During the summer, there are fleas and ticks from dogs around us! They could be hiding in your homes, parks, and gardens. So, checking your pet regularly for any tick and flea friends (also known as garapata and pulgas) is essential!
To help you become the next best tick and flea detective, here are some of our top tips to get you started:
- • Check your pet daily during the hotter months; pick a time when your pet is calm and relaxed - perhaps after a snooze or a long walk?
- • Gently comb your pet’s fur, focusing on tick and flea hot-spot areas around their head, down their back, and tail.
- • When dealing with pets with thick or long coats, it's important to part the fur using a comb and inspect the roots of the hairs. Adult fleas tend to hang out in this area, where you're likely to find their tell-tale droppings, also known as flea poop. Be cautious, as it's easy to mistake soil particles for flea droppings due to their similar appearance. If you're uncertain, comb your pet's hair onto a piece of wet tissue. Genuine flea droppings will leave a halo of red around the black droppings, indicating undigested blood—quite unpleasant!
There are several signs that your furry companion may have fleas or ticks, including itching, scratching, and excessive grooming. If your pet is allergic or sensitive to these parasites, you may also notice crusty sores on their skin, broken hairs, and even patches of hair loss.
Keep in mind that the absence of adult fleas or ticks doesn't necessarily mean your pet is free from parasites, as they can be difficult to spot or may have already been groomed out by your pet.
So, please keep your pet safe from unwanted ticks and fleas by checking them daily and protecting them using FRONTLINE®, one of the best anti-flea and tick solutions for dogs and cats to prevent infestations. Happy tick and flea spotting!
