Fleas

Flea infestation is one of the most common health problem in dogs. Almost every dog will become infested with fleas at some time during their life. These tiny, almost-invisible pests are much more than an annoyance. They make life miserable by disrupting your household with a vicious cycle of biting and scratching.

The "Flea Season"

Contrary to the thoughts of many people, the way we live today has changed the way that fleas breed, meaning the end of the traditional 'flea season'. Fleas are now an all-year-round problem with central heating and fitted carpets allowing them to breed throughout the year in your home. Even when it's cold outside, it's always warm and cosy enough inside your home to support an entire population of fleas, which is why you should treat your dog for fleas all year round.
There are many excellent products available to rid your dog of fleas and I am certain that your vet will be only too pleased to advise you of their preferred product. Please DO ask either your vet or an experienced dog owner as to the product they use. Be wary of the products that you can find being sold cheaply on shelves in stores as these are frequently nowhere near as effective as the treatments available from your vet. As well as advising you on treatment for your dog, your vet will also advise you about products to use to rid your home of fleas as well as prevention of further infestation for both.
Did you do a 'double take' then when you thought I inferred that your home could have fleas as well as your dog? Well read that bit as often as you like, but I am sorry to say that I meant exactly that. Look away now if you do not want to think your home could harbour such things.

The fleas you find on your dog only amount to around 5% of your flea problem. The other 95% of the fleas are in your dog's bed, your carpets, your furniture and anywhere else your dog may have access to.

Scary Eh?

The reason for this drastic imbalance is to be found when you know the life cycle of the flea.

Egg Stage
A female flea lays as many as 50 eggs per day on your pet. The eggs are not sticky, they quickly fall off your pet and hatch in two to five days. When they fall off your pet they are not choosy whether they land on carpet or furniture.
A female lays about 1,500 eggs in her lifetime.
Larval Stage
After hatching, the larvae head away from light toward the dark places around your home and feed on "flea dirt" (dried blood excreted by the flea). The larvae grow, moult twice, then spin cocoons, where they grow to pupa.
Pupae Stage
The length of this stage averages 8 to 9 days. Depending upon weather conditions, population explosions typically occur 5 to 6 weeks after the weather starts to warm up. The pupa are the most resistant life stage within the environment and may remain dormant for up to a year.
Adult Stage
Adult fleas emerge from their cocoons when they detect heat, vibrations and exhaled carbon dioxide indicating that a host (your dog) is nearby. Once they jump onto a host, the adults mate and begin the life cycle all over again. The entire life cycle can be as short as 3 to 4 weeks.

As you can see from the above description, fleas only need to feed from your dog when they are adults and they feed voraciously. Even when a flea has consumed enough of your dog's blood to satisfy it's own appetite, they often continue to drink and pass the excess straight through their bodies and becomes "flea dirt" which is fed upon by the larvae.

How Do Fleas Affect Your Dog?
They may be tiny but fleas don't just annoy your dog and make him itch.
They are capable making your dog very ill indeed if they are not eradicated as soon as possible.Fleas can affect your pet's health in the following ways:

Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD): When a flea bites your pet, it deposits a small amount of saliva in the skin. Your dog can develop an allergic reaction to this saliva (FAD), which causes severe itching. In addition to your dog scratching or biting excessively around the tail, groin or backside, scabs or bumps may also appear on your dog's neck or back.
Tapeworm: Tapeworm eggs are ingested by the flea's larval stages when feeding in the dog's environment. The eggs develop into a dormant life stage within the developing flea. If the flea happens to be ingested by your dog whilst grooming, the tapeworm is released and continues to develop into the adult worm within the intestine of your dog.
Anaemia: Anaemia occurs in young, older or ill dogs if too many fleas suck their blood. The symptoms of anaemia include pale gums, weakness and lethargy in your dog.
If you believe that your dog is suffering from any of the above, please see your vet immediately.

How Can I Tell If My Dog Has Fleas?
There are a few signs that your dog may have fleas. Below are the most common:
Have a look in your dog and is his bed. Can you see any black specks? If you can, there is a chance that these are flea dirt (dried blood excreted by an adult flea). Checking for flea dirt and validating it as such is easy. You don't even need an 'ology qualification!!! ha ha.
Purchase a flea comb from your vet. They are cheap and resemble the nit combs (head lice) that we use on our children. The basics of using the comb are the same as using a nit comb on kids too. You simply run the comb through your dog's fur, making sure that the comb reaches right through to the skin. Be gentle as the comb when used too roughly can hurt your dog and may make him wary of letting you do this again. If black specks are on the comb when you pull it off, they may be flea dirt. If fleas are on the comb, drown them in a bowl of soapy water before they can get away or jump back on your dog. To distinguish whether a black speck is flea dirt, place the specks on white absorbent paper and dampen. Flea dirt turns red/brown on contact with water.
Another method is to place a white paper towel under your dog and run your hands through his coat. Do black specks appear on the towel? If they do, dampen them as in the method involving the comb and see if they turn red, indicating that they are flea dirt.
Finally, the easiest way of all to tell that your dog may have fleas is......
"He won't darned well stop scratching!!!"

How Can I Prevent My Dog Getting Fleas?
Well the most important thing is to treat him all year round with a reliable and effective product. Again your vet is the best person to ask. I am not prepared to advertise any one product on my site...I am not that generous, but if you would like to know what I use, feel free to email me.
Vacuuming: vacuum frequently wherever your pet has been, especially in your car (if your pet travels in your car), around any carpeted area in your home and on any furniture that is frequented by your pet in order to clean up as many immature fleas (eggs, larvae and pupa) as possible.
Washing: wash your pet's bedding, blanket and other washable items frequently in the hottest water possible (check the label to make sure that washing in hot water isn't a problem).
Sprays: a variety of sprays are available aimed at killing the environmental life stages of the flea, ask your vet to recommend one.

Having problems? Feel free to email me or call for further help.

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