The sand in his fur that you felt was what experts call the "flea dirt". "Flea dirt" looks like dirt or pepper on the skin of the dog. It is actually the faeces of the fleas and also consists of digested blood. To confirm that it is indeed a flea attack, spread these on a wet tissue paper and you will see blood spreading out, then it is indeed a flea attack
They are dark copper colored about the size of a pin head, they don’t have wings but have very strong back legs which they use to jump from one organism to another. Their bites can cause itching and skin allergies and also blood loss.
What causes Fleas
Fleas have a big life circle, adult fleas may lay hundreds of eggs in places where the pets often visit, such as carpets, yards and bedding. They are in a cocoon form to withstand the external environment but when they come in contact with a warm body, they break their cocoon and attach themselves to body of the pet.
Some precaution that you can take are : to wash their beds with warm water, and vacuum your carpets properly, Steam cleaning may also prove to be effective in killing the larvae.
The chemicals that can be used are Methoprene , which is a growth regulator and kills larvae. Pyriproxifen, is more stable in sunlight and lasts longer outdoors than Methoprene.
And please don’t use Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) because it has been banned by EPA
I hope this helps you, your feedback is most welcome
