How to Tell If Your Pet Has Fleas or Ticks

 

If you notice your dog or cat scratching, biting, or licking themselves more than usual, they might have fleas or ticks. Fleas and ticks are small parasites. Fleas live by biting and drinking your pet’s blood, while ticks attach themselves and feed for longer periods. You might see them with your eyes, but sometimes you need to look closely. There are some signs, symptoms, and simple checking steps you can use to figure out if your pet has fleas or ticks.

 

What Are Fleas and Ticks?

 

• Fleas: Tiny, brown insects about the size of a pinhead. They move quickly and like to hide in your pet’s fur, especially near the tail, stomach, neck, and between the legs. Fleas avoid light, so they hide deep in the fur.
• Ticks: Small, oval-shaped creatures. Adult ticks can be as small as a sesame seed or as big as a small pea when full of blood. Ticks attach to your pet’s skin and don’t move once they start feeding. They are often gray, brown, or black.

 

Common Signs Your Pet Might Have Fleas

 

• Lots of scratching, licking, or biting—especially around the tail, belly, head, or thighs.
• Red or irritated patches of skin.
• Small scabs or bumps, especially at the base of the tail or around the neck.
• Hair loss or thinning in certain areas from scratching.
• Small black specks in the fur or on the skin. This is called “flea dirt”—flea poop made mostly of digested blood. You can spot it by combing your pet over a white sheet of paper. If you dab these black specks with a wet tissue and they turn reddish-brown, it’s flea dirt.
• Actual fleas moving quickly in and out of the fur. Use a fine-toothed flea comb to help you find them.

 

Common Signs Your Pet Might Have Ticks

 

• Finding a small bump or lump attached to the skin. Ticks bury their mouthparts under the skin and stay in one place while feeding.
• Ticks can be found by hand-feeling. Run your fingers slowly over your pet’s body, feeling for small lumps, especially around the ears, neck, between the toes, under the legs, between the toes, and under collars or harnesses.
• Visible ticks. They look like a small wart, skin tag, or dark bump. Ticks often swell and become more visible after they’ve been attached for a while.
• Some pets develop red, irritated skin around the tick or become uncomfortable and keep scratching at the spot.

 

How to Check Your Pet for Fleas and Ticks

 

• Find a spot with good light. Use your hands and eyes to examine your pet’s skin and fur.
• Part the fur and look closely, especially in “warm” areas: armpits, groin, around the tail, behind the ears, under the collar, and between the toes.
• Use a flea comb to brush in the direction of fur growth, especially around the neck and back. Check the comb for fleas or flea dirt.
• Gently run your fingers over your pet’s body with light pressure to feel for lumps (ticks can feel like a small bean or bump).
• Check your pet every time they come in from outside, especially if they’ve been in tall grass, woods, or around other animals.

 

What to Do If You Find Fleas or Ticks

 

• If you see fleas, you’ll likely need both a treatment for your pet and your home, as flea eggs and larvae can hide in carpets, bedding, and furniture. There are special shampoos, spot-on treatments, and oral medications made just for pets.
• If you find a tick, use fine-point tweezers to gently pull it out close to the skin without twisting or crushing. Disinfect the area and wash your hands. Never use fire, nail polish, or petroleum jelly to remove a tick—these can hurt your pet.
• Contact your veterinarian for advice on the best and safest treatment for your particular pet.

 

Extra Tips to Prevent Fleas and Ticks

 

• Use regular flea and tick prevention products as recommended by your vet.
• Vacuum your home often and wash your pet’s bedding.
• Keep grass and bushes trimmed in your yard.
• Check your pet after walks, hikes, or visits to parks and wooded areas.

With these steps, you can confidently check your pet for fleas and ticks, know what to look for, and know how to help and protect your furry friend if you find anything suspicious.