Spotting Fleas

Fleas are pretty easy to spot; it's getting rid of them that are hard. The first sign is usually your dog scratching a lot. His skin may have small red spots and his coat may have small black spots left from the fleas. Most often these parasites are acquired through the dog's environment.

Ridding Your Dog of Fleas

Having fleas is a miserable experience for dogs. The most effective way to get rid of them is to get a professional flea bath from a groomer and have your vet prescribe medicine to administer to the dog's neck to ward off the fleas and ticks. The problem is the fleas don't stay on the dog's skin. They land on the carpet, in furniture and (heaven-forbid if the dog sleeps with you) in your bed. Getting fleas out of your home take an aggressive approach of washing, vacuuming and possibly the use of foggers

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Tick Bites

Ticks are a little different and can bite your dog while in heavily wooded areas. The best thing to do is work on prevention by spraying your dog with tick repellent before taking him to such an area. But if your dog has been bitten by a tick, quick action is required to remove the tick and care for the dog properly to reduce the risk of Lyme disease.