Instructions
Notice if your dog is scratching more than usual. This is the most common sign of a flea infestation. When fleas bite, they cause irritation and discomfort, causing your dog to scratch at the place where it was bitten.
Check your dog for hair loss or skin irritation. If you are unsure if your dog is scratching more than usual, look for places that your dog has scratched so much that it is resulting in hair loss or a red, irritated rash. Check your dog's lower back, perineum and tail in particular.
Look for fleas or flea dirt on your dog. This can be a good way to determine if your dog is suffering from fleas and not some other skin problem, such as allergies or an infection. Have your dog lie down. Use a comb or your fingers to gently brush against your dog's coat to lift it up and see your dog's skin. Look for small black or dark-brown objects on your dog's skin and fur. Flea dirt is the blood-containing feces that are excreted by adult fleas. These will be very small and nonmobile. Fleas themselves are slightly bigger and will usually jump away from contact.
Take your dog to the veterinarian. A veterinarian can test your dog to make sure that it is not suffering from another type of skin condition so that your dog can be treated properly. If ingested, fleas can also cause tapeworms in canines, so your dog may need to be tested for tapeworms.
How to Know if Your Canine Is Suffering From a Flea Infestation
Fleas, the most common being the cat flea, are small and wingless blood-sucking insects. Despite the name, cat fleas can infest dogs, humans and other small animals. Infestations in dogs are very common, and most dogs not on a flea-preventive product will experience an infestation at least once in their life. What makes fleas so dangerous and hard to get rid of is that female fleas can lay 40 to 50 eggs a day. In one month, 10 adult females can lay 15,000 eggs. The eggs fall off the animal and hatch on bedding, couches and floors. If you can recognize symptoms of fleas in your dog, you can avoid letting the infestation get out of hand.