Fleas on Dogs & Cats

Because fleas are the most common cause of itching, we're going to cover lots of flea facts over the next few days. We can help our dogs itch less if we keep them healthy by feeding them appropriately, give herbs and supplements to support healthy skin, and control fleas in the environment. The more you know about these amazing creatures, the easier it will be to eradicate them.

Do fleas fly?
No. Fleas are wingless, but they are Olympic jumpers.

How big are fleas?
Fleas look like a copper or blackish pepper flakes, about 1/8 inch long—when you get to see them. Most fleas dash out of sight, heading toward cover. When you do see fleas, you know a dozen of their comrades are in hiding.

Flea eggs, 1/64th of an inch fall off the pet and to the floor, resting in cracks between boards, along moldings, or in leaf litter.

Does the cat flea attack dogs?
Yes. Ctenocephalides felis, the cat flea, is the number one external parasite of cats and dogs, and several other family pets: rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets. So, don’t get confused by the name; it’s called cat flea, but it is the number one flea of all pets, dogs included.

Has the cat flea developed resistance to flea products?
Yes. The cat flea is resistant to more products than any other type of flea, but rotating products helps decrease resistance.

Does the flea attack wild animals?
Yes. The cat flea plagues wild animals as much as it plagues pets. Wild animals that carry the cat flea, and can deposit flea eggs and larvae in your yard, include raccoons, opossums, deer, cattle, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, skunks, ferrets, and Florida panthers.

Do adult fleas jump on and off animals?
No. Once an adult flea has found a pet to feed on, it remains on the pet to feed, mate and lay eggs. The eggs fall of the pet and the larvae and pupa mature off the pet in the carpet and grass.

What’s flea dirt?
The female consumes 15 times her body weight in blood, which passes through her digestive system and is defecated out onto the skin. This comma-shaped feces is called flea dirt. The female flea lays her weight in eggs daily, and can lay for over 100 days.

What's next?
More flea facts are coming!