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This sounds crazy, but I've never seen a flea before and I don't know how big they are. My bull terrier was biting at his legs and groin area (due to body build, almost impossible for him to do), in a panicky kind of way. I did an quick inspection and found a tiny black bug crawling on his tummy, that I was able to pick off and crush easily - it was the size of a pepper grind - or a coffee grind REALLY small. I went straight out and bought some frontline and applied it to his back. Kept inspecting him for a couple days after and didn't find anything else, and the biting/scratching has stopped. So was that a flea? I thought that fleas would be bigger. We live in NOCAL.
fleas can be hard to catch as they jump like they have springs. They are easily separated in 2 by using your thumbnails. I doubt you have just 1. I have had only white dogs for the past 23 years and fleas are easy to see. I personally think any dog who steps foot outside should have flea protection. We use it year round here in N.C.
fleas can be hard to catch as they jump like they have springs. They are easily separated in 2 by using your thumbnails. I doubt you have just 1. I have had only white dogs for the past 23 years and fleas are easy to see. I personally think any dog who steps foot outside should have flea protection. We use it year round here in N.C.
My dog Rip goes hunting in NC.
We use Revolution because it protects him from fleas and tics.
It's always best to use some kind of flea protection even if you think you don't have fleas. They can be picked up from the park, from other dogs, and even from your neighbor's back yard.
If you find any black "dirt" on your dogs body, see if you can comb it out with a flea comb or pick it off. Put it on a white paper towel and wet it. If it turns red/orange, that is flea dirt (aka poop!).
sounds like you found a "random flea" generally where theres 1 theres usually more, but because the way flea protection works, ofteh the flea has to bite before its poisend so seeing 1 here or there is fairly normal
that being said keep an eye on him, your looking for fast black small bugs that are very "slippery" (fleas are incredibly agile and can jump), your also looking for whats called flea dirt, tiny black or dark brown "specks" (looks a litle like dirt), this is flea poop (its actually just dried blood), the tummy, groin and around the neck/behind the ears tend to be prine flea real estate.
bull terriers do tend to suffer from flea allergeis so id personally keep him on flea protection year round.
its much easier to keep them off than to get rid of them!
frontline doesn't always work. I've read some articles about counterfeit frontline and the resistance to the real stuff especially here in the South. I found 2 ticks-engorged- on my rescue about 23 days after they said he had been treated so i applied some a bit early. the ticks this year and last have been awful.
We had new neighbors who actually took their kid to the emergency room when they found their first tick. We sometimes have as many as 3 or 4 each person per week when we are outside a lot. If I ran to the ER everytime I found a tick, I should just pitch a tent and live there.
lol kudz, not to mention having to live in that tent cause your hospital bills would be nuts...
thats so insane, i mean ER for a tick?!
but that is good to know about the frontline.
just bought my house in TN, and was wondering if i should stick to k9 advantix or go to frontline or something else for flea/tick protection...
frontline plus doesnt work here in my curent area, wasnt sure if it might be the same down south, been warned about the fleas and seed ticks.
There are several types of fleas; the most common ones on dogs are called (ironically) cat fleas.
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