Fleas on dogs. Dr. Dan covers how to diagnose and treat dog fleas.
*This video is for entertainment and educational purposes only. If your pet is sick, take them to see your local veterinarian for the care they needed* (Disclaimer)
Hi Everyone! My name is Dan, and I am a veterinarian.
Today I am talking about fleas on dogs. Fleas are very common on dogs. Most fleas live near the base of the dog's tail. When a flea infection is really bad, the dog will lose fur around the base of the tail or it can be generalized.
As a veterinarian I will diagnose fleas by seeing the flea on the dog's skin or sampling some flea dirt. Flea dirt is digested blood from the flea. The flea dirt will sit on the dog's skin or coat and it is a black color. As a veterinarian I will test the flea dirt. I take a little sample of the flea dirt and put it on a paper towel and put a small amount of water on it. If the water turns red, that means my dog has fleas. This is because the flea dirt is digested blood and the water broken down the dirt showing the blood on the towel.
There are many ways to treat fleas now. Pet owners can use a topical or oral medication to help get rid of fleas. Fleas should be treated for at least 3 months in a row to break their life cycle.
Some dogs can get really itchy from fleas! This means a dog my have a flea allergy. Just like a food and environmental allergy and fleas are causing a systemic reaction and generalized inflammation. These dog's sometimes need more than just flea medications to feel better, because their skin can be very red and itchy and even infected sometimes.