If you have a pet of any kind whether it be a cat or a dog it is likely that you have had exposure to fleas. They are prevalent in our pets that is why there is so much emphasis on flea control. Even though you may you may have seen fleas, how much do you really know about them? Here are a few facts about fleas you may or may not know.
Just because you don’t see fleas on your pets doesn’t mean they don’t exist
Fleas are like “ninjas”, they can move very quickly. So as you are parting your pets hair looking for these creatures, they are adept of avoiding detection. If you can detect fleas on your pet, it is because there is a fair amount present. So the best way to rule out fleas is thoroughly comb the fur with a flea comb.
They like to congregate near the tail and back area.
If you are looking for fleas the best area to look is the back and base of the tail. Fleas congregate toward that area because it seems like it has the most blood supply to feed these blood suckers. This is also why over-the-counter flea collars are not that helpful in preventing fleas since fleas tend not to be near the neck, anyway.
Fleas can cause tapeworms in pets
This is a surprise for most people. All of a sudden you may see rice like worms around your pet’s rectum and in their fur and they are wondering where these are coming from. Well fleas act like intermediate hosts for dog and cat tapeworms. This means development of tapeworms have occur inside the fleas. Tapeworms cannot complete their development until the flea is swallowed by your pet and then the egg is released inside your pets intestines. This is where they develop into proglottids or worm like sacs that carry eggs.
Fleas are one of the common causes of skin allergies in pets
When pets are scratching, losing their fur, or having scaling skin the first things people think about is allergies due to either food or environment. But if your pet is not on flea preventative, you should consider fleas as a cause. There are dogs allergic to the saliva of fleas so their skin overreacts to a flea bite. This will appear as hair loss with scaly, and red skin. A flea allergy is equivalent to us being bit by a mosquito and instead one bump coming up there are multiple bumps develop from one bite.
The life cycle of fleas in pets
There are four stages in the life cycle of a flea. These stages are important to know if you are going to treat fleas effectively in your pets. The first stage is the egg. An adult flea can lay hundreds of eggs which can fall off of your pet and remain in the environment. The next stage is the larvae stage. These larvae can look like tiny maggots. The following stage is the pupae or cocoon stage when the larvae develop. This stage is difficult to get rid of in the environment because the cocoon is sticky and loves to stick to carpet fibers so they are resistant to vacuuming, etc. Then the final stage is the adult flea which emerges from the cocoon. This stage can be stimulated when they detect your pet nearby.
Treatment options for fleas
You probably have asked what is the best way to treat fleas in your pet? Flea treatment has evolved over the years and therefore has become more effective. The best way depends on a few factors.
- How severe the infestation is.
- How easy it is to give the flea medication to your pet.
- What environment your pet stays in the most.
Flea shampoo has been the traditional way of treatment for years. The problem is that though it can kill fleas, the results are short lived. Also the idea of trying to bathe your pet can be challenging. Over-the-counter flea collars have also been traditionally used for many years. As I mentioned before they repel from the neck but fleas like to congregate near the tail base. So they are not the best for flea control.
Topical flea control is a great option for most dogs because the medicine is absorbed in the oil glands of the skin which allows for continuous release of the medicine. Also topical medication does not require that a flea bite the pet for it to take effect. Some challenges that occur with these medications are sometimes they are messy to apply. They can also lose their effectiveness with bathing with certain shampoos. But they are a great option for your difficult to pill pets
Oral flea medications. These are the newest form of flea control. These are effective because they take effect very quickly after being given. Some as quick as 2 hours to kill them. You don’t have to worry about bathing cause loss of effectiveness. They also have oral options that last as long as 3 months which can be convenient if you are forgetful. They can be a challenge to give to dogs that are hard to pill. Also this requires the flea to bite the pet to kill the flea.
Seresto Flea collar. This flea collar is different from traditional over-the-counter collars. It has ingredients that is absorbed along the hair shaft to the skin. It is one of the longer lasting flea preventatives providing protection for up to 8 months. Issues that may occur is if the collar comes off your pet loses the protection. Also the collar can lose it effectiveness if it gets wet.
Conclusion
As you can see knowledge is power when it comes to treating fleas. It is important that you understand your pet to determine what is the best way to treat them.