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| Flea Control
Fleas are more than a pesky annoyance that bring itching and pain to cats, dog, and people; they can also affect your petís health. Flea bites can cause allergic reactions, anemia, skin problems, blood disorders which may lead to death, and they may also carry parasitic worms. Their saliva can cause a severe allergic reaction called flea bite dermatitis. A single flea may bite 400 times a day, and you may see your pet scratching when you donít see a flea on him! Flea-infested pets are truly miserable. Flea prevention and control are a necessary part of responsible pet ownership.
Fleas donít usually live on your pet. They jump on to get a meal by biting them and drawing blood out of the skin, eliminating digested blood (ìflea dirtî), and then may jump or fall off into the environment. They will live in your yard, floor, carpet, upholstery, or the petís bedding, and jump back on when another warm body comes by to get their next meal. Fleas will lay eggs on your pet which may fall off into the environment. One flea will lay about 600 eggs in its lifetime and it only takes about two weeks for fleas to become mature enough to reproduce. Without proper preventive control, a few fleas can quickly create a major problem. Begin your flea-control program in the early spring, before you have a full-blown flea infestation.
The easiest way to deal with fleas is to be certain that your pet never gets them in the first place. Pets will only get fleas from grass or other cats and dogs. Keeping your pet in the house and never allowing other pets to visit will avoid infestations, but itís not always a practical solution. Bigger dogs, especially, need to go outdoors to eliminate and to get enough exercise, and keeping your dog at home all the time will limit his socialization skills.
There are many types of flea control available including collars, shampoos, dips, powders, and foams, but they all use chemicals or pesticides which may cause toxic reactions in some pets and pose a hazard to children who may touch the pet. There are natural methods of flea control but once you have an infestation it is usually necessary to get the flea population under control with chemical products, and use the natural methods as back-up.
Flea medicines are gaining favor over shampoos, sprays, powders and other such products as the most effective and reliable way to control fleas on your pet. Flea medicines can be purchased at your veterinarianís office or online. There are several popular brands with different levels of effectiveness. They are generally safe for dogs and cats but may cause allergic reactions or stomach illness in your pet so watch for signs such as nausea or the pet just ìacting funnyî and consult your veterinarian if necessary. Always follow the veterinarianís instructions precisely when using these products.
Frontline is the brand most often prescribed by veterinarians. It is a topical application that will last one month on cats and three months on dogs. It works by killing the adult fleas and their eggs, and kills ticks also. You must wait at least two days after your petís last bath before using this product.
Advantage works almost instantly to stop flea bites, so itís ideal for a pet who has a flea allergy, but it does not kill ticks. It is applied to the pet once monthly, and has no bathing restrictions. Donít let the kids pet the dog or cat for two hours after the application.
Program is better for a pet who may come into contact with children. It is given as a monthly pill or twice-yearly injection that destroys the fleasí ability to reproduce, but it wonít kill fleas that are already on your pet. If your yard is flea-infested you must also treat the yard to keep adult fleas from jumping back on your pet. The fleasí life cycle is three to four weeks, so you will gradually see a reduction in the number of fleas.
Revolution is a topical application that works for about a month to kill adult fleas and prevents eggs from hatching. This product also prevents heart worm. Apply the medicine to the fur and wait two hours, then bathe the pet.
Fleas will live in your yard in areas that stay warm and moist. They may fall off your own pet or other animals that roam through. Chemical lawn treatments are available put can pose a hazard to children. A safe, environmentally friendly alternative to using chemicals is to spread food-grade diatomaceous earth over the areas that the pet uses that do not dry out during the day. Diatomaceous earth is dust made of the crushed fossilized shells of tiny sea creatures. The dust contains microscopic jagged edges that cut the exterior skeletons of insects that crawl over it, causing them to dehydrate and die. It wonít harm animals or people who walk on it, but avoid breathing the dust as you spread it on the lawn. The dust can also irritate the eyes, so you should wear a filter mask and goggles when handling the product. You may need to repeat the dusting for a month or two after a rain, because some will wash away, but the fleas wonít come back unless there is a new source from roaming animals or the neighborís yard.
Beneficial nematodes are microscopic worms that kill bugs by burrowing into them as part of their life cycle. They wonít harm people or animals because our body temperatures are too warm for them, and they wonít damage plants or grass. They occur naturally but you can add a higher concentration to your yard by ordering them online.
Some plants are known to have flea-repellant qualities, including eucalyptus, lavender, and mint. Planting these in your yard will deter fleas. Lavender and mint wonít harm your pets if they chew them but eucalyptus can be hazardous. Garlic is often touted as a flea repellant when fed to dogs or cats, but it is harmful to pets and may cause anemia or insulin problems.
Pre-adult fleas can live up to a year inside your house so it is necessary to rid your home of adult fleas and their eggs to keep the infestation under control. It may take a month or so, the life span of the flea, to successfully rid your home of them. Putting the flea-bitten pet outside wonít help because then the fleas inside will make you their meal (and are probably already doing so).
Vacuuming, mopping, and dusting regularly will help reduce the flea population. Fleas that are vacuumed up may just jump out of the bag again, so you may have to use a new bag each time. Dusting the carpet with diatomaceous earth and vacuuming the fleas up with it will damage the fleas and save vacuum bags.
Wash your petís bedding several times in hot water and dry at a high temperature. Flea sprays and foggers (flea bombs) may be used in the home. Check the container for the amount of square footage it will cover and use an adequate amount. Each room will need a separate fogger so it may be better to buy several small ones instead of a large one. Follow the label instructions carefully to avoid toxicity issues. Treat your pets at the same time and contain them outside the home for several hours. Remove any pet birds from the home, and cover aquariums and turn off the pump.
Groom your pet regularly to spot early signs of infestation. Fleas will appear as small black moving specks and the eggs are difficult to see. Flea dirt appears black but will turn red when wiped with a wet tissue. Trimming the coat of long-haired animals will make the fleas easier to spot. Flea control chemicals should not be used on animals less than six or eight weeks old, depending on the product, so bathing with a baby shampoo and combing out any fleas is the safest method for ridding a young kitten or puppy of the pests. Flea shampoos will kill adult fleas on your pet, but donít bathe your cat or dog more than once a week to avoid drying out his skin. (Yes, you can bathe a cat! If you begin bathing them as kittens they will accept an occasional bath, although with an adult cat it will probably require two people). Flea shampoos, powders, and sprays will kill any fleas on the pet at the time they are used. Cats are often alarmed by the hissing sound a spray makes. Flea creme rinses and foams have some lingering effects, and dips have a longer effect but are more likely to cause toxic reactions. Flea collars will kill any eggs on your pet but arenít usually strong enough to kill adult fleas. They are a good preventive measure if your pet doesnít have fleas yet.
Flea control can be expensive but the comfort and health of your pet and family depend upon it. Preventive measures and acting quickly when you spot that first flea can save you a lot of time, money, and aggravation in the long run.
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