Imagine a welcomed visit from an old acquaintance and their much loved “Fido”.
You spend the day reminiscing about the old days and catching up on old times.
Your “Spot” and their “Fido” hit it off marvelously. They scamper and play the
day away as if they too were old chums. But when the day is done, “Spot” has an
un-welcomed reminder of the day. You notice him chewing and scratching
feverishly. He fidgets in his favorite pet bed. He is restless through the
night. In the coming days he begins to develop bare spots and sores. What
could it be? Is he allergic to his pet bed? Did he have a reaction to the
grass from romping the day away?
No.
It’s the ever dreaded flea infestation.
Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. You spend your time dutifully
keeping up with the responsibility of “Spot’s” flea prevention only to find that
those pesky little critters have snuck in through the back door. Though it is
best to take preventative measures to keep them out in the first place, once
they are in you must take action. And once they’ve begun breeding in the deep
dark recesses of your home, you’re in for a real battle. You think you’ve
beaten them. But they won’t go away. You’ve sprayed. You’ve medicated.
You’ve vacuumed. But they just keep coming back. Just what are these nasty
critters and how do you finally squash their stronghold on your home?
Flea Facts
Fleas
are present all over the world. Over 2000 varieties, in fact. In America there
are over 200 different types of fleas. 200!!! This will be no easy battle.
Fleas are capable of jumping from 14 to 16 inches and will bite humans as well
as your pet. Females can begin to lay eggs after just 48 hours of their first
blood meal. The most common in this vast array of minuscule nuisances are the
cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) and the dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis). The
most common parasite on your dog will actually be a CAT flea. Dog fleas are
commonly found in Europe, while cat fleas are very common to the U.S. Cat fleas
are not picky about who they feed on. Cat fleas can, in rare cases, carry
disease. Also, if ingested can cause tape worm. The cat flea has been found
to carry the plague and murine typhus to humans. They can be brought into your
home almost undetected to the untrained eye. They can attach to your clothing
or to your pet. They are found in yards, kennels, forests, parks, or an other
areas common to warm blooded animals. Why? Because this is where they can find
their hosts so they can reproduce. Did you know the female flea can lay up to
50 eggs a day? That means in approximately 9 months a female can cause up to a
trillion decendents!! And due to the 4 stage life cycle they are extremely
impervious to extermination tactics. So what can you do? How do you stop it?
How can I tell if I have
fleas?
The
first thing you need to do is look for flea feces. This will be small grains of
what appears to be dirt. If you take this ‘dirt’ and rub it between your
fingers with a small amount of water and it turns red you’ve found your proof.
This is because flea feces contains dried blood. The most common place to find
it is on “Spot’s” belly, his favorite bed or any area that your pet frequents.
This feces drops off and accumulates in recesses. Look closely and you will
find it hiding in the soft underfur of his coat or the deep dark recesses of his
pet bed. This is where the flea favors to lay its eggs because this is a warm
fertile area.
I have fleas, now what am I
up against?
Fleas
prefer higher temperatures and higher levels of carbon dioxide. Some eggs will
remain on your pet while others fall off, spreading the nuisance intruders
stronghold. These eggs will develop into the second stage of the cycle, a
larvae, which will feed on this flea feces. This small worm-like larvae will
most likely be deeply hidden from view. They are commonly found in the bottom
layer of carpeting, pet bedding, or under furniture where they will shed twice
before maturing. Here they lay and feed and grow undetected and undisturbed.
Before they are detected they become pupae. These develop within a silk-like
cocoon, this cocoon is extremely resilient. Inside this protective shell the
nuisance insects can live for up to 1 year without feeding. This shell can
protect the flea pupae from even some of the strongest flea defenses. This is
why just when you think you’ve eradicated the problem and you’re free of the
pests they seem to come back out of nowhere. They lay in wait for a host to
feed on. They are sensitive to vibrations. Once they sense a vibration they
emerge to feed and perpetuate the life cycle. The adult flea can develop and
mature in nearly 3 weeks and live the adult stage for approximately 25 days.
Now
that we know who we are up against, how do we get rid of them? DILIGENCE!
Getting Rid of Fleas
Several methods are
available. Lets start with “Spot”...
1.
Flea Collars: The old stand-by method. Available almost everywhere.
Moderately effective at keeping fleas off your pet and providing an unhealthy,
un-welcoming environment in your pets fur. Be careful as many have harsh and
potentially dangerous chemicals, and their placement around the neck can lead to
serious compromise of the nervous system if improperly used or mixed with other
toxic agents. Read package instructions for size and weight of your dog.
2.
Topical Treatments: My personal favorite. Available from your veterinarian
or at your local pet store. A few carefully placed drops between the shoulder
blades (to keep your pet from ingesting it) will protect “Spot” for quite a
while. Common medications include Frontline(R) and Advantage(R) brands.
Carefully read package instructions for your dogs size and weight. Check
package ingredients for effective chemicals listed below.
3.
Oral medications: Available through your veterinarians office. This
product is noted for causing the larvae to become unable to reproduce, thus
rendering an end to the life cycle.
4.
Flea Shampoo/Bathing/Dips: Another favorite. Getting “Spot” all scrubbed up
will help ease his discomfort. It will also give you a better idea of just how
bad your situation may be. Check his fur CAREFULLY while bathing. Try to
remove ALL of the fleas you find. This may be an arduous task but will be well
worth the effort. If prevented on “Spot” early enough you may be able to stop
the infestation before it takes over your home too. Observe the bath water. If
you find fleas are still alive in the bath water they are likely to re-infest
your dog with a simple splash. Most flea shampoos only help remove the fleas
from your pets fur. Find a shampoo that KILLS the fleas while shampooing your
pet. Scrub thoroughly. Take your time. Be patient. When bathing your dog,
follow these simple rules to get the most out of your scrubbing. Start at your
pets head and work down. Fleas will instinctively move to higher ground. If
you start at the head you have better control of the pests and are more able to
keep tabs on how well you have eradicated the fleas. Continue by working your
way from the head towards the back and the chest. You can use a flea comb as
you scrub. But make sure to pull the hair in the opposite direction and work
your fingers down to the bottom of the coat. This will help you see if any are
hidden in his coat and loosen the possible eggs that lay underneath. Continue
working in this fashion to the tip of the tail. Don't stop there. Go back to
the head and check for survivors. If you find a few, start from the head and do
it ALL again. "Spot" might be getting antsy by this point but it will be for
his best. A few minutes in the tub will save him months of digging, chewing and
scratching. Remember, taking your pet to have it ‘dipped’ will NOT IN ITSELF
ELIMINATE A FLEA INFESTATION IN YOUR HOME! You must treat your home along with
your pet.
5.
Flea combs: Flea combs will only remove 10-60% of the fleas on your
pet. While this product may seem like a good idea it only is relocating your
problem. If you comb “Spot” indoors, the fleas simply jump to the carpeting or
furniture. If you comb “Spot” outdoors, you are sending them out in the grass
only to be picked up and brought back in later.
6.
Powders: Flea powders are convenient to use but they should be monitored.
This type of treatment can cause dry skin on your pet. Some dogs are prone to
dry skin and a powder may cause more harm than good. Powders have been replaced
over the years with more sophisticated and effective methods.
Treating the House
Let's say
that we have "Spot" in tip-top shape now. Are we done? NO!!! You MUST MUST
MUST treat your home along with your pet. Remember, through exponential growth,
if he dropped just one flea it could turn into an infestation. So what do we do
about “Spot’s” bedding? What about the carpeting? The furniture? Many items
are available. You will need to use a combination of two things; an adulticide
along with an insect growth inhibitor.
An adulticide does
just as its name implies. It kills off the adult through poisoning. The
inhibitor interrupts the developmental stages of the cycle rendering the pest
unable to reproduce.
1.
FOGGERS: These are the "bombs" you find at
your local pet or discount department stores. They are somewhat effective, but
unfortunately the miss the important areas. They usually do not reach the areas
under your furniture and since they are commonly set off in the center of a room
they miss the outlying areas. These also require you and your pet to leave
your home during fogging.
2.
SPRAYS: Best for in-home use. These can be
directly sprayed onto areas where you know there is a problem. They can be
deliberately sprayed under furniture and beneath couch pillows, on pet beds,
into floor cracks, behind curtains, etc. Read package directions carefully.
Remember to keep pets and humans off sprayed areas until dry.
3.
POWDERS/DUSTS: Some flea powders can be
sprinkled into your carpets or pet bedding. Powders help fight the development
of pupae into adults, thus rendering an end to the life cycle of flea. Follow
package directions carefully. Ask your local pet store what brands they
recommend.
Read package labels
under "active ingredients". Look for a pyrethroid. This is an insecticide
that improves on the biological activity of natural pyrethrins. Pyrethrins are
extracts of a species of Chrysanathemun, which acts on the insects central
nervous system. They are regarded as relatively safe. This is a specific
chemical used to kill the adult biting flea. Also look for permethrin.
Another ingredient that is very effective is called an IGR (insect growth
regulator). This chemical disrupts the normal developmental cycle of the flea
rather than poisoning it. It is a very effective weapon in eliminating your
pest population by stopping the reproduction cycle. They will be listed as
methoprene or pyriproxyfen. These are also available through your vets office
and pest control companies. Please keep in mind your pets AGE and SIZE. Do not
use treatment for dogs on a cat.
One of your best allies in this battle will be your vacuum. After
applying these preparations to your home SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP! This
will start the removal of fleas. REMEMBER TO REMOVE AND BURN YOUR
SWEEPER BAG OR PUT YOUR SWEEPER BAG IN A PLASTIC BAG AFTER EACH
SWEEPING! This will keep them from returning to a cozy spot to
reproduce. Vacuum thoroughly the areas where you pet sleeps or
frequents. Pay particular attention to areas under furniture,
along wallboards, close to pet bedding and area or throw rugs and cracks
in the floors. You may not "see" that you are sweeping up fleas or
eggs but its very likely you are removing feces and eggs/pupae.
Remember that fleas are stimulated by vibrations. Your sweeper
will stimulate the pupae to emerge, making it vulnerable to
insecticides. Run the sweeper over your furniture and wash your
bedding. Fleas are not picky about who they bite. If they
find a warm host you too could be their next dinner.
So
what about flea bites? Do fleas carry disease?
Flea
bites can cause a few different types of irritation. The most common being
itching. Your dog will most likely let you know there is a problem right away
by his incessant itching and chewing. Dogs can even sense a flea traveling on
their skin. They can feel a tickle that lets them know where to dig and chew.
Keep in mind that a flea has a voracious appetite.
| |
|
A single
flea can nibble on "Spot" more than 350 times in a single day!!!
Imagine being bitten again and again and knowing that its going to
happen more and more. Your pet will become obsessed with
cleaning itself, which can lead to hair loss and hot-spots, or
allergic dermatitis. Rashes will make your pet vulnerable to
infection and if left untreated can make your pet quite ill. A
sick animal then becomes susceptible to anemia. Fleas can also
transmit tapeworms to your pet. Ask your vet for his opinion
on how to best treat tapeworm. |
Treating Your Yard
Some will
tell you to treat your yard also. This may not be possible for some due to the
size of their yard. If you live in a home with a relatively small yard and this
is the only area your pet frequents, it would be advisable to take precautions
in your lawn. Spreading insecticides and mowing frequently should help keep the
pests at bay. Those who live in more rural areas with a large lawn will less
likely be able to take advantage of this tactic.
As you
can see, fleas are a lot tougher than they appear to the naked eye. Just
remember to be diligent and patient. Most treatments to your home will take
about 3 weeks to take a noticeable effect. It is much better to stop them
before they get in. Once you have gotten them out of your home you must still
remain watchful and keep up preventative measures. Without monitoring, fleas
can take a serious hold on your home in the blink of an eye.
