WHAT IS FLEA DIRT?
The Mystery Residue
Basically, this type of “dirt” is old blood and faeces that is left behind when fleas feed on your pet. This dry blood gives them a “black” appearance on skin or hair. If you touch it, it will feel slightly “grainy”, much like fine sand. Gross I know! They are usually about half a millimetre in length and they leave little marks that are often described as looking like:
Regardless of how you see it, if you find something like that on your pet, it definitely deserves some attention. How so? Well flea dirt indicates the presence of fleas. While you may not find any fleas upon first inspection, remember that there may be flea eggs already laid on your pet and secondly, there is a good chance that the flea jumped to safety before you could notice it feeding on your pet. Since fleas pose a health risk to your pet, you need to take action as soon as possible. will go into more detail on this subject a little later.
- Black pepper
- Tiny Black Dots
- Black Specks
- Dog or cat “dandruff” that is dark in appearance
- Small tar colored “flakes”
Regardless of how you see it, if you find something like that on your pet, it definitely deserves some attention. How so? Well flea dirt indicates the presence of fleas. While you may not find any fleas upon first inspection, remember that there may be flea eggs already laid on your pet and secondly, there is a good chance that the flea jumped to safety before you could notice it feeding on your pet. Since fleas pose a health risk to your pet, you need to take action as soon as possible. will go into more detail on this subject a little later.
Many people have asked how to tell the difference between dirt from fleas and just normal dirt that may be picked up from the garden or surrounding areas. If you have wondered this before, it’s actually a very good question as incorrect diagnosis can potentially cost you money unnecessarily. Also, if you find this dirt, you may also want to invest in a monthly treatment product to keep your pets flea free but please do not use a flea collar for dogs or cats as these can be very dangerous. Products such as Frontline and Advantage are very good and are worth their price tag. Here are a few ways to check if the “dirt” that you see is actually flea excrement:. Here is how to do it: |
- Take a paper towel (toilet paper or cotton balls should be fine as well) and put a very small about of water on it. Gently rub your pets fur where you think there may be flea poo and if it appears a reddish brown color (on the paper), its highly likely that its flea poo.
- Another way to check is to do use a comb to brush some of the “dirt” off your dog or cats fur and onto a white surface. Once you have collected a bit, also apply a few drops of water and see if the color changes into the same, red stain from the digested blood
Remember, if you pets enjoy swimming or live outside, remember that the dirt may look like brown-red streaks that are created from flea waste when it comes into contact with moisture (dew, rain, etc.)