs of fleas on your pet’s body. There may be flea eggs, larvae and pupae hiding in different parts of your home, waiting to develop into adult fleas.
Flea larvae are tiny, milky in color and about 3 to 5.2 mm in length.
Sanitation
When you notice an infestation, sanitize your house properly, hot-launder all pet clothing and take your pet to a veterinarian for proper treatment.