Fleas are very hardy, blood sucking creatures that have been around for about one hundred million years. Fleas can life for a long time without food, but they must have blood from a host animal to live and reproduce. Fleas are voracious eaters. A female flea consumes fifteen times her body weight in blood daily. Once they have a blood meal, the family fleas begin to lay eggs. Twenty five adult female fleas can produce as many as a quarter of a million fleas in just thirty days!
If your pet gets fleas, it's not just an annoyance; it can lead to very serious consequences. Flea bits are really painful and can cause sever allergic reactions in pets, leading to intense scratching, irritated and inflamed skin, flea bite dermatitis, and secondary skin infections.
In extreme cases your pet could become anemic from flea bites. Fleas prefer pets, but they will bite humans as well. Fleas have also been responsible for transmitting tapeworms and the diseases, Murine Typhus and Bubonic Plague, to both pets and humans.
Fleas really get around. Fleas cannot fly (they have no wings), but they can jump 150 times their own length. They can easily op on your pet - or on you. Fleas and flea eggs can be brought into your home on your shoes or clothing. THey can even hitch a ride on common items like blankets or beach towels that have come in contact with he ground.
Even if you don't see a flea, your pet could be reacting to flea bites. If you see little dark specs on your pet that look like pepper, that is flea dirt (feces) and proves that fleas are present. If you see fleas or evidence of fleas, act immediately to eliminate them.
To effectively control fleas, you must treat all the pets in your household and also their indoor and outdoor environment.
No. If you have a flea problem in your home, it will not go away on its own. The temperature of your home is ideal for flea reproduction year round.
Flea shampoos, can be very effective at killing fleas, but have little residual effect to keep fleas off your pet. Some are safe enough to be used on puppies and kittens. Fleas combs are very effective at removing fleas from your pet and can be used on a pet of any age.
There are any number of sprays, collars, powders, and dips on the market for flea control. Some are made with all natural ingredients and others may contain powerful chemical pesticides. Always read and follow the product labels. Never use anything on puppies, kittens, or cats, unless it is approved for use on them.
Some homeopathic remedies (like brewers yeast, garlic, and apple cider vinegar) and herbs are reported to help control fleas, but oftentimes they produce less than desired results.
For flea control in your home there are flea traps, a multitude of flea sprays and foggers, and also natural products like diatomaceous earth or sodium borate. Aromatic cedar chips in your pet's bedding will help repel fleas.
These products all have their place in the war on fleas, but don't just blindly try on after another. Contact your pet care professionals and ask for their advice on flea control. They are very knowledgeable and can recommend and supply you with the products that will eliminate fleas on your pet and in your home.
With their help, you can break the flea's life cycle and keep them from torturing your pet and possibly transmitting a disease to them - or to you.
Attack - Surround - Defeat!
When you are fighting fleas, it is indeed a war. You must treat everywhere that fleas live and reproduce.
Start by eliminating the fleas on your pet. Ideally, you can schedule an appointment for a your pet to be professionally treated at our grooming salon, while you, or a professional exterminator, thoroughly de-flea your home, yard, and car.
Wash all your pet's bedding in hot, soapy water. Vacuum your carpets and furniture thoroughly, then seal and throw away the vacuum bag. Steam cleaning your carpets and upholstery is also helpful in removing biting fleas and eggs.
Treat your entire home with flea foggers or a spray designed for indoor use. Make sure that they contain ingredients to kill adult fleas and also an IGR (insect growth regulator) to kill the other life cycle stages. Follow the directions exactly.
Treat your yard with spray or pelleted insecticide (also containing insect growth regulator).
When you are finished, your pet and his environment should be completely free of fleas.
In many areas of the country, flea control is a year round necessity.
In conjunction with continuing premise control, many pet owners have a great success with oral or topical products that are administered once a month to their pet. They come in a variety of brands like - Advantage®, Frontline®, Revolution®, and Program®.
There are specific formulations for dogs and cats, and most are approved to use on puppies and kittens six to eight weeks and older. Read and follow the instructions, making sure to use the product that is specified for your pet. These products are extremely popular because of their once a month convenience, ease of application, and effectiveness. Most are waterproof, allowing y our p et to be bathed, or to swim, without decreasing the product's effectiveness.
Also, keeping your pet flea free with this continuous protection, is far less costly than trying to eliminate an infestation on your pet and in your home.
Fleas have to come in contact with the product to be killed. That means that fleas actually have to get on, and could possibly bite your pet, before they die. There is also a possibility of skin irritation at the site of application.
Tiny fleas can create huge problems. By working with your pet care professional and following their recommendations about products and their correct usage, and by diligently treating and protecting your pets and their surroundings, you and your pets can kiss the ferocious flea goodbye.