How can I tell if my mini pinscher is suffering from fleas or some sort of mite?  She has small spots on her body. 

Dog Question: I am currently unemployed so taking my dog to the vet is not possible.  How can I tell if my mini pinscher is suffering from fleas or some sort of mite?  She has small spots (increasingly) on her body that have hair missing and what looks like dry crusted scab or skin.  The hair around her bum is thinning quickly. She is known for obsessively cleaning herself under normal circumstances.  I could take a picture of her, if you would allow and send an email address. Thank you for your kind help.

Hi Rachel,

One way to tell is to comb where the scabs are and to wet them on a white paper towel and if it turns red, then that means it is fleas.

Odds are that it is fleas and I would treat for that. 

Fleas leave little black specs and you can sometimes see them with your eyes.

Check out Google Images, for "dog demodex"  dog the lesions resemble any of those pictures?