I found a reddish-brown bug on my puppy. Is it a flea or a tick?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without seeing Bambi I can't tell you sure sure. Fleas a very small, black in color, and very fast. They leave behind brown flecks that when rubbed under water turn reddish-brown. If you see these flecks, he has fleas, even if you can't see the fleas. Ticks are much larger and slower. They have several legs and they typically stay attached to the skin. If you are concerned, talk to your vet about a flea and tick prevention that you give every 30 days. Good luck and kisses to Bambi!

Check out this link to see what a tick looks like: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn3-www.dogtime.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F03%2Ftick-on-dog.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fdogtime.com%2Fdog-health%2Fgeneral%2F4991-find-remove-ticks&docid=ZcXBWDdNh5YVRM&tbnid=EkueEVIiyz0URM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwiftZaul4nkAhWKs48KHVh6CFMQMwh8KAEwAQ..i&w=680&h=464&client=safari&bih=708&biw=1440&q=tick%20on%20dog&ved=0ahUKEwiftZaul4nkAhWKs48KHVh6CFMQMwh8KAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

I can't really tell from the picture what it is. If you dog isn't on a flea or tick preventative, that could be part of the issue. Skin infection, sebaceous cyst, or other masses would be possible, as well. I would wait and see what happens. You can get her started on a flea preventative, and use a medicated shampoo like Dechra MalAcetic Ultra Shampoo for mild skin infections.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It’s hard to see the bug in your picture. It is likely fleas. I would start a flea medication. I like the oral ones like Nexgard, Simparica or Bravecto and I also like the Setesto collar which lasts 8 months. With these you can bathe him as well. With the topical medications you can’t bathe until 2 days after application. And personally I do not think they work as well. I hope this helps!

I wouldn't recommend anything else specific as long as you don't see any other bugs. If you see more or if you look at the base of Cosmo's tail and along his back and see little black flecks of dirt in his fur that could be flea dirt (the feces that fleas leave behind) then I'd recommend talking to your vet about a different flea preventative. In some areas there is resistance to topical flea medication.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to see the skin in your pictures but it looks like a rash or comedones. If the reddish black things on her skin flakes off or are loose, wet them on a white tissue. If they melt away to a red streak that is flea poop. Flea dips and shampoos are NOT preventatives for fleas and the fleas that hatch on the carpet will jump right back on the pet. Fleas do not lay eggs on the pet but on the carpet. Bed bugs do not live on animals. I recommend a flea preventative like oral Nexgard, Simparica, Bravecto or topical Advantix ii or the Seresto collar. If there are no live fleas or flea dirt then she likely has a secondary skin infection or rash from an allergic reaction the the fleas. I would have her seen by your Vet so she can be provided relief. Also it looks like she has a paw infection which could be from environmental or food allergies. Good luck!

Ticks can cause infection if their mouth is left behind when removed, this causes a local reaction. There are also some tick bourne diseases that ticks carry, but hese are quite rare. I recommend using a product such as frontline or nexgaurd or advocate to protect against ticks. And use a special tick remober to disattach any on the dog.