Few things can be quite as frustrating to a dog owner as dog fleas. They can give painful bites and in some cases transmit disease. An infestation is irritating but manageable and with just a little work they can be treated and prevented.

What are they?

The first step to dealing with fleas is to make sure you understand them and their lifecycle. Fleas are small, flightless insects that survive on blood. They should be visible to the naked eye but if your dog has dark fur you may have an easier time seeing them against the skin. Otherwise, you have to hunt for them.

An irritant at every stage

A flea goes through four stages in its lifetime: egg, larvae, pupae and adult. Adult females lay eggs in batches of 20. These are laid on the host but are usually quick to fall to the ground. Eggs are very small, oval shaped and grey or white in colour.

Once the eggs hatch, larvae emerge which feed mostly on debris such as faeces, dead insects or vegetable matter. Within a week or two the larvae will spin cocoons and pupate for another one to two weeks. Adult fleas emerge and must immediately find a host for a source of blood.

Fleas tend to specialise in a particular kind of host. The type you'll find on your dog won't normally feed on humans but there are always exceptions.

Prevention

It is much better to prevent flea infestations in the first place than to try and eliminate one later. Unfortunately it's difficult to guess the source of a flea infestation until you already have one.