Fleas and ticks are parasites that feed on animal or human blood to sustain themselves with nutrients. Fleas are small, wingless insects while ticks are much larger organisms. Both pests latch onto the host’s skin, sucks blood from them, and inject their saliva into the host’s body, which can transmit harmful diseases such as Lyme disease, tularemia, typhus, and plague, or lead to other health issues. Moreover, fleas and ticks can also take in enormous amounts of blood from their host and cause a dangerous drop in red blood cells.

Due to the constant hot and humid weather in Singapore, pets here are more prone to catching these blood-sucking parasites. Both dogs and cats also have warm and thick fur that provides the best environment for these bugs to thrive. Thus, it is important for pet owners to always pay attention to their pet’s body, spotting indications of a flea or tick infestation and eradicate them with a flea and tick spray before more problems arise. In this article, we explore some symptoms that could indicate the presence of fleas and ticks in pets.

Learn More: What Should I Do If My Pet Cat Or Dog Has Fleas Or Ticks?

1. Abnormal Licking or Scratching

Fleas and ticks release saliva into your pet’s body concurrently when they feed on your pet’s blood. The protein in their saliva may spark off an allergy reaction and lead to itching, even if it’s only a single bite. Excessive scratching, licking, or biting behaviour may occur over several days due to the itch. If you notice your pet performing these actions more frequently, it could indicate a flea or tick bite.

2. Red Skin Patches or Small Bumps

Small bumps and/or dermatitis may appear on your pet’s skin as a result of irritation caused by flea or tick bites. When saliva is transferred to your pet’s body, a histamine-like compound, commonly known to trigger itchiness, may bring about noticeable symptoms of redness and itching. As your pet begins to scratch or bite at their skin to relieve discomfort, they may further aggravate their skin condition and develop red, inflamed skin lesions.

3. Small Reddish-Brown, Black, or White Specks on Your Pet’s Body

Small reddish-brown, black, or white specks on your pet’s body indicate the presence of fleas or ticks. Reddish-brown or black particles are signs of flea dirt, which is a combination of blood and flea faeces, while white ones are typically flea eggs.

4. Loss of Hair

Flea or tick infestation do not necessarily result in the loss of hair, but if your pet scratches or bites their skin without restraint, it could lead to hair fall and bald spots around their body, typically around the neck and tail. If this happens, it usually means that they’ve been suffering from bites for a while now.

5. Fever, Lethargy or Loss of Appetite

Fleas and ticks carry with them a lot of germs, bacteria, viruses, and harmful diseases that are dangerous for your pets. These illnesses may result in symptoms such as fever, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite, and more. Notice these issues? Bring them to a veterinarian and they should be able to diagnose where it stemmed from.

Fleas and ticks are so tiny that spotting and removing them from your pet’s body can take up a significant amount of time. An infestation can even consist of more than 100 bugs. In order to eliminate them quickly before they can trigger more serious issues, pet owners should consider using topical medications such as the Jean-Paul Nutraceuticals Pet Protect Plus Flea and Tick Spray. It is a natural and non-toxic solution that effectively kills fleas and ticks. Simply spray it on your pet’s body and massage it in for it to work.

Protecting your pet is crucial to ensuring their optimal health. From pet supplements to flea and tick sprays, shop all the wellness products you’ll need at Pet Health Global Singapore.