# Does my dog have fleas?



## Sam I am (Jul 12, 2011)

Okay so we took our two dogs in for a bath on Saturday (7/9). The lady who was giving them a shower said she saw fleas on our white dog when he was getting watered up.

She told us though that all the fleas she found were dead and weren't moving around.

Now then since this I've been worried about them still having fleas.

She gave them a flea/tick shower and we've been using Frontline Plus on a regular basis, almost every 25th of the month.

I've seen little black dots on the floor near where they sleep, I take them and place them on a paper towel. I then put some water on them and they stay black, so I try to press them down/smear them around but nothing, they just stay there.

I assume it's just dirt then?

I've also been using a flea comb and that brings up nothing.

So is there any definitive way to check for fleas?

Would my dogs be scratching like maniacs even if they just had a small amount of fleas?

On my black dog I do notice these little white flakes, but they just look more like dry skin that's coming off more than flea eggs. But I might be wrong.

Sorry for the huge wall of text, I'm just really worried about my dogs.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

The white flakes are dandruff, I believe. My dog sheds it too sometimes, in very minimal amounts. But otherwise he shines like a newly polished car. If your dog has TOO much, or if her coat looks unhealthy in general, you might want to look out for dry skin/other medical conditions. 

If the lady who bathed your dogs is an educated groomer I'd be inclined to trust her judgement.

I *believe* that Frontline kills ticks and fleas when they feed on the dog, and does not actually REPEL them. It could be that your dogs had fleas but they died. I've found shriveled ticks next to my dog at times, probably ones I've missed with the brush. 
Fleas are small, but still visible to the naked eye. Look at the specks really closely (with a magnifying glass, or microscope if you have one) and if it is a flea it should look like one. For living fleas, you'll see them crawling around on your dog's skin if you part the fur. The dogs I met in Madagacar had HIGHWAYS of fleas swimming through their fur! Also, you can ask other people for a second opinion.

I'm not sure if all dogs will scratch if they have fleas, even a small amount, so maybe a person with first hand experience can answer that.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Fleas are easy to spot on a white dog. Turn the dog over and look in the belly/groin region, where the hair is less thick. If the dog has fleas, you'll probably find them there.


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## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

> Would my dogs be scratching like maniacs even if they just had a small amount of fleas?


Even one flea could make some dogs scratch like crazy, especially if they have allergies. I have had dogs not be bothered at all and others go nuts with just one or two. The truth is, if you see one, there are more.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Sam I am said:


> I've seen little black dots on the floor near where they sleep, I take them and place them on a paper towel. I then put some water on them and they stay black, so I try to press them down/smear them around but nothing, they just stay there.
> 
> I assume it's just dirt then?


Yup, if it was flea poo it would smear out rusty or red.


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## Sam I am (Jul 12, 2011)

GottaLuvMutts said:


> Fleas are easy to spot on a white dog. Turn the dog over and look in the belly/groin region, where the hair is less thick. If the dog has fleas, you'll probably find them there.


I have yet to see any there, I'll keep looking around there and the tail region.

Thanks everyone, I'll keep checking on them for the next week or so just to make sure.

Also is there a "best" flea/tick/mosquito preventative?


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