Recent Feedback
There are tiny black specks all in my dog's fur next to the skin. Some dissolve in water and leave red streaks (like dryed blood). She has no sores and I can't find any bugs. Yesterday I brushed her very well and removed all of them. Today they are back. Not very many this morning but heavier this afternoon. She uses tinkle pads in the house and rarely gets out. I don't know what to do. Hope you have some ideas. I appreciate any advice.
Optional Information: Type of Animal: Tiny Toy Poodle Gender: Female Age: 8 years Name of Dog: Cossette Already Tried: Just brushing and checking bedding for any signs of bugs. She has sensitive skin and didn't know if flea/tick shampoo would help or would be too harsh
Thanks for the question.While I cannot diagnose this via the internet I can tell you the following :This could be as simple as fleas as the faeces of the flea do look very like little black dots. Sometimes the actual flea can be difficult to spot but if you part the fur and look carefully you will see them running about, above the dog's tail is a good place to look.To confirm that these are indeed flea faeces you can comb some of the black dots from your dog's hair on to a piece of paper. Place one of these on to a bit of damp cotton wool and squeeze it, you will see a red halo which is from dried blood in the faeces. { fleas suck blood you see }If it turns out that these are flea faeces the first thing to do is to treat your dog with a good flea product such as Frontline and also treat the house with a spray as well as there will be fleas in the house and in the carpets as well as her bedding. If that fails to resolve your problem or if things get worse you should have a vet check your dog over.If I have not covered your question fully enough or you would like to ask more I will be online for the next hour or so and I will be at your disposal. Scott Nimmo BVMS MRCVS
Experience: BVMS, MRCVS.