Flea dirt is digested blood, and so we have a fun trick here that we'll do in the clinic where, if we're suspicious of it, we'll put that dirt on a paper towel, and we'll get it wet. And what happens to dried blood when you get it wet is, it turns back into that normal red blood color.

Sometimes it's as simple as running my finger against the growth of the hair to look at that skin deep down to see if I can see any. Sometimes I don't see the actual live flea itself, but I can see some evidence that they've been there in terms of what we call flea dirt, which is flea poop. As gross as it sounds, that's what it is, the fecal material of the flea that they leave behind while they're on your pet.

There are some more homeopathic and quote-unquote natural remedies out there. The question is how effective they're going to be, and it depends on what kind of situation you're in. And again, I'm going to always recommend a prescription product for your pet because I think that will offer the best protection.

No. Fleas’ primary source is food, and that's what they're looking for, and that's how they view your pet, is as a food source, and so they're not going to go away, and they're not going to resolve because they like the free meal.

There is a vaccine for Lyme disease that is available that we even carry here in the clinic that we can administer to your pet, but they haven't done a ton of development on some of those other diseases that are transmitted out there.

I would highly recommend it year-round. We don't see cold enough winters here for really anything to die off. And so we see them on your pets year-round here in the clinic, and so I would strongly recommend you keep them on prevention year-round.

So, that's an excellent conversation to have with your veterinarian. If your dog struggles to eat an oral product, or maybe they're picky, then perhaps a topical is the way to go. Perhaps you're looking for just flea and tick prevention, and you're not looking for anything for heartworm or intestinal parasites, and they can help you find a product there.