Do dog fleas bite humans? Should we be afraid?

What do fleas look like on dogs and how do they reproduce?

Dog fleas are small - their body length is about 2-4 mm. The chitinous cover, consisting of many bristles, allows the parasite to firmly adhere to the fur and move quickly. Fleas jump well - 3 times further than they can see.

This canine parasite is hardy, so it tolerates sudden temperature changes, high humidity, and even develops resistance to chemicals.

The flea's mouthparts are adapted to the dog's skin, but if there is a lack of food, the parasite can bite a person or other animal. If there is not enough food, the insect hibernates.

The flea has a complex reproductive system. Mating can last up to 10 hours. Almost all parasites begin copulation after drinking blood. After fertilization, the female immediately lays eggs. A flea can lay up to 10 eggs at a time.

Reproduction occurs in favorable conditions: in rags, dust, woolen products, a booth, on the floor, in clothes. The eggs are oblong in shape and resemble grains of rice.

Why do some people get bitten and others not?

Many people ask questions: “Why don’t fleas bite everyone?” or “Why am I the only one among our family members who gets bitten?” In reality, each of us can be susceptible to possible bites, but some simply do not notice them.

According to experts, people with blood group 1 are most often susceptible to bites from bloodsuckers. It is more appetizing to insects. The blood of people of groups 3 and 4 is not of particular interest to parasites, but despite this, attacks can still occur. Fleas are also attracted to the most delicate and thin skin, elevated body temperature and the smell of human sweat.

Reasons for appearance

The flea invasion occurs in the warm season and begins in spring and ends in October. Parasites choose their refuge in private houses or on the first floor of apartment buildings.

Fleas can be caused by contact with other dogs.

The main sources are:

• dirty entrances;
• neighboring apartments;
• infected pets;
• flea colonies in the basement or attic;
• presence of rats and mice;
• garbage dumps.

Fleas lay eggs in an animal's fur, so the owner can transmit parasites to his pet if he first pets an infected dog and then a healthy one.

About methods of struggle

Given the urgency of the problem, veterinary pharmacies and specialized pet stores have a wide range of products for dog fleas. These include:

• Sprays. More suitable for an adult pet if the latter is completely healthy. The difficulty is in spraying the chemical, which can get into your pet's eyes or mouth. The advantage is instant results.
• Drops on the withers. One of the most reliable and common methods.
• Shampoos. Available for removing fleas from puppies if you follow the instructions.
• Collars. They are better known for their preventive properties. They repel insects.
• Powder. It is rubbed into the pet’s fur and washed off after a while.
• Tablets and injections. They are used less frequently than others and only as prescribed by a doctor.
• . If your pet is sick, as well as in the case of pregnant dogs, you can use decoctions of fragrant herbs - lavender, tansy, wormwood.

It is worth remembering that after treating an animal with special flea products, you should also replace or treat its bedding, as well as the entire room, especially if the animal is heavily infested.

Dog fleas are not a very common species. They are often confused with cats and vice versa. They can bite both their immediate “owner” and have a snack by jumping on a person. A variety of insecticides will help get rid of them, which are chosen according to the age, sometimes breed and health status of the dog.

Can they transfer to people?

Fleas cannot live on humans, so they are not transmitted to people from sick animals. However, if your pet brings this insect back from a walk, immediate action should be taken. If there are too many fleas, they may bite people in search of food.

Fleas live on bedding or carpets, in garbage. If, for example, an animal left the house for some time, and parasites remained on its blanket, then they will begin to attack people in order to satisfy their hunger.

How they bite

The oral apparatus is designed in such a way that it is convenient to suck blood . Fleas' sense of smell allows them to identify humans by the smell of carbon dioxide. Once on the body, the insect bites through the skin and begins to suck blood. The parasite's proboscis is short, so it inserts both its head and part of its body into the wound, assuming a vertical position.

The flea does not mask the bite with an anesthetic, so it causes pain to the victim. During the puncture process, the insect injects saliva, which impairs blood clotting, and along with it harmful bacteria.

Having received a portion of blood from one wound, the parasite crawls a few centimeters and makes a new one. During one feeding, the insect makes 3-5 bites.

Flea bites.

Consequences of bites

The consequences of a bite can be:

• various skin lesions, ranging from severe itching to abscesses and dermatitis;
• high fever;
• development of brucellosis;
• transfer of worms, tapeworms from the previous “owner”;
• sleep disturbance.

When scratching the bite area, boils, abscesses and growths can form.

An allergic reaction is a common consequence.

What consequences can dog flea bites cause?

If a dog has any parasites, the risk of their carriers being transferred through fleas to the human body increases. You don’t have to have pets to bring fleas into your home—prolonged physical contact with a stray dog ​​can have the most negative consequences.

The degree of danger of dog fleas to humans depends on many factors, so possible harm can be expressed in the following:

• the occurrence of an allergy in a person to the saliva of a bloodsucker - itching, dermatitis appears, chronic skin diseases worsen, body temperature rises, respiratory and intestinal disorders worsen;
• brucellosis develops, which can lead to damage to internal organs;
• from the previous “carrier” a person can get endoparasites – worms, tapeworms, and other types of parasites;
• A flea bite can cause many dangerous diseases: encephalitis, ulcers, typhus, plague. This happens extremely rarely.

How to fight

If parasites are found, disinsection must be carried out. To treat the room you will need a soda or saline solution (you can also add insecticidal shampoo).

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. Thoroughly vacuum the entire apartment, including upholstered furniture.
2. Send for cleaning things that could harbor pests.
3. Throw out the animal's bedding (it is recommended to change it more often), and treat all items belonging to the dog.
4. Carry out wet cleaning with a solution.
5. Close doors and windows hermetically.
6. Move furniture away from the wall, treat all cracks, corners, carpets and other surfaces with insecticide.
7. Leave the apartment for a few hours.
8. Upon return, ventilate well.
9. Do the cleaning again.

An option for flea control is a collar.
This treatment must be repeated after a week to ensure that both larvae and eggs are destroyed.

In a private house, it is necessary to treat not only the interior, but also the basement, cellar, attic and all outbuildings and the surrounding area.

Dog house treatment

The booth is disinfected after it is cleaned. To avoid “flooding”, you first need to dig drainage ditches at an angle. The entire house needs to be treated, both inside and outside.

The procedure can be carried out using an aqueous solution of formalin, creolin or Lysol. Creolin is used more often because it is easier to buy and easier to dilute with water.

Regular scheduled treatments are carried out in winter, spring and autumn. In summer, disinfection is carried out every month. The kennel is washed out unscheduled with a solution if a flea infestation has been detected, or before moving a new pet into it.

Whatever solution is used for treatment, the animal should not be allowed near the booth until it is completely dry. Otherwise, there is a risk of harming your pet's health.

Animal handling

It is possible to remove these parasites yourself at home if a severe infection has not yet occurred.

The fastest way to get rid of parasites is to use a spray. After treatment, the drug begins to act instantly, the protective effect lasts about a month. Before spraying, you need to straighten the animal's fur so that the liquid gets on the skin. Everything is treated except the head. The pet needs to be occupied with playing for a while so that the drug has time to dry.

Drops are considered a more effective remedy, but they begin to act only on the 2nd day. During this period, the animal should not be bathed so as not to wash off the medicine. The drug is applied directly to the skin from the back of the head to the withers.

A special flea collar is the safest remedy. A plastic headband with insect repellent is more suitable for prevention. You need to wear it constantly, it begins to act gradually. The duration of the collar is indicated on the packaging.

Prevention measures

What to do if insects appear in the house? Do cat fleas bite humans? We found out that yes, which means that animals should be checked for parasites. We must not forget about household items. Jumping insects are able to hide in clothes, carpets, fleecy fabrics, plush toys, etc. All clothing must be washed and steamed. The room is treated with the latest generation insecticides, for example, “Raid” or “Combat”. Subsequently, it is important to carry out regular wet cleaning, vacuum upholstered furniture, and shake out rugs.

It is better to entrust the disinfection of the premises to qualified specialists. We are ready to help solve this problem if you contact us by phone or send a request by email. After sanitization of the premises, long-term ventilation is carried out. It is good if two weeks after the main treatment it is possible to carry out repeated disinfection.

People usually pay attention to flooring and furniture located in the lower part of the room. But the trouble is that fleas can jump high, hiding in curtains, wall hangings and other interior items.

If fleas bite your legs, what should you do? On the street you can protect yourself from parasites using repellents. It is enough to treat your clothes with flea spray, and reliable protection is guaranteed. It is recommended to wear closed clothing when outdoors that fits tightly around the wrists and ankles, preventing the penetration of insects. Repellents can also help at home. “For me, this is a reliable way to protect myself from insects,” says one of the owners of a large family of cats. “I monitor the health of my charges, but when the conversation turns to parasites, it’s better to be safe.”

Source

Actions after a parasite attack

Insect bite
What to do if you are bitten by fleas, what to anoint your feet to relieve the itching. In most cases, traces of the attack disappear on their own within a week. The itching gradually disappears within 3 days. However, each organism is an individual system, for some it is a minor itch, while for others they cannot find a place for themselves.

On a note!

Children instinctively smear the bite sites with saliva, and the unpleasant sensations immediately disappear. Saliva is a strong antiseptic. And if you don’t have anything at hand, you can use this method.

There are many recipes for applying what to apply to ease your skin condition. Folk remedies and pharmaceutical preparations are used. The choice of the appropriate drug depends on the complexity of the situation.

• Disinfect wounds with medical alcohol or any alcohol tincture. Calendula, valerian, motherwort help well.
• Treat sore spots with baking soda paste. Baking soda is slightly diluted with water to a paste. Apply to the skin. The product kills germs, disinfects the wound, and eliminates itching.
• Green tea is a strong antiseptic. Apply a bag after brewing, or moisten cotton wool in the brew, and treat the affected areas. You will have to do this several times during the day.
• Zvezdochka balm helps a lot. It contains about 25 medicinal herbs. The product helps cope with unpleasant external symptoms and promotes tissue regeneration. It is necessary to lubricate several times a day.
• Bepanten ointment restores the skin. Allowed for use by children from birth. But it does not eliminate the itching.
• In case of severe itching, you can treat with Fenistil-gel. The product stops the allergic reaction, removes all unpleasant symptoms - itching, swelling, redness. Apply twice a day.

Pet Protection

Dogs and cats must wear collars with repellent components or use special drops. If you prevent insects from appearing on your pets, then the chances of a person being bitten are much less. Cat fleas on humans in most cases appear when their pets go for a walk, visiting less well-groomed representatives of the genus. To avoid this, the bedding is thoroughly washed, then wormwood is laid out on it. The animals themselves need to be bathed in Butox solution.

To understand whether your pets have parasites, it is enough to observe their behavior. An allergy to fleas in humans is expressed in the form of scratching on the body and redness on the skin. In animals, in principle, everything is the same. Due to dermatitis, they develop a “flea triangle”, that is, an area of ​​baldness on the rump. If, in addition to the parasites themselves, such a reaction is observed, then glucocorticoids are additionally prescribed.

Dangerous representative of the flea family

An exception to all representatives of the flea family is the sand flea, which lives in the tropics. In her regard, it is quite appropriate to say that fleas also live on humans. The female sand flea bites into human skin and penetrates the capillary. Saturation ensures the rapid development of eggs, as a result of which the individual increases in size and is not able to leave the injection site.

An ulcer with pronounced swelling appears at the site of the lesion. The maturation of the eggs lasts from 5 to 7 days, after which the female shoots them, shrinks and most often dies, remaining in the epithelium. In rare cases, a female is able to leave the wound alive.

What to do if bitten by a cat flea

1. Wash the bite area with soap and water or a disinfectant such as chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide to reduce the risk of infection and inflammation.
2. Apply an anti-itch ointment or cream, such as Fenistil or Flucinar. An ice cube can also help relieve itching.
3. If you have an allergy, take an antihistamine and consult a doctor.
4. Wait until the swelling, itching, and redness subside. If inflammation occurs, consult a doctor immediately.