How Did Fleas and Ticks Get on My Dog?

How Did Fleas and Ticks Get on My Dog?

The likelihood that you are a dog owner coping with a flea infestation for the first time is high if you have taken great care to prevent fleas. Your dog has these bothersome insects now despite your best attempts, which is unfortunate.

Even if your dog stays close to home, fleas and ticks can find a way into your home and onto your pets despite the fact that you have preventative measures in place. A small number of fleas in your yard is all it takes to start an extensive infestation that affects your home, pet, and yard.

Other Animals

Unfortunately, even a towering fence won't be able to keep every wild animal out of your yard. Squirrels, raccoons, and other tiny rodents will find a way into your yard, bringing fleas and ticks with them because no yard is an island unto itself.

The likelihood that an infestation will travel on the back of another animal increases the more visitors you have to your yard. Additionally, feral cats that wander your land might spread ticks and fleas. This is one reason why you shouldn't leave out treats like corn, nuts, and seeds to tempt wild creatures into your dog's territory. When your dog is outside, even a bowl of water can be left out.

Human Transportation

Additionally, you and the people who visit you could unknowingly carry fleas and ticks. Anyone entering your home could bring fleas with them. Without the person's knowledge, they can be brought in from their own house or pet.

It's simple for some fleas and ticks to travel on your pants leg, socks, shoes, etc. if you enjoy hiking in locations where they are common. In order to find their next blood meal, these parasites are well-adapted to figuring out how to adhere to potential hosts.

Outside the Home

Every time your pet ventures outside, whether it's for quick walks around the block, play dates at the neighborhood dog park, a trip to the vet, a stay at the boarding kennel, a trip to the groomer, a ride in the car, etc., she opens herself up to the possibility of fleas and ticks boarding.

After a pleasant walk in the woods or a trip to the lake, you may be extremely careful to inspect your dog for ticks, but ticks (and fleas) are skilled at hiding and will discover the furriest locations in the most obscure crevices of your pet's skin. Pay great attention to the arm "pits," the tummy, and the fur on the neck.

Be Pro-active

You must exercise extra caution during the peak flea and tick season, which is normally the warm-weather months from spring through early autumn, because fleas and ticks are so skilled at what they do (in the southern states, flea and tick season can be all year long). If you see even one or two insects on your dog, take action right once to prevent an infestation.

Consult your veterinarian for guidance on the best preventive medications and the safest ways to administer them if your dog is extremely young or old, or if she has any underlying medical conditions. Your veterinarian will be able to explain to you how to administer these drugs safely and will be able to advise you on the ideal dosage based on the age and weight of your dog. If you identify the issue fast enough, you might be able to start with natural remedies rather than chemical ones.

Landscaping that deters pests is one way. It is worthwhile to try anti-pest landscaping because there are some plants that are known for their ability to repel fleas outside. However, when treating the yard and perimeter, it is frequently simpler and more efficient to employ chemical insecticides and repellants, especially when dealing with an infestation that is already well underway.

If you do already have a flea and tick problem, you may wish to employ the tried and true chemical treatments for this season so that you may relax and enjoy the rest of the season without having to rely on flea-repelling landscaping. Starting early and preventing the spread of parasites is far simpler than trying to get rid of them once they have established themselves in your home and on your dog.