Dog Flea

Ctenocephalides canis

Appearance

•  Adult is brownish black in colour, but appear reddish-black after a blood meal.
•  The adult flea is 3 - 4mm long.
•  The legless larva is off - white and measures up to 5 mm long.

Lifecycle

•  The fleas go through a four - stage life cycle: eggs, larvae, pupae, adult.
•  The larvae are longer than the adults and feed on particles of dry blood, excrement, and organic substances collected in the infested premises.
•  The body is laterally flattened , which allows it to move easily through an animal's fur. Spines project backwards from the body of the flea, which help it to hold onto the host animal during grooming.

Habits

•  Adults feed on the blood of dogs and cats, and they occasionally bite humans.
•  The Dog Flea is a vector of the Dog Tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum, which can also affect man.
•  As they can jump approximately 6 inches, they can move from host to host. They can also infestgarden lawns.
•  A flea infestation can disrupt general well-being, cause itching, redness, hair loss, severe skin infections or allergies to flea saliva.