How Big is a Dog Flea?

Ctenocephalides canis, more popularly known as dog flea, can infest your dog any time. Dog flea infestation, if left untreated, can spread rapidly and before you know it, your house has already been invaded by these small critters as well.

If you suddenly find red, itchy bumps on your skin; see your dog scratching like there’s no tomorrow and notice bald patches on their bodies; there is a strong possibility that you have just invited into your home these unwelcome guests.

The problem is that you may not be readily aware of a dog flea infestation until symptoms start to show because these are small creatures that you will not readily notice, unless you become aware of their presence.

A dog flea has the same size as a cat flea. An egg of a dog flea is about 0.5 millimeters and is oval-shaped. A larva is around 1.5 millimeters and can grow up to 5 millimeters, two times longer than an adult dog flea. This being said, an adult dog flea is approximately 2.5 millimeters long.

The male dog flea however can be slightly smaller than its female counterpart.

How to Get Rid of Dog Fleas

To get rid of the fleas, you must treat the host, which is your dog, as well as do a thorough cleaning of your entire house: from the living room to the kitchen, bedrooms and even your lawn.

It is important to note that eggs of the fleas may be silently waiting to hatch on your carpets, furniture covers and beddings so cleaning these as well is very important.

You can put a flea collar on your dog and this will help eliminate the fleas that have infested your dog. You must check the chemicals in the collars as your dog may be allergic to a few components in the collar which could lead to other complications.

Also check that you have the right size. Instructions are usually included in the packaging of the flea collar to help you determine what the right size is for your dog.

Topical products are also great for eliminating fleas. While the flea collar can be easily obtained even from the supermarket, for topical treatments; you will have better chances of getting one at your veterinarian’s clinic or at your neighborhood pet store.

There are also oral solutions available, usually at your veterinarian’s clinic. These oral solutions stop the larvae from reproducing hence; you are actually putting an end to the life cycle of the dog flea.

Other solutions you can also use are flea shampoos or soaps and flea combs.