Did your dog start to show some irritating behavior recently? Does he frequently flea bite you? Well, if it’s out of his grooming behavior, then there’s nothing to panic about.
But “why does my dog flea bite me?” becomes a question of concern when your pal does it for the presence of fleas in their fur and skin. They express their feelings through light biting and licking.
Also, puppies often nibble on the couch, mat, bin bags, clothes, and blankets with their front teeth for playing. At the same time, adults try to show their affection towards their trustworthy owner through flea biting.
But you’d like to put some thought when they do the same thing to your friend visiting home rarely. Then how should you help your pal?
What Is Dog Flea Biting?
Flea-biting behavior in dogs is very natural unless they carry this attribute from their grooming session. Puppies and dogs like to bite and lick lightly and move their tail when they’re happy.
Not necessarily this non-verbal communication is always acceptable. Dogs, cats, and other pets often suffer from flea infestation. And its exposure becomes more obvious in warm months.
Flea saliva is life-threatening for the dog. They create an allergic reaction that progresses forward with itchiness, scaly skin, fur loss, and infection. In severe cases, this benevolent creature becomes hypovolemic and faces death.
Dogs often leave flea bite marks on their owner. Sometimes they become playful and bite you lightly with their front teeth. This leaves small reddish bite marks on your skin. Do not be too serious! This is just a part of their social behavior.
Why Does My Dog Flea Bite Me?
There could be a lot of reasons why dog fleas bite. It can be due to the flea infestation, or their way of showing affectionate behavior to you, or anything else. Let’s take a look.
Flea Infestation
The presence of fleas on the mat, or sofa, and violent scratching of your pet on their skin will let you know that fleas have infiltrated in the house. If your dog has fleas on the skin, it becomes very uncomfortable and itchy for him.
To get some relief, he continues to nibble on blankets, cushions, rugs, and even on the family members. When ignored, the fleas keep feeding on your dog’s blood. So your dog becomes frail and weak.
Apart from that, itching, scaly skin, skin bleeding, lethargy, and secondary infections are some common symptoms. Allergic reactions are common in these cases.
To Express Curiosity
During the grooming session of your newly arrived pet, they try to get a hold of the surrounding. So out of curiosity, puppies and dogs scratches, bite, and lick the objects around them. This way, they also try to learn the expression of their owner.
Normally, mommy dog shapes such behavior of puppies. But if it’s your pet dog, then you’re in charge of teaching him when to stop.
To Remove Boredom
If you don’t take your dog often to walk, he gets bored. They run from room to room and nibble on the sofa, couch, bags, and blankets for lack of company and activity.
This is quite common for pet dogs in urban areas.
To Express Love And Affection
Why does my dog nibble on me? The answer could be easy. They try to socialize with you by showing affection and love. It’s a healthy exercise to comfort your pet and build a trustworthy relationship.
But it’s a matter of concern when you observe the same behavior in your dog around an unfamiliar person. It might be for the lack of interaction between the pet. So it could not accept you as its buddy.
Just To Be Playful
Puppies are more curious and playful. Such behavior is also seen in adult dogs. They try to imitate some human behavior like licking and kissing.
Whenever you interact more with them, they move their tail, follow you, and flea bites you.
Teething
Teeth are formed about 3-6 weeks after the birth of the puppies. During this period, gums become itchy and strong. Also, then, they nip and lightly bite you, toys, and sandals.
But biting on a harsh object can damage their gums. So should be careful about that.
How To Get Rid Of Dog Flea Bites?
Dog flea bites can either be an affectionate behavior or the outcome of an infection. It’s okay if you do not appreciate such behavior in your dog. The following steps will help you to stop your dog from flea-biting you.
Routine Check-up For Flea Infestation
Monthly take your dog to the vet clinic for a whole body checkup. Allergy, infection, and rash can be deadly without proper treatment. You can also keep your dog from flea infestation by:
- Combing pet’s hair every day
- Bathing with anti-flea shampoo. They contain pyrethrin which help to kill parasite and insects
- Spraying anti-flea spray like vet’s best flea and tick home spray periodically
- Vacuuming mats, and rugs regularly
- Washing pet’s bed, and quilts with warm water, and detergent
Take Your Dog To Walk
Taking your dog to a walk helps to overcome boredom. They get more exposure to fresh air, soft grass, and the environment. You should at least do dog walking 3 to 4 times a week.
In addition, you should arrange easy physical activities to distract him and make him more engaged in work.
Arrange Something For Nibbling
Your dog’s nibbling can be disturbing when it damages your expensive furniture. Continuous biting and licking of your legs, and arms may cause irritation and scratches.
To avoid such behavior, you can arrange a toy or stick for him to nibble.
Response To Your Dog’s Affectionate Behavior
To build a friendly relationship with your pet, you should respond to his playful act. You can arrange special training to shape his behavior.
Should Dog Flea Bites Be Avoided?
Not really! If your dog keeps scratching his fur due to the presence of harmful fleas on the skin, he needs urgent treatment and care.
Sometimes puppies become too playful and bite guests and unknown people on the road. Not to let this occasion flea biting turn into a habit, you should arrange some activities to socialize him.
FAQs
Why do dogs nibble on blankets?
Most often, dogs nibble on the blanket out of boredom and anxiety. Nibbling on the blanket also gives relief from the allergic and infectious pain in their body.
Why do fleas bite me and not others?
It might be that you sat on a flea-inflicted sofa, mat, or couch. Sometimes fleas are also attracted to some foods like garlic. There’s a saying that people having sweet blood are more bitten by fleas and mosquitoes.
Can fleas move from my dog to me?
There’s a high chance that your flea-inflicted dog might spread the disease to you. Fleas are small and can jump from person to person, or animal to person.
Why does a dog flea bite me?
A dog flea bites its owner out of anxiety, boredom, affection, and curiosity. Sometimes it scratches his fur to the allergic reaction from flea’s saliva.
Are dog flea bites harmful to humans?
No! It might leave some abrasions on your skin. But such behavior of your dog can be irritating based on what type of person you are.
Final Verdict
Mouthing and slightly biting his master is common for dogs. But you should observe your pet’s behavior to detect any offense, irritation, and other changes. Clinical diseases require medical treatment.
However, we believe you’ve found all the answers regarding “why does my dog flea bite me?” Other than that, removing your pet’s insecurity will be your next duty.
It’s appreciable if you can openly accept such affectionate behavior of your pet. Only then will they let this habit go to some extent.
Do not forget, pets also try to communicate their feelings and thoughts to their alpha.
