Fleas have become a year-round problem. Here’s some useful information.
How will I know my pet has fleas?
- Pets with fleas may scratch, bite and lick themselves.
- You may also see fleas moving quickly through the coat – they are brown, a few millimetres long and usually on the move.
- You may notice flea dirt – these are black specks in the coat which are actually dried blood. The way to tell the difference between flea dirts and grit/dirt, is to dab the specks with a piece of damp cotton wool. Flea dirt will dissolve leaving a red/brown stain on the cotton wool.
- It can sometimes be hard to find any evidence of fleas, especially in itchy cats which are grooming excessively.
How did my animal get fleas?
Fleas are wingless insects which jump onto your pet from infested places or, less commonly, other animals. Around 10% of dogs and 20% of cats will have fleas at any one time, making fleas a very common problem. Cat fleas are the most common type, and can be found on cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets and humans.
Does it matter if my pet has fleas?
Yes!
- Flea bites are itchy, so you may notice your dog scratching. Although cats may also scratch, more commonly, they show they are itchy by grooming themselves excessively – this can lead to areas of fur loss.
- A large number of fleas can lead to a build up of flea dirt within the coat. Animals can even become anaemic as a result of fleas sucking large amounts of blood.
- Some animals have flea allergies. These animals are allergic to flea bites (the saliva of the flea to be precise) – so even a few bites can lead to very itchy skin, red areas, hair loss, excessive grooming or persistent scratching.
- Fleas can also transmit diseases such as the tapeworm Dipylidium caninum. Myxomatosis in rabbits is spread by fleas from wild rabbits and hares.
- The other important thing to consider is that fleas also bite us!
Is it true that fleas live in the house not just on my pet?
Yes! Only about 5% of fleas are on your pet – the other 95% are in the environment, such as around the house. Let’s take a look at the flea lifecycle to explain why this is:
- Adult female fleas living on our pets lay eggs. Each female can lay 50 eggs daily, which roll off into the environment – such as the animal’s bedding, carpets, flooring etc.
- Within a few days, a larva hatches out, and move into dark areas such as deep within a carpet, when they grow.
- After a while, this develop into a pupa – it can stay in this state for many months but ultimately will hatch into an adult flea.
- The newly-emerged adult senses heat, movement and carbon dioxide, indicating a host is near – it jumps onto the host, feeds (sucks blood), mates and lays eggs.
- In ideal conditions, this can be completed in just 12 days.
So – flea control needs to include something to kill off the fleas developing in the house AS WELL as the ones on the animal, and/or something that works for weeks at a time, so any new fleas that land on your pet are killed off.
Flea eggs and larvae are susceptible to insecticides, but pupae aren’t easy to kill – they are resistant to freezing, drying and insecticides. They can lie dormant for months if a host isn’t around.
What is the best way to get rid of fleas on my dog/cat?
Fleas can be hard to get rid of completely. Reasons for this include
- Failing to treat all animals in the household
- Not treating cars
- Exposure of your pet to fleas in houses visited
- Not appreciating that shampooing or swimming will decrease the efficacy of a product.
Fortunately there are some extremely good, effective products around, representing excellent value for money.
Spot-on flea products
- These products consist of a small volume of liquid in a vial.
- To apply, hold the vial upright, and tap it to ensure the liquid contents remain within the main body of the vial. Snap open the vial. Part your animals fur at the base of the neck until the skin is visible, then place the tip of the vial on the skin, and squeeze it to empty the contents onto the skin.
- Regulations prevent us from naming trade names of products we recommend, but we can name the active ingredient – please contact the surgery for more help.
Practice recommendations:
- Fipronil spot-on, at the Frontline of flea control, spreads over the surface of your pet’s skin within 24 hours of application. There are 2 fipronil products available, both for use on your pet, but only one also prevents fleas developing in the environment – so this is the one we would recommend. Fipronil spot-ons lasts for up to 2 months in dogs, and 5 weeks in cats. This product kills fleas, ticks and lice. It is also available as a pump spray, which can be used from 2 days old in puppies and kittens, and lasts 3 months in dogs, and 2 months in cats.
- Imidacloprid – lasts 4 weeks, kills adult fleas and stops development in the environment, a big Advantage.
- Selamectin – lasts 4 week, useful product because it also kills roundworms, ear mites, sarcoptes mites and heartworm, to give your pet a Stronghold against these parasites.
Please note - all spot-ons are not the same - ones on sale in pet shops and supermarkets contain different active ingredients to those we recommend.
Anything else?
- There is a product containing lufenuron which Programs fleas so that they don’t hatch out of the egg. It’s available as a liquid which you give by mouth monthly to cats, a monthly tablet for dogs, or as an injection lasting 6 months in cats. BUT – it won’t kill fleas. It’s a good choice if for example you have cats that don’t go outside but you need to treat all animals in the household.
There are a variety of new products around which combine 2 active ingredients, increasing the number of types of parasite which can be killed with one product. This can be useful to protect your pet if you are going abroad.
- Imidocoprid/permethrin – it repels ticks, sand flies, stable flies and mosquitoes before they have the chance to bite and it effectively kills ticks and fleas.
What about treating the house?
If you treat your pet regularly with a good product that effectively kills fleas, plus stops fleas developing in the environment, you probably don’t need to treat the environment.
If you are being bitten, or your animal has a large number of fleas, it is advisable to treat the house as well. Household sprays vary greatly between products. The better house sprays contain ‘IDIs’ which prevent insect development, plus an insecticide.
Practice recommendation:
- Use a household spray, preferably one containing 3 active ingredients, ensuring rapid kill of adult fleas, and year-long control by killing eggs and larvae.
- Ventilate the rooms for at least an hour before allowing pets back in.
- Don’t forget to treat all the places your pet goes, including the car if applicable, plus caravans, holiday homes etc.
- Vacuum before and 24 hours after spraying.
Are there any products you don’t recommend?
Each year, we see many animals with fleas. Some may have been treated with ‘over-the-counter’ products which just haven’t worked. Examples include:
- Flea powder – which is smelly, difficult to apply, unlikely to kill sufficient fleas to get rid of the problem.
- Flea collars – smelly plus not effective – it’s not uncommon for us to see pets coming in wearing flea collars with fleas crawling around the collar…
- Flea shampoo – will probably kill off the fleas your pet has at the time of bathing. You’ve worked hard, done a good job, then let your pet go back to its infested bedding. Within a few minutes, some more fleas have probably replaced the ones you’ve worked so hard to kill off. So, you’ve guessed it – unlikely to work.
- Flea combing – however often you comb your pet, you’ll never get rid of fleas.
- Flea spray – usually contains permethrin, considered a weak insecticide and probably ineffective with large flea burdens. These must not be used on cats.
Can I treat my rabbit or ferret for fleas?
Yes, contact the practice for information and recommended products.
