In this article, we will answer a common dog owner question: “Why does my dog flea bite me?” Dogs flea bite you because they might have fleas, or else to show affection and curiosity towards their owner. Read on to know in detail.
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Dog owners consider dogs part of their family and love them like their children. They would do anything for them. But what to do when they show some abnormal behavior?
Dogs are very vulnerable to health-related problems, especially when they are pups, or when they grow old. You need to feed them with proper meals and take care of them to keep them healthy. You also need to maintain their hygiene, give them enough exercise and keep them emotionally happy as well. If you do all this, you will find your dog excited and energetic.
But if you see your dog scratching its fur often, it means it might some health issues, specifically fleas. If your dog gets fleas, it is very difficult to handle them, and they will behave differently.
One of the reasons your dog flea bites you is because they have fleas. Other possible reasons are: they are bored, curious, and want to show affection. Puppies often do this as part of learning and play behavior not just to you, but to other dogs.
In this article, let us look into why my dog flea bites me and how you can tackle this behavior.
So What Does It Mean By Flea Biting?
If you find your dog scratching its skin (or your skin) with its teeth, then this means its flea biting. To soothe the itching in their skin, dogs will try to scratch their skin gently. It’s a bit difficult to explain unless you have seen your dog do it, so here is a video that shows what I mean:
I hope you understand what I mean by flea biting. It is pretty common among dogs. Sometimes you will find dogs nibbling with their front teeth, and they do this to scratch their skin. Dogs nibble with their teeth when they chew their toys or while playing.
Some dog owners may not know about fleabites and get scared when they see their dogs behaving abnormally. They should avoid scolding their dog when it flea bite them and understand why they are doing this.
Why Does My Dog Flea Bite Me?
Your dog may have fleas. You need to observe the symptoms carefully.
Your dog might be flea-biting due to the presence of fleas in their fur. The fleas present in dogs discomforts and irritate them, making them bite and scratch. They may have itching, skin rashes, and other health issues. So to cope with the issue, dogs either scratch their skin and can nibble you with its teeth due to itching. This happens when they are confused and don’t know what to do.
If your dog has fleas, you need to check its fur. Look for parasites that hide in their fur and try removing them. Give your dog a good bath to soothe them. Once they are relieved they will not bite you.
Symptoms
- Itching and Scratching all over their body
- Loss of hair
- Skin irritation and redness
- Biting and nibbling at things and even humans
- Scabs
As a dog owner, fleas are the worst thing you will have to deal with. Fleas can discomfort your dog and even cause infections or other health conditions. Even when you have de-flead them, your dog may still nibble due to habit. This means your dog may even start biting you and other pets around them.
Why Does My Dog Nibble On Me With His Front Teeth: Other Reasons
It could be playfulness or a sign of affection and love. Luckily, none of these are a sign of danger.
If your dog does not show other symptoms of fleas and if they still nibble, it means they want to play with you or are starving. This is also their way of showing affection and curiosity. It is advisable to take your dog to a vet and diagnose it as it can also have severe health issues.
Sign Of Affection.
One reason your dog nibbles at you is to show affection and trust in you. So if your dog nibbles your clothes with its teeth as if they are eating corn, it means they are grooming you. Grooming is common among dogs to show affection.
Curiosity.
Sometimes out of curiosity, dogs start nibbling. This is most common among young pups as they may be understanding the things around them. As a dog owner, you can encourage or discourage your dog if its behavior is too harsh.
Teething.
Teething is common among young dogs. During teething, the gums of young pups may itch. Because of this, they try to bite or nibble at you or other pets around.
Do Flea Bite Affect Dog’s Health?
If the cause is fleas, then yes, fleas can be fatal for your dog if left unchecked.
As discussed above, dog flea bites people because it has fleas in their skin or when they are bored or want ot show affection. To prevent this, you need to take your dog out, buy him new toys and take them out for a walk.
Many pet owners feel that flea bite is normal and there is nothing to worry about. But it is fine only if your dog does it once or twice. If your dog nibbles or flea bites often, it is a matter of concern. It will advisable to take your dog to a vet for diagnosis and treatment.
Let us look at ways to tackle flea bites.
Comb Your Dog’s Fur
Comb your dog’s fur often using a brush or comb. If your dog does not like a comb, you can use a brush. Scratch your dog’s fur when you comb to remove the flies from the fur. Grooming your dog is one of the best ways to protect them from fleas.
Clean Your Dog’s Paws
Dogs move around a lot of places, and dirt gets in their feet. Dogs cannot keep themselves clean. As a dog owner, you need to clean your dog’s paws using wipes frequently. When you let your dog in after playing outside, make sure to clean its paws first. This will help keep all the germs away from the house and also from your dog’s fur.
Take Your Dog Out Regularly
As a dog owner, you should take your dog for regular walks and entertain them. Let your dog play in your yard. Let them be physically active and energetic. This way they will not get bored and feel good.
Taking your dog for a walk and entertaining them will keep them happy and healthy. A peaceful and fit dog will not flea bite due to boredom.
Get Pet Toys
Your dog needs to stay active. You can get him some good toys to play with. Dogs tend to get bored. So you need to look for ways to entertain them. You need to take them out in the garden, and let them roam around and spend time with them often. This way, they will reduce flea biting.
Buy Chew Toys For Your Dog
Young dogs usually like chewing everything and cannot resist a good chew toy. Most pet trainers recommend getting one of these for your pups. These toys will help prevent flea biting on owners and keep your dog calm. You can buy these toys from either pet stores or online and keep them busy.
Examine Your Dog’s Heath Often
Do you keep a check on your dog’s health? As a dog owner, you need to take proper care of your dog. Keep a check for fleas, parasites, and open wounds on their skin. Take them for a check-up when you find them behaving weirdly. Usually, a dog behaves normally when it’s fit and healthy.
What Happens When A Dog Flea Bites You?
Thankfully, fleas cannot live on humans. So the bite will be just that it will leave a bit of soreness but should heal in a few days.
When your dog flea bites you, you will notice some soreness around your skin, and it can be a bit painful. Some people may have rashes around the skin. The place of the dog bite may later also get hives.
If you scratch the affected area, it will further damage the skin and cause bacterial infection. So avoid scratching, instead, you can use a cream or an ointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Stop Dog Fleas Biting Me?
Use a bug spray and wear long-sleeved clothes.
Dog fleas don’t bite on clothes. So wearing a full sleeves shirt and pants will prevent flea bites. When you are somewhere out where there are chances of fleas around or treating flea infestation at your house, you can put some bug spray, reducing the chance of flea biting.
What Happens When A Dog Flea Bite Humans?
Nothing much, just soreness. You can apply a cream to soothe the skin.
When a flea bites humans, it releases a chemical known as histamine, which causes red itchy bumps on the skin. And when you scratch your skin, the bump will get bigger and may worsen if you have sensitive skin. So it is necessary to treat your dog and home if there is flea infestation.
How Do You Know If Your Dog Has Fleas?
Skin irritation, redness, scabs, a lot of itching, and scratching.
To know if your dog has fleas, you need to examine your dog’s skin and look if your dog has fleas or not. If you find any tiny, dark insects in your dog’s skin, it means it is a flea. You will find them near the armpit or groin area mostly.
Try combing your dog’s fur with a fine-tooth comb or a brush. It will help remove the fleas from the skin and give some relief to your dog.
A Few Final Words
Dog flea bites are a common issue that most dog owners face. It is predominantly out of curiosity, affection or has fleas in their skin. But it is a serious health concern and can risk your dog’s life. So it is necessary to find the actual cause of flea biting and try reducing them.
I hope we have answered your question: why does my dog flea bite me. The different ways to tackle flea bites discussed above will further help you prevent flea biting from your dog.
Thank you for reading the article, do leave us your comments and suggestions below. You might also like to read about other common diseases in dogs such as roundworms and diabetes.