I found what I thought was a very small tick under my dog’s skin on her belly; there were 4 similar looking abrasions of different sizes. When I pulled the black speck out with tweezers it mashed into a goo. Was this a flea?
2006-07-21 19:22:33 · 9 answers · asked by wendi773 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Doesn't sound like a parasite to me. Fleas live in the hair and bite your dog to drink blood. You can see fleas jumping around and crawling in the hair. If you wash a badly flea-infested pet, the water will run pink, red, or brown. This is because flea poop is made of dried blood. Ticks embed their heads under the skin, but the body sticks out. This sounds like your dog has blackheads on her belly. It is fairly common. Try bathing her with an anti-seborrhea shampoo like Sebo-Rx. For parasite control, make sure to use your Frontline, Advantage, or Advantix monthly, but not on the 2-3 days before or after a bath for best results.
2006-07-21 19:41:56 · answer #1 · answered by Vet Tech Steph 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There are some fleas that do embed themselves, but I think they only live on birds. Those may be small ticks or the heads of ticks that your dog pulled off.
Get some monthly flea and tick protection like Frontline or Advantage from your Vet. If your dog stays in a fenced yard, this kind of protection will soon kill off all the ticks inside the fence. The dog acts like a tick-magnet since they need a blood meal to grow or reproduce. When they grab onto the dog the protection kills them. After a year or two, no more ticks in the yard!
2006-07-21 19:38:46 · answer #2 · answered by pondering_it_all 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nope, not a flea. That was either a tick, or a part of a tick. If you see one again, olive oil will help make it let go. If it becomes a regular experience, go to the vet. Ticks can carry Lyme Disease. Fleas can carry Heartworm. Better to keep your dog from getting these in the first place.
Good Luck
2006-07-21 19:44:03 · answer #3 · answered by PearLover 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
nope! fleas only walk around on the dog or cat giving him itch. but ticks get their head into the skin adn suck the blood. I don't know what that parasite was, but... it's not good. You should take her to the vet
2006-07-21 19:30:25 · answer #4 · answered by onutza 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
sounds like a tiny tick to me. fleas stay on the surface usually drinking blood. ewww..just thinking about it is making me itchy.
It's usully ticks that have little prongs around their mouth to imbed themselves into the skin. I'd definitely save one and show it to a vet though.
2006-07-21 19:28:15 · answer #5 · answered by Ms_E_Bunny 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
put water on the black speck and if it turns reddish-brown, it's flea dirt (flea poop which is blood). it sounds like it is probably actual dirt embedded in the skin from lying down outside. it's kind of like a blackhead. i used to see it quite often on rescued greyhounds.
2006-07-21 21:06:11 · answer #6 · answered by KLH 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nope, not a flea. It was the HEAD of a tick.
2006-07-21 19:26:43 · answer #7 · answered by cyanne2ak 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
fleas and ticks are very different in appearance as well as how they attack their victims. Check with a vet--it sounds like it was neither.
2006-07-21 19:26:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, because my friend's dog has lots of flea.
2006-07-21 19:34:48 · answer #9 · answered by megz 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋