Fleas are a type of ectoparasites that suck blood from French Bulldogs a lot. over 2,000 species of flea have been identified by researchers across the world, but not all of them infest French Bulldogs, a type of flea that affects French Bulldogs is the cat flea, a.ka, Ctenocephalides felis, usually brownish or black in color, and it is about 3 mm in length. It is important to note that Fleas are different than ticks.
Fleas love warm and humid environments, this explains one of the reasons why they are commonly found on dogs. Plus, they have flat bodies which allow them to move quickly through cat and dog fur.
How to Find Out Whether Your French Bulldog has Fleas
It is possible to find fleas on the body of your Frenchie, however, not finding one doesn't necessarily give the assurance that your Frenchie is free from fleas, sometimes, these creatures tend to appear microscopic, and requires proper examination. There are 4 cycle stages of fleas that if you know about, it may be easier for you to identify whether your French Bulldog has Fleas:
- Flea Pupae
- Flea Larvae
- Flea Eggs, and
- Adult Fleas
- The Flea Pupae:
The Flea Pupae constitute about 10% of the lifecycle of a flea. These are usually very stubborn and last up to 6months on the body of your pet. However, ordinarily, it lasts for only 5-14 days. They are a bunch of sticky impenetrable cocoon. You cannot eradicate Flea Pupae with just an insecticide.
- The Flea Larvae:
This stage of fleas constitutes about 35% of the Lifecycle. Flea Larvae hatch from the flea eggs in a small worm-like lifeform that moves away from the light and buries themselves in the dark. For example, you are going to find this stage of fleas in places like carpet piles, cracks in floorboards, etc. Flea Larvae last for a short period of time too, between 5 - 11 days. They also undergo 2 molts to become a Flea Pupa.
- The Flea Eggs:
This is not a sticky kind, and once it laid, it quick fails off the Dog in no time, drops onto the environment. It is not easily visible to the naked eyes as it is largely a microorganism. Generally, Flea Eggs have a lifecycle of 1-10 days before they hatch into a Larvae. Lastly, Flea Eggs constitute about 50% of the lifecycle.
- The Adult Fleas:
These are the stage in the life cycle where they are visible to the eyes. These are the type of fleas you see moving about your dog and feed on their blood. They reproduce and continue their lifecycle.
These adult fleas are grown and developed enough with body parts with enabling them to stick on the pet and pierce their skin to feed on their blood. Apart from sucking the blood of your Frenchie, Adult fleas can also cause skin diseases for your pet, some of which can transmit to the dog owners. Fleas have been identified as vectors in Australia.
In particular, adult fleas can cause an itchy skin from an allergic reaction to the saliva of the fleas released during the sucking of Pet's blood. You'll find your Frenchie, scratching, biting, licking and chewing to relieve himself from the discomfort of the itching. This development may also lead to significant hair loss to your dog.
Other infectious diseases caused by fleas are:
- Rickettsia spp: This may cause flea-borne spotted fever.
- Bartonella henselae: It Causes dog scratch fever.
- Yersinia Pestis: Causes Plague, an identified agent of bioterrorism.
The riskier part of these possibilities is that these diseases can further be transmitted to the dog owner.