Fleas and their Control

 Fleas are a common parasite of most domestic animals and most pet owners will have to deal with them at some time. Fleas prefer a clean healthy animal in a warm environment and so it is no surprise that our well looked after pets in our centrally heated houses fall victim to these parasites on a frequent basis.

Adult fleas live on our pets sucking blood for food. The female flea can take fifteen times its body weight of blood from your pet to fuel a prolific egg production which can amount to two thousand eggs per female flea. Contrary to popular belief the adult flea can live up to two years if it is not groomed out or killed with a flea product.

The eggs fall out of your pet's coat and tend to end up where your pet rests and sleeps. The hatching larvae, which looks like a tiny maggot, feed on the dark flea droppings and discarded skin scales again from you pet. The larvae pupates after a couple of weeks or so and as a pupa can survive for a long time if conditions are not favourable for a hatch. Vibration, warmth and an increase in carbon dioxide, all features of an animal nearby, act as the stimuli for the flea to hatch and the young adult is able to locate the host's body through infra red vision and jumps on and the cycle is complete. Under optimal conditions the lifecycle can be over in as little as three weeks. It is the new hatching fleas that can quickly lead to a flea "explosion" with distressed and itchy pets and with family members getting bitten by fleas mistaking us for the dog or cat.

Many cats and dogs tolerate a few fleas with no apparent distress but that flea explosion may be just a few weeks away! Some animals are however very sensitive to the flea saliva and will show an exaggerated itching or licking response even to a single flea bite. This can cause quite severe dermatitis and necessitate a visit to us. In some cases the blood loss associated with a heavy burden causes anaemia which can prove fatal in the very young or debilitated animal.

Take a flea or "nit" comb and comb your pet. You may see an adult flea but they are pretty quick and tend to jump back into the coat before you see them. However the droppings are the giveaway. They look like dark red or black bits of grit. If in doubt whether this is flea droppings or just dirt, take one or two pieces and put on a piece of kitchen towel or on the clear edge of a newspaper. Wet your finger and rub the pieces and then hold the paper up to the light. If the pieces have disintegrated leaving orange or red streaks on the paper, your pet has fleas!

Don't worry or panic. Fleas are a common problem and there is no need to be embarrassed about them.

Getting rid of fleas is fortunately usually fairly straightforward if the right products are purchased and used correctly. Most of the newer and most effective products are handled only by veterinary surgeons, which allows them to be used under proper supervision. There are numerous powders, sprays and potions out there in the shops, garages and garden centres. Most are based on older ingredients with disappointing effectiveness and remember not only have you lost your purchase price if the product fails but the number of fleas can rise alarmingly as second and third generations fleas hatch out. Often the cat or dog with a few fleas becomes a dermatitis patient with discomfort and irritation if flea control is unsuccessful at that initial stage.

All of us at Oak Tree Veterinary Centre are able to help with flea control advice and for registered clients with animals under our care. It is not usually necessary for us to re examine your pet unless he or she has dermatitis, as well as flea infestation.