If you've never heard of this sort of grimy substance before, count yourself (and your pet) as one of the lucky ones. Once you find this filth on your dog or cat, it's a sure sign your pet has fleas. But now that you've heard of it, you're probably wondering what exactly this flea dirt is.
Features
Flea dirt is actually not dirt at all; it's essentially flea droppings, or the fecal matter of a flea. It may sound a bit on the disgusting side, but that's the basic definition of dirt. This dirt is always made up of the blood that's been digested from the feeding on the flea's host, usually a dog or a cat of any size or breed. It shouldn't come as much of a shock that, when you find flea dirt on your pet, it's pretty much a guarantee your animal has fleas.
Significance
Most of the dirt you see on your pet will come from the female flea, though the male of the species also lives off the blood of its host animal and will drop dirt. In a female flea's life cycle, she will put away approximately fifteen times her own body weight, which doesn't seem like a lot when you take into account her size, but it can add up for your pet, and give way to considerable loss in blood, sometimes leading to anemia.
Identification
Typically, you'll find any sort of flea dirt on the stomach of an infected animal. Though the dirt isn't exclusive to this area of a dog or cat, it is often the easiest place to detect, especially when your breed has rather dark fur. Flea dirt will appear as if someone has more or less sprinkled pepper on your pet's skin, showing up as black specks on the stomach or base of the hairs. To ensure that this is basically what you are looking at, swipe the suspected dirt from your pet's stomach or skin with a white paper towel, and then release a drop of water on the dirt. After a moment or two, the dirt will change color from black to a reddish brown.
Considerations
But flea dirt isn't only found on your pet, it can also show up on its bedding (or anyplace your animal sleeps on a consistent basis). Many people will notice little reddish or reddish brown flecks on your pet's bed or blanket. Generally, this dirt is a transfer from your animal's skin. Even if you've never spotted a flea on your pet, the presences of this dirt on its skin or bed is a sure sign your little critter has been dealing with this pest.
Effects
Once you've discovered flea dirt on your dog or cat, treatment should soon follow--brushing, shampooing and treating any potential infested area (pet beds, rugs, chairs and other possible spots in your home or apartment). It is really best and advisable to contact your pet's veterinarian to receive the most informed option for treatment, though there are a number of flea shampoos and regulators on the market.
Tags: dirt your, your animal, dirt will, female flea, flea dirt, flea dirt