Fleas and ticks are different parasites with different consequences. Recognizing them, removing them correctly, and preventing them is essential for your dog's health.

Fleas

Tiny insects (1-3 mm), jumpers. They live on the dog's skin.

Symptoms:
  • Intense itching, especially on the back, base of the tail, belly
  • Small dark spots in the fur ("flea dirt" — feces)
  • Allergy to flea saliva (FAD) — severe dermatitis even with a few fleas
Treatment:
  • Anti-parasitic (spot-on, tablets, collar)
  • Washing household fabrics, intensive vacuuming
  • Treat all animals in the household simultaneously

Ticks

Arthropods (4 stages: egg, larva, nymph, adult). They attach to the skin and suck blood for days.

Risks: they transmit babesiosis, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, rickettsiosis.

How to remove a tick

  1. Do not pull with your hands: risk of leaving the head in the skin
  2. Use a pointed tweezers or "tick-twister"
  3. Rotation + extraction: slowly turn counterclockwise
  4. Disinfect the skin afterward
  5. Save the tick in a bag if you want to have it analyzed for diseases
Never: oil, alcohol, lit cigarettes. The tick regurgitates pathogens.

Prevention

  • Monthly spot-on (Frontline, Advantix)
  • Quarterly tablets (Bravecto, Simparica)
  • Long-lasting collars (Seresto, 6-8 months)
  • Manual checks after walks in the countryside or woods

In summary

Anti-parasitic protection must be continuous year-round, not just in summer. Discuss with your veterinarian the most suitable product for the area where you live.