Are the dark spots around my dog's private area a sign of flea dirt?

Hello. Fleas would be moving, & moving very quickly, so no apparent fleas in either picture. To tell if you have flea dirt ( which is actually flea feces ), drop some of the debris on a damp paper towel. If it is flea dirt, then a reddish brown to rust color will leach from each spot. If the debris just sits there with nothing happening for several minutes, then it is just run of the mill dirt. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The best way to determine if the dark specs are 'dirt' versus 'flea dirt' is to collect the specs on a clean white paper towel and apply hydrogen peroxide. If it turns rusty colored, it likely flea dirt. Flea eggs are very small and you are not likely to see those with the naked eye. Also, the best place to look for fleas is on the lower back and between the hind legs on your dog. If you determine that you are seeing fleas or evidence of fleas, I would recommend talking to your veterinarian about switching flea products. Hope this helps.

Fleas live on the surface of the skin, and a live flea will definitely move if you try to touch it. A dead flea would be easy to pick up and remove from your dog's skin. It can be difficult to differentiate flea dirt from regular old dirt - if you comb some of the dirt and put it on a white paper towel and then wet it with water, flea dirt will turn red because it is digested blood. Flea eggs are too small to see without a microscope. A flea comb can make it easier to find both adult fleas and flea dirt - run the comb along your dog's back near the base of the tail since this is typically where fleas like to hang out. Also, if your dog is not on a flea preventative I'd recommend talking to your veterinarian about recommendations.

Hi there, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The dark substance appears from your photos to be sebum (skin oil) mixed with dirt, though it is difficult to say for sure without a hands-on exam. Around these lesions, I can see skin inflammation. It would be best for him to see a veterinarian, but if you're unable to take Justice to a vet, you will need to clip the hair using electric trimmers. Be careful to avoid causing skin abrasions. This will allow a better look at the lesions underneath as well as facilitate topical treatment. A good antiseptic is a spray called Vetericyn, available on Amazon.com and at some pet stores. Here is the Amazon link: Vetericyn Plus All Animal Wound

Hello, this dirt you are noticing may be evidence of salivary staining. This is a result of Muñeca licking at herself due to being itchy. She may be itchy because of allergies especially around her abdomen and lower half. Other potential causes for this debris may be flea dirt. Ensure she is on monthly flea control and you can wipe the affected areas daily with skin sensitive baby wipes. If this does not improve the areas then Muñeca should be seen by a veterinarian to rule out other causes for this debris such as a skin infection or yeast infection. Best of luck and hope this helps.

The way to know if Jake has flea dirt is to comb some of these specs of dirt onto a paper towel. Put a drop of water on one of the flecks, and if the paper towel underneath has a reddish stain, then it is flea dirt (flea poop contains water). If you don't see a reddish stain, then it's just dirt. I hope this helps :-)

Yes, it would have been an obviously color change, and you are correct that since your dog was already wet when you took the dirt off of him, it would have had a reddish tint then and not be stark black. Rest assured it was good old regular dirt.