Fleas can be diagnosed on your pet by finding the adult fleas, the flea dirt, or flea eggs on the skin. These can be seen most easily on the rump and the thinly-haired belly. Flea dirt is actually flea feces from digested blood. It looks black, but will appear red brown when smeared on a white paper. Flea eggs look like tiny white sand grains.
Adult fleas are small, brown and wingless, a little larger than the size of a pinhead.
They move fast and can leap great distances. To effectively eliminate fleas from your pet and your environment, you must disrupt the life cycle of the flea. To control fleas, you must control this reservoir of developing fleas as well as the adults. The best products currently, available from your veterinarian include flea shampoos, dips, sprays, and powder to control the adult fleas on your pets. Newer products can be used on your dogs and cats monthly to control both adult and immature fleas.