Pets Have Fleas So How Do You Treat Them?

Pets do get fleas and not just the mucky ones; I have to tell people this quite often who come into my pet shop. Many people claim their pets don't need flea products because their animals have never been infected. Just the other day I noticed my dog was scratching a bit more than usual and when I checked her coat I discovered that "yes" she had them.

Adult fleas treats your pet as a food source, they jump on to feed but don't stay there, the rest of its life is spent in the local environment, i.e. your carpets, rugs and furniture, here it will lay it's eggs, 'thousands of them'. These eggs then hatch into larvae and find their way into any dark, warm spaces. From here they turn into pupae, which then hatch into an adult flea. This can take a matter of just days, or the pupae can remain dormant for many months, allowing the fleas to survive the winter outside. This is why, when your pets have fleas, it is so important to treat the house as well. In fact only 5% of the total flea population is the adult flea, the other 95% are the eggs, larvae and pupae of the next generation.

Fleas survive by sucking blood from your pet. In fact, they much prefer pets to people, so even if you are not being bitten, does not mean you don't have a problem! If you are getting bites, it is likely you have a large infestation and the fleas are feeding on you in desperation. This is why it is so important to regularly check and treat your pets for fleas. You don't often see live fleas on a pet (and if you do, again the infestation is likely to be heavy) but you can spot flea dirt. This looks like flecks of black soil but will readily turn red when combed from the fur and dampened on a piece of paper. Other signs include excessive scratching (in dogs) or grooming (in cats), small scabs appearing on the back or tail base and sore skin. Fleas are by far the most common cause of skin irritations in animals and should always be treated for in any dermatological problems, whether they have been seen or not.

There are various ways of protecting your pet against fleas and the most convenient and effective are spot on products. The best don't go into the animal's blood stream but stay in the skin, where they will kill fleas before they can feed. These types of product are particularly useful for animals that are allergic. With some pets even a single bite can start a bad reaction resulting in further treatment being needed. Some spot-on products will also help treat the local environment and prevent any of the larvae from developing in areas where the pet resides. These types of product are available from either your vet, on-line pharmacies or pet shops. With treating smaller animals or young ones, flea sprays or powder are best, as they allow very accurate dosing and are very safe. You may also find it beneficial to bathe the animal using a flea shampoo. Tablets are also available for pets who will take them, and who are not allergic to flea bites, with these the insect needs to bite its host before it is killed.

Remember, treating your pets is not the whole solution, you need to treat the large amount of eggs, larvae and pupae in the local environment? So you can see why it is equally important to treat your home. Use a good quality household flea spray from your local pet shop or vet. When treating the home put your heating on as this will help encourage the fleas to hatch, and so killing them with the chemical spray you are using. Do not vacuum after treating an area; leave it for at least a week, as the fleas will continue to hatch. You may have to use several treatments to rid the area of them completely. To monitor the area you can put down flea traps, these consist of a light over a plastic dish with a sticky pad in, the fleas are attracted to the light mistaking its warmth for body heat and as the fleas are trapped on the sticky pad you can easily see if the infestation is under control.

If your pet is regularly protected with spot on or other products against fleas, then a large home infestation is less likely. In order to breed a female flea must feed on a victim, a blood meal is what she needs and if she bites a protected pet she will die before she can do so.

Fleas are undoubtedly the most common pest in domestic pets and can cause problems from mild skin irritations through to very nasty skin infections. Protecting the animal with the aforementioned flea products of course easily prevents them and so ensuring they will not breed in your home.

On a final note if you are really struggling to get rid of these unwanted visitors to your home, consider calling in a professional pest controller. They will have access to a large variety of different treatments some of which are not readily available otherwise. You will of course still need to visit your local pet shop for the treatment for your pet.

c Gordon Bloomfield 2010 http://www.allpet.co.uk

Fleas and Your Pets

Perhaps you've seen your dog our cat stop what it's doing to scratch behind its ear, nibble at its stomach, or rub along its back. For that matter, your pet probably likes it when you tickle under its chin or scratch around its neck. Although it is perfectly natural to feel a little itch every now and then, an attack from fleas can cause extreme itchiness and health problems in your dogs and cats.

Fleas are tiny wingless insects that are about 1/8 of an inch long. They are dark brown to coppery colored pests that feed on the blood of your pets-or you, if you catch them from your pets. Fleas have powerful back legs that allow them to jump about 200 times their own body length onto their victims.

The flea life cycle depends on sucking blood from its host. First, an adult flea will leap onto your pet, where its specialized mouth parts allow it to pierce your animal's skin and drink its blood. Consuming blood is a hugely important part of a flea's life cycle because an adult flea must absorb blood before it can reproduce. Thus, after a meal off of your pet, a female will be able to lay its eggs in your pet's hair.

The eggs are laid in groups of about 20, and they typically roll off your pet onto the ground. After hatching two to fourteen days later, the larvae emerge. In this stage, the flea larvae feeds on organic ground matter. A week or two later, the larvae weaves a cocoon and stays in this pupal stage for another seven to fourteen days before leaving the cocoon as a fully adult flea, ready to start the cycle again.

When a flea jumps onto your pet, it usually wants to feed from the thin-skinned areas of your pet, such as the belly and inner thighs. However, fleas are perfectly capable of burrowing into the deep hair on your pet and can bite it all over. To some pets, fleas are merely an extreme nuisance. However, if the infestation is large enough or if your pet is hypersensitive to the flea saliva, your pet may scratch so much that it loses hair and develops an infection as it cuts into its own skin.

It is important to treat your pets for fleas because they are not only a nuisance to your dog or cat, but they can also jump to you and spread disease. For example, fleas spread bubonic plague by carrying the bacteria from infected rodents to humans. You can  use flea powders, liquid dips, and special shampoos to help you combat the fleas on the pets. Around your house, you can kill fleas by using sprays and foggers.

It is a good idea to pay attention to the health needs of your pets. Watch out for excessive scratching and rashes on your dogs and cats that can indicate the presence of fleas. Also, help keep your companion in tip-top shape by feeding it nutritious, 100% natural pet food. For more information on this delicious, 100% guaranteed source of nutrients, check out Flint River Ranch today.

Joseph Devine

Pet Fleas

Every cat or dog will be visited by fleas during their lifetime. They jump onto a host to feed on their blood and will mate here with the eggs dropping off into the environment. Eggs hatch after 2 to 14 days producing larvae which will feed on skin debris, flea droppings and other organic matter. They will pupate after approximately 1 week and remain in this state for approximately 10 days although this can vary depending on environmental conditions. The flea will then wait for a sign that a host is nearby before emerging to feed. Only 5% of the flea lifecycle is represented by adults the remaining 95% is made up of larvae and pupae living in the environment

There are many different types of flea with the most common being the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis. This does not just feed from cats as its name suggests but will parasitize dogs as well. It is not uncommon for people to be bitten by fleas and some experience a reaction to flea bites in the form of an itchy red spot often on the legs or ankles. Some pets develop flea allergy dermatitis where a single flea bite can set off an allergic reaction in the skin causing the animal to become intensely itchy and develop small lesions over their body. It is therefore very important in these individuals to keep up to date with an effective method of flea control.

Fleas don't just cause irritation they can carry and transmit diseases harmful to humans such as Bartonella henselae a bacteria which causes mild flu like symptom and Rickettsia species which are bacteria that can cause a fever and skin rash. Fleas can also be responsible for the transmission of a particular species of tapeworm so it is advisable to treat for worms if evidence of fleas is found on your pet.

Finding evidence of fleas Just because an adult flea has not been seen does not mean your pet does not have fleas. It is more common to see the evidence left behind than the adult flea itself. You are looking for small black specks in the coat which turn red brown colour when placed on white paper and dampened with water. The red brown colour suggests the presence of digested blood which is the main component of flea droppings. If the black speck turns grey then this is probably dirt picked up in the garden. The presence of flea dirt in the coat indicates a need to treat for fleas before the population in the environment increases to large numbers.

Treating for fleas There are a large number of products available which either kill fleas or prevent them breeding.

Shampoos Generally only effective whilst on the animal. Tend not to offer sufficient lasting protection and will not kill the life stages in the environment.

Sprays Effectiveness is determined by what they contain. The person applying the treatment is often at risk from inhaling the spray and so safety precautions should be taken. These can often be difficult to apply if the pet is uncooperative. They are not effective against life stages in the environment.

Spot on Treatments A large range is available and their effectiveness is determined by what the treatment is made up of. Prescription treatments available from veterinary surgeons can be effective against the life stages in the environment and should always be used in cases of heavy flea infestations or animals with allergies.

Collars Often rely on the flea coming into close proximity to the collar to get a dose. Does not kill life stages in the environment.

Tablets Are often effective for as long as the components of the tablet are in the body. After 24 hours the liver and kidneys may have broken down and excreted the active ingredients of some preparations so protection can be short lived. Has no effect on the life stages in the environment and pets can be easily reinfested. Can be useful when moving a pet into a new environment where no fleas are present to prevent the pet bringing fleas with them.

Injection Only available for cats from veterinary surgeons. Does not kill fleas but prevents them from breeding for up to 6 months. Can safely be used at the same time as other flea preparations and prevents the build up of life stages in the environment. Also available in an oral form.

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This article was submitted by Ruth Osborne of Ardent Pets - http://www.ardentpets.co.uk - Ardent Pets is an online store that has a brilliant range of exciting, unusual & interesting pet supplies, accessories and gifts for all kinds of pets. From dogs, cats and small animals to birds, fish and reptiles we have them all catered for at fantastically low prices.

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