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Fleas |
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Damson House Veterinary Clinic |
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Fleas are a very common problem in dogs and cats
particularly in the summer and autumn months, although they can be found at
any time of year. How can I tell if my pet has fleas? Fleas
are small dark brown insects with a 'squashed sideways' appearance. It can be
quite difficult to spot adult fleas because they move so quickly through the
coat and some pets will groom so fastidiously that they will wash any
evidence of fleas away. Sometimes you can spot adult fleas if you part the
hair along the top of the animal particularly around the neck and rump. If
you don't see adult fleas, you may see flea droppings (small black
comma-shaped specks). If you comb these onto a piece of white paper and wet
them, they will turn red. Many animals are allergic to fleabites which means
that one flea biting anywhere on the animal causes a reaction over a large
area of its body which is very itchy; the animal may develop spots and lick,
chew or scratch at itself until it becomes sore. It is quite common never to
see the flea which first started the problem. What can I do about it? To treat your pet
adequately and protect it from a flea infestation, it is necessary to
understand a little bit about the life cycle of the flea: ADULT FLEAS may
live for 1-2 weeks, laying up to 500 eggs in this time, EGGS are laid on the
animal or in the environment and hatch into larvae. LARVAE develop through 3
stages and then pupate. PUPAE hatch into adult fleas under favorable
conditions, taking anything from 8-200 days. For what to use for effective control
of fleas click on
Flea Treatments Please note that: 1) A large part of the
flea's life cycle is spent off the animal in the environment, which usually
means in your home. Especially important are places such as around the
skirting boards and under radiators. It is therefore very important to treat
the environment as well as the animal. 2)
The time it takes for the flea to finish its life cycle depends on the
environmental temperature. Only at very hot, humid times of year does the
flea develop out of doors. At other times it is possible to completely
eradicate fleas by treating the pet and your home. 3) Many pets are allergic to flea saliva and so in
these cases, it is important to try and ensure that not even one flea bites
the pet. This is possible with thorough treatment. 4) Fleas can carry tapeworms which can be passed on
to your pet if he swallows an infected flea whilst grooming. It is advisable
to treat your pet for tapeworms at the same time as treating for fleas. |
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Damson House Veterinary Clinic 82 Damson Lane, Solihull, West Midlands. B92 9JP Tel.
0121 711 3775 |
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Services |
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Treatments |