Dog fleas (15 tips & home remedies to help)

Fleas are very annoying, but fortunately there are some methods to get rid of them.

The dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis) is a parasitic insect. Its main host are dog species.

How big is a dog flea? It is between two to four millimeters long, has a reddish-brown color and no wings. Its body is elongated and laterally flat.

How high does a flea jump? Fleas can jump up to 50 cm wide and 25 cm high.

Their laterally flat body and chitinous shell allow them to move easily through the hairs of a dog's coat. The female flea can lay up to 20 eggs in one day. That's about 2000 eggs in her lifetime.

How long does a flea live? The flea has a life span of about three weeks.

It needs a room temperature of 25 °C for its development cycle. Ideally, the humidity should be around 80 %. The egg itself takes around 30 weeks to develop into a flea.

A female flea, sucking blood for the first time in the host, lays her first eggs after 24 to 48 hours. Many of them fall from the fur to the ground. This is not a disadvantage for the eggs. They can continue to develop there as well.

The first larvae hatch from the eggs after about one to ten days. They feed on feces and organic residues. They also like to hide under textile and carpet fibers or cracks. The larvae go through several stages until they finally emerge as adult fleas.

Fleas suck blood for about 30 minutes a day. They can survive without a host for two to eight weeks before the first bloodsucking. **

After their first feeding, however, they must consume blood at least once a day. Dog fleas do not like to change to an intermediate host because they cannot reproduce in the intermediate host.

They occur mainly in rural areas. The city dog is more likely to be infested by cat or human fleas.

If your dog is infested with fleas, it has nothing to do with a lack of hygiene. Nor does it mean that your pet is not groomed thoroughly enough.

The flea is usually transmitted via the environment. Your pet may bring a flea home with them after a walk. The house is an ideal environment for fleas to lay their eggs. This allows them to multiply in the home, especially near where your pet sleeps.

The flea eggs develop into larvae in a few days and hide in dark places in the home. This can also affect your car. At the end of their developmental stage, they hatch out of their cocoon and look for an ideal host.

Contact with already infected conspecifics can also be one of the transmission routes.

The flea secretes anticoagulants after puncturing the skin. These are active substances that inhibit blood clotting. The substances usually cause allergic reactions and inflammation.

This flea saliva allergy can lead to severe itching (especially behind the ears, back, tail root and belly). The affected dog scratches violently at the affected areas. Where it can reach with its mouth, it may even start to nibble or bite. The scratching and biting can lead to tissue damage.

Redness occurs predominantly at the injection sites. In most cases, swelling and wheals also appear at these sites. Hair loss may also occur.

Fleas can also transmit tapeworms, as they also feed on tapeworm egg packets. If one of these fleas is accidentally swallowed by a dog, it can become infected. The tapeworm inhabits the small intestine and sticks to the intestinal mucosa. This can lead to fluctuations in appetite and diarrhea.

The particle test

It is relatively easy to tell whether your pet has fleas or not. If your dog scratches regularly and violently, it is very likely that he has fleas. The other possibility would be if he has a food allergy. In this case, I recommend you read the article on allergies in dogs and the topic Hypoallergenic dog food.

It is best to take your pet into the bathtub. Go through his fur with a flea comb. If there are small dark-colored parasites on the comb, they are probably fleas. If you don't have a flea comb, it's enough to run your hand through his fur a few times.

When combing through your faithful companion, particles will fall to the floor. Take a damp paper towel or a damp white cloth and place it on the particles. Press lightly so that the particles stick to the cloth.

These particles could be flea droppings. If the particles on the cloth are reddish in color, they are flea droppings.

This is because flea excrement contains blood and it turns reddish in color on a damp surface. If this is not the case, then the black crumbs are dirt particles. You can rest assured.

Just ridding your dog of fleas is half the job.

If you have noticed that your furry companion is infested with fleas, then your home and your car certainly are too. What's more, your home is not only infested with adult fleas, but also with their eggs and larvae. An intensive deep clean is called for!

It is best if you carry out this action at the same time. So you have to treat your furry friend AND rid your living space of these parasites.

The most affected areas are those where your dog spends a lot of time or regularly.

So the immediate environment of his sleeping place, dog bed, blanket and pillow. Upholstery and carpets, cracks or crevices. Everywhere where it is pleasantly damp, warm and dark, flea alarm is announced!

Note that fleas or their eggs can survive for several months. It is therefore advisable to repeat your cleaning regularly. Every two to three days for three weeks is recommended.

Vacuum cleaning

You can treat the dust bag of your vacuum cleaner with flea powder beforehand. This will kill the fleas immediately on first contact. A steam cleaner would also be good for the big cleaning job.

Where should I vacuum? Everywhere:

• Especially in cracks and crevices of upholstered furniture
• Carpets (upper and lower surface)
• Corners and edges of the rooms
• All furniture also rear and top

After vacuuming, dispose of the dust bag outside your home in the dustbin. After disposing of the dust bag, it would be a good idea to wipe the vacuum cleaner with a cloth that you have previously treated with a disinfectant household product.

Washing clothes

Wash all textiles at a minimum of 60 °C. If the textiles are not suitable for a 60 °C wash, you can put them in the freezer for about a week.

Damp wipe

Damp wipe the floor, walls, corners and edges. Use a disinfectant household cleaner. It would be good if you occasionally renew the mop water.

Dispose of clothing and objects

Even if you find it difficult, it is better to dispose of items that cannot be cleaned. This includes all textiles that cannot be washed at 60 °C, for example, or that do not fit in the freezer.

You could also ask a specialist laundry for advice on whether they have a way of treating the textiles effectively.

Ambient spray or fogger

Use an environmental spray or fogger against fleas for the rooms in your home. These products contain synthetic agents that destroy both fleas and eggs.

Please follow the manufacturer's instructions for use. Your four-legged friend should not be on the premises during application, including children.

As a precaution, use a mask when treating the premises. You can also hire an expert exterminator to do this.

Observe all premises

Flea infestation applies to all rooms in which your pet spends time. This could be your car, vacation home, garage or hobby room. So pay attention to all rooms so that everything is clean of fleas and stays that way.

If you have a fairly severe acute infestation, I recommend that you contact your vet. It would be a further burden for your pet if you were to experiment with it without success. For a less severe infestation, there are the following preparations that you can use:

1. spot-on dog preparations

The active ingredients in the spot-on ensure that fleas and eggs are killed. The solution of the preparation spreads over the skin. The ingredients are stored in the sebaceous glands and are regularly released onto the surface.

Depending on the manufacturer's instructions, you must apply the contents of the pack to the back of your four-legged friend's neck. The neck is an area that he cannot lick. Divide the fur on the neck. The skin should be as visible as possible. Apply the liquid directly to the skin.

You must not bathe your protégé for 48 hours after the treatment. The preparation works for about three to four weeks and should be renewed regularly. Otherwise it loses its preventive effect.

Flea powder contains silica. The silica draws out their body fluids on contact with fleas. This causes them to dry out and die.

You should rub the powder carefully into your pet's coat. The powder is very dusty. Therefore, please make sure that your pet's mouth and eyes do not come into contact with it unnecessarily:

The best way to avoid this is to put a slightly damp cloth on his face. A mouthguard for you would also be good.

As long as the manufacturer does not provide any other instructions, you should treat your pet with it once a day. You can also sprinkle it on your four-legged friend's surroundings, sleeping area or similar.

Here you should pay attention to the fact that some fur noses do not tolerate the fine dust. Therefore, handle it in moderation at the beginning and watch your darling closely whether he tolerates the powder.

Flea shampoos contain chemical agents that ensure that both fleas and larvae or eggs die, and you should read the manufacturer's instructions for use.

As already mentioned, fleas also feed on egg packages of tapeworms. This can lead to the fact that your little one is additionally infested with tapeworms.

Your dog does not necessarily have to get tapeworms because he has fleas. However, I recommend that you give your dog a worming treatment within one to two weeks as a precaution.

In addition to the spot-on, there are also the following products that you can use as a precautionary measure. These products are not suitable for an acute infestation and serve more as a precautionary measure:

Flea tablets

Flea tablets are oral preparations that usually have a similar effect to spot-on preparations. It is best if your furry friend takes them together with his food. The tablets contain active ingredients that the fleas ingest through the blood when they bite and then die.

Some flea tablets can be used in the same way as a spot-on preparation as therapy in an acute phase of a flea infestation. However, this depends on the composition of the tablet. Your vet can certainly recommend the right preparation for you.

Flea collar

The flea collar is also more of a preventative measure. The bands are effective for three to five months. Good collars provide additional protection against ticks and some types of mosquito. It is advisable to take the collar off when you wash your dirty cat.

Flea comb

A flea comb alone is not enough to control the parasites or prevent them.

However, you can use it to find out whether the means of acute control lead to success. Also, it is very useful to make regular line tests.

There are also flea combs or brushes that you can attach directly to your vacuum cleaner. This way, particles or parasites will end up directly in the vacuum cleaner. Bear in mind, however, that some four-legged friends are terrified of the sound of a vacuum cleaner and the investment in such a comb would then be wasted.

If the infestation is severe, we advise you to seek advice from a vet or dog healer. Even if there are numerous home remedies on the internet that are supposed to be helpful against fleas, caution is advised here!

Why?

Essential oils are usually suggested in flea control guides. Essential oils that are too strong can irritate your pet's nasal mucosa and sense of smell.

Please do not forget that your furry nose has a much more sensitive sense of smell than humans themselves. The scents of the oils are therefore much more intense than ours.

That's why you should use home remedy recipes very carefully and seek good advice, even if they come from nature. Not all remedies that help people also help our dogs.

It is better to stay away from home remedies that have not been proven to be harmless to our loved ones.

Home remedy

Black cumin oil

Black cumin oil contains thymoquinone. This active ingredient helps to keep fleas away from your four-legged friend's body. It is also effective against ticks. You can add a few drops of black cumin oil to your best friend's food or drinking water as a precaution.

For external use, apply four to five drops to the back of your pet's neck. The oil also helps to care for his skin. You can find out more about black cumin oil on our "11 Facts about black cumin oil for dogs" find

Coconut oil

Coconut oil contains lauric acid. Fleas, ticks and mites "can't smell" this substance. As soon as they notice the smell, they flee. You can rub your pet with coconut oil immediately before every walk (head, legs, neck and ears). This will protect him from these annoying "guests".

Depending on the size of the dog, a maximum walnut-sized amount is sufficient. You can also spread the coconut oil evenly over your pet's body using a spray bottle and then rub it in.

You can learn more about coconut oil on our page "9 important facts about coconut oil for dogs" find

Even if your dog wears a flea collar or is regularly protected from these ruthless bloodhunters with other products, it is still possible for them to become infested with fleas!

First you should stay calm. There are now very many ways to fight this invasion to the last flea.