If you live in a warm climate and your dog is scratching his body or chewing his paws more than usual, then he’s probably got fleas. Fleas on French bulldogs are quite painful, uncomfortable, and nerve-wracking. Since Frenchies have thin coats, fleas can cause severe irritations and even lead to developing wounds on their skin. That’s why prevention against these parasites is highly important.
How to spot fleas on my French bulldog?
When fleas bite, they inject saliva into a dog’s skin. This process is not only ‘painful’ but also uncomfortable since it makes your Frenchie’s skin itchy. French bulldogs are allergic to flea bites, and some of the symptoms include:
- Extreme itchiness
- Hair loss
- Hot spots
- Scabs, red and irritated skin
Even though most of us get scared by the thought that our dogs can have fleas, we need to carefully check their coats to determine whether these awful parasites invaded their bodies. Flea bites are very uncomfortable, so you’ll find your Frenchie chewing his paws, legs, and scratching his body parts.
The most common areas to find flea bites on your dog’s body are abdomen, armpit, groin, behind the ears, and the base of the tail. If your dog has a dark coat and you can’t spot the fleas or flea dirt, then you can take a piece of toilet paper and cross over the dog’s coat. If there are dark spots left on it, that could be flea dirt.
Flea bites look like red dots and you can easily spot them on your dog’s abdomen. Since they’re quite itchy, you can use a topical cream to soothe the irritation in addition to using other medications.
How to protect my French bulldog against fleas?
Besides ticks, fleas represent a major threat to our dogs. Although they prefer animal hosts, it’s not unusual to bite humans when animals are unavailable. To protect your dog from these awful creatures, you can use flea-control collars that usually provide 6 months of protection.
The following Flea and Tick French Bulldog Collars feature essential oil formula of pleasant smell, and they provide up to 8 months protection. The size of a collar is adjustable, and since it’s waterproof, your pooch will be able to enjoy water adventures and stay protected all the time.
Other methods include using anti-flea shampoos and anti-flea ampoules that should be applied along your dog’s spine. Flea pill can also be one of the solutions especially if your Frenchie already got fleas. However, they should be prescribed only by your vet since they kill fleas within a few hours.
Using a flea comb can also be helpful because they are carefully designed to collect flea dirt and eggs. Gently cross through your French bulldog’s coat until the comb comes in contact with the skin. After each stroke, wash the comb in soapy water and repeat the process. You’ll notice the flea dirt while rinsing the comb and how the black flecks are becoming red.
How to get rid of fleas in your home?
Cleaning your house of fleas isn’t easy because in some cases, you may need up to 4 months to get rid of the infestation. It takes this long because you need to wait for the fleas to go through all their life stages until they completely disappear.
 You should carefully examine your carpets, beds, and your dog’s bed for flea dirt because they’re the main culprit why cleaning lasts so long. If you find small black flecks in your environment, make sure to use a wet white cloth for wiping. If they become red when coming in contact with water, then you can be sure it’s flea dirt.
Another trick that will show you if you still have flea dirt in your house is to wear white clothes or socks. If your socks collected small black flecks, it’s another sign that you’re still living with those nasty critters.
To get rid of fleas on your French bulldog and in your house, doing a vacuum cleaning is the first step. You should also immediately throw away the vacuum bag or wash the box. Changing filters is also important because infestation can hide and survive in them.
The second step to do is to wash carpets and floors with a special detergent. Both your and your dog’s bed should be cleaned as well as blankets and bedsheets. When you finish with the process of cleaning, make sure you spray your house with a flea control spray.