How To Say Farewell to Fleas
An eighth of an inch. That’s about as big as a flea can get. How could something so small cause such a big problem for so long?
These little parasites are persistent, for one thing. In fact, according to scientists, fleas have been around for millions and millions of years. And for a long time, flea control was a difficult challenge. Until recently, all of the products that were available had problems with key issues like safety, efficacy, and/or convenience. For years, our pets continued to be bugged by the itchiness, irritation, and other, more serious problems caused by these pesky pests without any real answer in sight.
Thankfully, those days are over. Today, your veterinarian can recommend many products that can safely and effectively protect your pet from fleas and prevent this problem from getting under your skin.
The most important thing an owner can do to protect a pet against fleas is to prevent them, says Dr. Michael Dryden, professor of veterinary parasitology at Kansas State University and one of the leading experts on fleas. “By the time an owner notices fleas, it is essentially too late for the animal. The flea life cycle is already occurring, and infestation and disease are already there.” To understand why this is true, it’s important to understand a little bit about fleas and their life cycle.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
It should be obvious if your precious pet has fleas, right? Unfortunately, not always. Even if you’re the most attentive pet owner and you’ve never seen a flea on your pet, your house could be harboring a substantial flea problem.
Fleas are not that easy to spot on a pet. Not only are they tiny, they are also usually very well hidden by the haircoat of most animals. So unless you’re actively looking for them, you might not even know they’re feeding on your favorite four-legged friend. A telltale sign that might be more obvious is “flea dirt.” These tiny dark specks you see on bedding or carpets are actually the flea’s feces containing digested blood. If you see what you suspect is flea dirt but you’re not sure, put the specks on a piece of white cloth or paper and then wet it ... If the specks turn red, you’ve hit flea dirt.
Because only fleas in the adult stage live off a host (namely, your dog or cat), this is probably the only stage of the flea life cycle you’re likely to encounter. However, adult fleas are just the tip of the iceberg. Within a few days of feeding, the adult female flea begins to lay eggs, as many as 40 to 50 a day to begin with. Within a few weeks or months, she can lay hundreds or even thousands of eggs. And that’s just one flea.
Because of these tremendous reproductive abilities, adults usually make up only 5% of the fleas in the environment, compared with the other 95% of the population in earlier stages. Untold numbers of these tiny eggs, larvae, and pupae (the cocoon stage) can be hiding out in the rugs, carpets, furniture, and bedding throughout your house.
THE FAD FACTS
Once they get to be adults, fleas need to find a host to feed off of. And that’s where the problem often starts for pets. “When fleas consume blood, they inject salivary proteins into the bite area,” Dr. Dryden explains. Some pets have a severe allergy to the flea saliva. After being bitten, these pets will experience a prolonged reaction that causes them to be intensely itchy several days. Flea allergy can strike any dog or cat and can lead to flea allergy dermatitis (abbreviated as FAD), a common skin disease of pets.
How can you know if your pet has a flea allergy? The number one sign is scratching. If you have a dog, you may notice that it seems to be biting, scratching, and/or rubbing—a lot— around the tail, back legs, and the abdomen. If your cat has a flea allergy, other areas of its body, particularly the head and neck, may be affected as well. And, while cats are notorious for keeping themselves fastidiously clean, if your feline friend can’t seem to stop grooming, this can be another sign that she has a flea allergy. As this intense itching associated with flea allergy persists, it can lead to full blown case of FAD, typically characterized by skin irritation, hair loss, and open sores that leave the skin vulnerable to infection.
Flea allergy can make an animal miserable. If your dog or cat is diagnosed with this problem, eliminating fleas and then making sure they stay away from your pet permanently is absolutely essential.
The problems that fleas cause can go more than skin deep, too. Fleas are often themselves infected with tapeworms. If a dog or cat ingests an infected flea, the tapeworms will be released inside the body of the pet and go on to infect its new larger host. This means that if your pet has tapeworms, he almost certainly has a flea problem as well. Fleas are also suspected as being one of the main culprits in the transmission of cat scratch disease to people.
IT’S ALWAYS FLEA SEASON
With the return of warmer weather comes “flea season,” a time where flea populations rise dramatically in many areas of the United States. However, this is not the only time you need to worry about flea control. It’s important to remember that fleas have been found in all 50 states and they can be a persistent threat to your pet indoors. No matter where you live, conditions inside most homes are perfect for fleas to thrive and multiply, even in the dead of winter. And once fleas get their foot inside your door, it can be a challenge to get rid of these unwelcome guests.
The bottom line is that it is essential that all pets—even those that stay strictly indoors—need protection against fleas, and they need it year-round. What Dr. Dryden recommends for pet owners now is preventive treatment. As he puts it, “Why should we let animals suffer from flea infestations year to year? Dogs and cats should be on a year-round, life-long preventive treatment regimen.”
The good news is that there are now many excellent flea control products available. It’s easier than ever to protect your pet and your household from being taken over by these pests. In addition to being safe and effective, many of these products are specially designed to be convenient for owners struggling to keep up with the pace of today’s busy lifestyle.
But with so many choices, how can you know which one is right for you and your pet? Not all flea control products are equal; they work in different ways, and some work much better than others. That’s why it’s so important that you talk with your veterinarian. In fact, the best products on the market can only be obtained at your veterinary clinic. Several of these products need only be used once a month, making it extremely easy to fit into even the busiest schedule.
As Dr. Dryden sums it up, “With the safety and ease of the products currently available to consumers, the most important thing is not which of the many effective products you and your veterinarian choose, it’s getting your pet started on a preventive regimen.” Together, you and your veterinarian can develop a flea control program that’s best for your pet, your household, and your lifestyle.
DON’T TAKE FLEA PROBLEMS LYING DOWN
Many of us share our bed with our prized pets. If you have not yet started your pet on a flea control program, should you be worried about fleas biting you? While fleas can and do bite people, a flea will choose a meal from a cat or dog before he’ll view you as a more tempting entrée. As a concerned pet owner, though, you need to get hopping on those flea control measures to make sure your pet stops serving as flea bait.
While there are some illnesses associated with fleas, you shouldn’t worry too much about catching a flea-related disease from your pet. According to Dr. Dryden, “With all of the problems that fleas cause, disease transmission to people is generally not an issue.” However, he does point out that for individuals whose immune system is impaired, the threat of contracting disorders like cat scratch disease should be taken much more seriously. If you have any questions or concerns regarding specific risks to you or your family members, be sure to discuss them with the two individuals who can advise you best on this topic, namely, your veterinarian and your own personal health care provider.