Fleas
Fleas are very tough insects that feed on an animal’s blood and live on the surface of
the skin. Fleas can be very hard insects to get control of since they will inhabit not only
the pet but also the environment that the pet comes in contact with. For this reason it is
very important to treat all areas that your pet comes in contact with. It is important to
note that the adult fleas seen on your pet only represent about 10% of the total flea
population. A flea’s lifecycle has 4 stages the first being eggs these eggs are not sticky
and roll off the pet into the environment nestling in corners and crevices of furniture not
to mention in carpet fibers. These eggs then hatch into larvae that crawl around till the
are ready for their next stage. This final stage before becoming an adult flea represents
the tenacity of these little insects. When the larval stage in complete they wind
themselves into what appears to be a little cocoon this in the pupa. While they are in
this cocoon they are protected from not only the weather but also all pesticides used to
kill them. Another advantage of the pupa is that fleas can say in these safe harbors up
to a year, waiting until conditions are right to hatch into adults.
Seeing fleas on the pet often diagnose fleas however there is other evidence that lets
us know fleas are present. The clue easiest to read being flea "dirt". Flea dirt is actually
flea feces. It often appears as black sandy grit on the surface of the pet’s skin especially
over the tail and lower back region of pets. Flea dirt will form a red coloring when wetted
and rub gently with a white cloth since this is flea feces and fleas feed on blood. Another
clue can be the presence of tapeworm around the animal’s rear end or in the stool.
Fleas are one of the main causes of tapeworm.
Fleas can cause a variety of health concerns for both cats and dogs. The first and most
noticeable health issue is often flea allergic dermatitis, this is what causes the pets to
become itchy. Generally, fleas themselves do not make pets extremely itchy it is a
reaction to the flea’s saliva that is often the culprit in these situations. Flea allergic
dermatitis can cause red itchy skin along with thinning of hair for our pets. Another
problem is flea anemia this is where the fleas are feeding on the animals’ blood faster
than it can be reproduced. This can be fatal especially in young pets. In our feline
homes there are some other conditions caused by fleas. The first is feline infectious
anemia. This is an anemia caused by a blood parasite from the flea and can be life
threatening to the cat. The other is cat scratch fever. This is a disease that usually does
not cause any harm to the infected cat however can have very serious implications to
the humans the cat comes in contact with.
Treating a flea infestation is much harder than preventing fleas. Although, many of the
flea products we carry will kill the flea population living on the pet it will do nothing for
the surrounding environment. If the flea problem is located outdoors there are many
different lawn treatments that are approved for fleas. It is important to know that if a pet
with fleas has been in your home there are developing stages of fleas that were left
there and they need to be addressed. If you need tips on dealing with a flea problem
with in the home please read the handout “Treating your home for fleas”.
There are tons of flea preventions on the market so here we will be discussing the
products we recommend. Advantage Multi is a topical flea prevention that lasts one
month. It is a product for both cats and dogs that contains the active ingredient
imidacloprid along with moxidectin used for heartworm prevention. Advantage Multi kills
fleas along with preventing heartworm, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms in
dogs. It is also used to treat ear mites in cats. The way this product works is by affecting
the central nervous system of the flea prohibiting them from biting prior to killing the flea.
The next product is K9 Advantix. This is for use on DOGS ONLY! K9 Advantix is also
applied topically to prevent fleas for up to one month. This product contains the active
ingredient is the imidacloprid for the fleas along with promethrin to control ticks. This
product both kills and repels fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. This is the product that is
usually recommended when there is a tick problem around the dog’s home.
Along with all of these topical options there is also a oral option called Comfortis.
Comfortis is a pill given to dogs that kills fleas and lasts one month. The active
ingredient in this mediation is called spinosad, which targets a flea’s nervous system
causing paralysis and rapid death of the flea. This product although toxic to the flea is
safe for most dogs at the labeled dose. The benefit of this medication is that it can not
be washed off with either shampoo or frequent swimming. It is also a better option for
many pets with skin issues. Comfortis only protects against fleas but does do an
excellent job at it.
As with all flea preventions it is important to check with you veterinarian to see which
option will work best for not only your pet but also with your living environment. All of
these medications can have some interactions with certain medications or medical
conditions so please check first to make sure it is a good fit for your pet.
Many years ago the ideal treatment for fleas on your dog was dips, a flea bath or a flea
collar. Although these products may still work in some instances it is important to look at
both the efficacy and safety of these products. Although dips and baths are usually safe
when used properly the effect only lasts as long as the shampoo is on the pet. This
causes a problem due to the fact that once the pet is back in the environment the fleas
can just jump back on and start reproducing with the same frenzy as before. The
products we carry are not a magic bubble and pets can pick up fleas again if the
environmental issues are not addressed but with much less fervor than before. Now flea
collars are another story they can cause some toxicity issues but for the most part are
very ineffective. First, the collar must be applied in contact with the dogs skin to do any
good at all and many people are not comfortable placing something that tight around
their pets neck. The other problem is that often, the fleas just go to the dog’s rear end
where the chemicals from the collar can not effect them. For this reason many of the
new flea products have been introduced to try and not only make our pets more
comfortable but to also decrease the chance for illness caused by the flea in a much
safer way to both our pets and the humans around our pets.