Best Dog Flea Shampoos

A dog with fleas isn’t fun for anyone—not you or your pup! Sometimes, just a bit of additional knowledge of these insects can help you better fight and defend against them. Read on to further educate yourself on fleas and how you can aid your furry friends.

There are more than 2,000 species of fleas in the world, the most common being what is commonly called the “cat flea.” Despite the name, this flea is not specific to cats only; it infests dogs too.

Fleas are known to be excellent jumpers. That is how they can get up on even large dogs. Once they have a host—i.e., your pup—they start feeding on their blood within just five minutes. They can feed for as long as two and a half hours.

Female fleas can suck up to 15 times their body weight, and any single flea can inhabit your dog for as long as two months.

A small flea problem can grow exponentially very quickly. What most people don’t know is that a female flea can lay as many as 40 to 50 eggs per day and up to 2,000 in her lifetime. Additionally, fleas are masters of timing. If conditions permit, they’ll continue their life cycle as usual. However, if conditions are bad, they will stall the process until it is safe for them to continue.

While most of the time fleas are just irritating, they can also cause more serious health problems. Fleas carry tapeworms and can distribute them to dogs, cats, and humans. Before you know it, your dog could have a tapeworm problem along with its flea infestation.

Also, fleas can spread harmful bacterial diseases to both pets and human. They carry these diseases and can transmit them to us through their pesky bites.

Finally, in smaller animals, a large enough flea infestation can cause your pets severe blood loss leading to anemia. In very, very small animals, this can even lead to a blood transfusion.
So while yes, fleas are irritating, it is important to remember that they are also dangerous and even potentially deadly in rare cases.

Dogs can get fleas through contact with other animals or simply by being outside with the fleas in their natural habitat. It can be as simple as letting your dog go outside to relieve itself.

You’re most likely to notice your dog itching a lot first before seeing the fleas themselves. Be sure to inspect your dog closely, searching under their fur and close to their skin. Fleas don’t like the light, so make sure you check on your dog’s belly and inner thighs—they like to hide there.

You should also look for what is called “flea dirt.” Flea dirt is really just another way of saying flea feces. On your dog, it will look like dark specks of pepper across their skin.

If you discover that your dog has indeed picked up a flea infestation, it’s important to take immediate action before they start reproducing. There are many products available to remove this problem, so a lot of it is up to your personal preference.

Some people prefer oral treatments because of their effectiveness. However, these treatments require the fleas to bite your pet for it to work.

Others prefer topical treatments, such as ointments, collars, shampoos, sprays, and dusts. Most of these products are contact-killers, meaning as soon as they touch the fleas, they will die. Look for products that attack the entire flea life cycle, including the larvae and eggs. When the eggs are left behind, the population is likely to start up again.