How to get rid of fleas on your body

I don’t know if you have seen fleas in your life. Fleas are very small insects, but their bites are extremely painful. The bitten skin will bulge and the bitten area will feel very itchy. Even if it is scratched until it bleeds, it will still itch for a while. Now most people don’t have fleas, only dogs. Because people like to be clean and take a bath frequently, how can they get rid of fleas if they have them?

It is very troublesome when we have fleas on our bodies, let alone dogs. If a dog has fleas, it will scratch constantly, which will not only cause other skin diseases, but also make us feel distressed when watching it. After all, dogs are now part of the family. In addition to daily prevention, if they have fleas, they need to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Fleas are a type of blood-sucking external parasite. Once a dog is infected with fleas, its normal life will be affected.

The harm of fleas to dogs mainly has the following two aspects:

First, fleas can spread infectious and parasitic diseases, which can be transmitted to humans.

Second, fleas are highly irritating to the skin, causing severe itching. If dogs scratch vigorously, it will cause skin damage. In addition, harassing dogs cannot rest well, causing loss of appetite and weight loss.

1. Pathogens of fleas and their life history

Fleas do not live on dogs for most of their life. Because fleas are afraid of light, they often hide in the bedding of the dog's kennel or in the cracks of the floor, and only parasitize on the dog when they suck blood and lay eggs. A female flea can lay 100 to 200 eggs. Flea eggs are oval in shape with pointed ends, white in color, and very small, making them difficult to see with the naked eye. As the dog moves, flea eggs may fall off and spread throughout the dog's activity area. It takes about 21 days for fleas to hatch from eggs to adults, but this time may be longer in colder climates. Newly hatched fleas can survive for weeks without food, waiting for the dog to arrive.

2. Key points for diagnosis of fleas

The main clinical symptom of this disease is itching. Sick dogs will scratch, rub and chew their fur, causing hair loss, hair breakage and abrasions. In severe cases, fluid will ooze out of the abraded skin and even form purulent wounds. Sometimes it can cause allergic reactions and form eczema. If you find your dog has the above symptoms, you should carefully check the hair on the neck and base of the tail. When checking, comb the hair in the opposite direction of hair growth and observe the hair roots and skin. If fleas or flea feces are found, the diagnosis can be confirmed. You can also use a piece of wet white paper, place it under the dog's body, and then comb the dog's hair with a comb. The flea excrement will continuously fall onto the white paper, and the diagnosis can be confirmed.

3. Treatment methods

Flea powders and general insecticides sold on the market can kill adult fleas, but flea eggs are highly resistant to drugs and are difficult to kill. It must be sprayed continuously several times, generally once a week, for more than a month. While killing fleas on the dog's body, the dog's activity area, especially the dog's utensils, must be thoroughly disinfected. All bedding in the kennel must be replaced and any replacement items must be burned. Dogs with skin abrasions need to be cleaned, disinfected and prevented from infection. For dogs with severe itching, dexamethasone and diphenhydramine can be injected to relieve the itching. In addition, for mild flea infestations, you can use a medicated bath with dicaprylate, but please note that dicaprylate cannot be used on dogs with broken skin.

4. Flea control measures

There are currently special external anti-insect sprays for dogs that can prevent harassment from mites, fleas and ticks. Generally speaking, when you take your dog out for fun, I recommend that you do external deworming for the dog. At the same time, the dog owner should thoroughly disinfect the dog's utensils from time to time. Wash and dry the bedding in the dog kennel frequently.