What Do Fleas Look Like?
What Do Fleas Look Like? If you've never seen one before, you'd be forgiven for asking the question, "What do fleas look like"? Well, here it is! It's not pretty, is it?  There's a distinct difference between dog fleas and dog ticks - they are two entirely different parasites. Description Of A Dog Flea A dog flea is a small, flat, wingless parasite that feeds on the blood of its host. Adult dog fleas are between 1-4 mm long and are black or dark brown in colour, although after feeding on blood, they 'plump up' and turns a brownish red. Although these parasites are very small, they can be seen by the naked eye but not in much detail. As you can see from the photograph above, the flea has hair-like bristles on its body and legs which help it to travel through pet hair easily. Fleas have three pairs of legs; the hind pair are specially designed for jumping - up to 35 cms high - which makes them fairly mobile! They have piercing, sucking mouthparts with sword-shaped mandibles to allow them to peirce the skin and feed on blood. Their saliva contains an anti-coagulant enzyme that softens the host's skin to allow the flea to penetrate the skin easily and feed. It's this enzyme that causes allergic reactions such as lumps, redness, and itching of the skin. Usually, the first sign that your dog has fleas will be his perpetual scratching, biting, and nibbling at his fur.
They are fairly flat as their bodies are compressed from side to side which allows the flea to move through your dog's fur and feathers with ease. Parts of their body are covered with backward-leaning, bristle-like spines which can make it difficult to pull the flea of your dog's coat. Dog fleas may be wingless insects but their stout, spiny, hind legs are relatively large allowing the flea to jump distances of approximately 35 cm - so beware, dog fleas don't need wings, nor do they need your Cocker Spaniel in order to travel around the house, they can do this simply by jumping around. They're very fast and can sometimes jump too quickly for the human eye to follow. Their polished bodies are able to withstand great pressure making them difficult to squash with your fingers - even if you are brave enough! You can, however, usually break the shell-like body by squashing them between your thumbnails. Although getting the flea into position is not as easy as it sounds, however, it can be done. We strongly recommend you wash your hands with antibacterial handwash after handling any type of flea.
We hope we've answered your question ("What do fleas look like") and you are now able to identify a dog flea should your Cocker Spaniel bring home any of those unwelcome guests. If you remain vigilant while grooming your Cocker Spaniel you should be able to prevent infestation of fleas on dogs. Did you know that if you find just 5 fleas on your dog there could be 95 other flea forms present in and around your home? Effective flea control is not simply about killing adult fleas; learning about the flea life cycle will help you to understand how to get rid of all fleas forms and infestations.
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Return to top of page - What Do Fleas Look Like? Return to Dog Fleas page Return to the Cocker Spaniel Homepage Titles In The Dog Fleas And Dog Ticks Series
Getting Rid Of Fleas On Your Dog
Getting Rid Of Fleas In The House
Getting Rid Of Fleas In Your Carpets
Learn About Dog Ticks And How To Remove Them
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