An infestation of fleas is one of the most irritating problems that pets and their owners have to deal with. Fleas are obstinate parasites that reproduce extremely quickly therefore are very difficult to combat. You can find information about fleas right here, how to prevent an infestation of fleas and how you can treat your dog or cat if fleas affect it.
- What is a flea?
- Life cycle
- Lifestyle
- Flea season
- Flea infestations
- Flea treatments
- Tips
- Useful links
What is a flea?
A flea is a parasite that lives on or near your dog or cat and feeds on the blood of this 'host'. A flea is an insect that measures 1-3 mm in length. All fleas have a special physical build with very strong hind legs that enable them to jump a great distance. In Europe, the most common kinds are dog and cat fleas. Despite their names, both varieties can appear on dogs as well as on cats.
Life cycle
Fleas are insects and as such, they develop through different stages in their life cycles. Female adult fleas lay up to 50 eggs a day. After 1-2 days, the larvae hatch from the egg (though this may take a little longer in cooler months). After two or three weeks, the larva produces a pupa (cocoon) within which the larva will change into an adult flea. When the flea is ready to leave the cocoon, it waits until a suitable host comes by and then jumps out of the cocoon onto this host. The host may be a dog, a cat or even a human being. Adult fleas only live for a few weeks, while the pupae can live for two years, depending on the temperature and amount of moisture in the air.
Lifestyle
An adult female flea will live in your dog or cat's fur. It sucks blood until it is full and then, after satisfying its hunger, it lays up to 50 eggs per day. These eggs are smooth, microscopic in size and can very easily fall from your pet's coat and be spread through the whole house by your pet, or via clothing and on shoes. This means that often eggs can be carried via clothing and shoes into other peoples' homes and could infect their pet.
Once in the carpet, an egg will hatch into a larva. These larvae will tend to migrate to dark corners of the room such as under furniture or at the very edges of the skirting board as they do not like light. After the larvae feed on matter such as dust, tapeworm eggs and skin particles, they pupate and form a cocoon. In the cocoon, the larvae change into adults, when they are ready to hatch; they await a suitable host, like a cat, dog or human and then pounce to feed on their host as once they come out of the cocoon, they must feed within 24 hours.
Pets do not catch fleas from being in contact with other animals. Contrary to common belief, a flea never jumps from animal to animal, or from an animal onto a human being - it's the hatching eggs that are the source of the infestation.
Flea season
Your pet is most likely to be troubled by fleas in the spring and summer. A flea infestation often reaches its peak in the spring, because most pet owners don't make so much of an effort to combat fleas in the winter, however, with the introduction of central heating in most homes, fleas have lovely and cosy conditions to feed and reproduce throughout the winter. So a word of advice: protect your dog or cat from fleas all year round!
Flea infestations
A dog or cat usually acquires fleas if it goes outdoors and is 'jumped on' by fleas emerging from their cocoons. Once inside the home, fleas reproduce very quickly. Owners can introduce fleas into their home too. This may happen if flea eggs inadvertently attach to clothes or shoes and are carried through the home.
Signs of flea infestation:
-
Your pet is itchy and scratches, bites, rubs or licks its skin or coat a lot.
- Sometimes you may see spots that are already bare, with small wounds.
- Some dogs and cats react very strongly to fleabites. They develop an allergic reaction, become ill and are troubled a lot by itching. Ultimately, this can lead to loss of hair and to skin inflammation.
- Fleas are difficult to see, but you may catch the small insects crawling or jumping around on your pet's fur. Fleas are small, flat and a reddish dark brown.
- You see tiny black balls in your pet's fur. This may be flea excrement.
Fleas may only cause a small amount of irritation to your pet, but if your dog or cat is bitten a lot (especially if it is a young puppy or kitten), this can lead to serious anaemia. Fleas can also transmit tapeworm infections. One of the most common skin conditions seen by vets is allergy to flea saliva, also called FAD. This allergy can cause a tremendous amount of irritation and discomfort. Often this inflammation will cause cats and dogs to lick themselves repeatedly, often making their coat sparse. In rare cases an animal may swallow so much hair that it may acquire stomach problems.
These are all reasons why a responsible pet owner must deal effectively with fleas.
Flea treatments
The fleas that you find living in your pet's fur or coat only accounts for five percent of the infestation that is affecting your dog or cat. The other 95 percent of the infestation consists of 'invisible' eggs, larvae and pupae of the flea. This is the main reason why fleas are so difficult to deal with.
In order to treat your cat or dog for fleas, it is very important to bear in mind these 'invisible' factors. The treatment must therefore focus on three points:
- Killing the fleas living on your pet
- Exterminating the 'invisible' elements: the flea eggs, larvae and pupae
- Preventing reinfestation
You can considerably reduce the chance of flea infestations by regularly using flea prevention products. There are products specially developed to control existing flea infestations effectively in dogs and cats, while preventing an infestation from returning.
Go to your vet to find out more information and advice about preventing flea infestations and the health and well-being of your pet.
Tips
- If you see that itches are troubling your pet, inform your vet.
- Check your pet regularly for fleas throughout the year whilst grooming or arrange to have a health check with your vet. This will help avoid large-scale outbreaks of flea infestations.
- Ask your vet for advice about preventing fleas.
Useful links
www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/waspstings.htmwww.provet.co.uk
