As you might suspect, “dog fleas” are not fleas that look like dogs, but neither are they any flea which latches onto a dog.  They are most common on dogs though, hence the name.  They can also feed off cats, however, and can bite humans but not live off them.

The dog flea is second in number only to the cat flea, which is the most common form of flea found in Britain.  The two types of flea are extremely similar in appearance, especially to the naked eye, and to get rid of them they are also treated in the same way.  Female dog fleas are about 2 ½ mm long, with male fleas being a little bit smaller.  It is only the adults which actually live on the host animals, because when the female lays her eggs they will soon fall off, where they can hatch and grow on the ground.  The larvae that emerges from the flea’s eggs will be about two times as long as an adult flea, and will live off any organic material they find.  Therefore it is extremely important to clean the household and living quarters that your pet lives in as a part of any successful flea treatment.

If your pet has fleas, whether they are dog fleas or not, there are a number of options for dealing with it, however they must all include the cleaning of your pet’s living environment.  This is actually more important than killing the adult fleas that are already on your pet, as if you remove all the eggs, larvae and pupae from the area, then once the adult fleas die there will be no more to replace them.  It is important to get rid of the adult fleas as well, or course, not only because they are very irritating to your pet, causing a lot of scratching, but also because they can be very dangerous.  There is the possibility of your pet suffering from Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD), causing a lot of swelling and even more discomfort, as well as the chance that the fleas will transfer other diseases or parasites to your pet, such as tapeworm.

For more information on the treatment approaches you can take as regards dog fleas, see the relevant portions of the website. To be sure of a thorough job in getting rid of your pet’s fleas, contact a professional pest controller or contact your vet.