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Fleas are a common external parasite of dogs and cats, which are spread by adult fleas jumping onto your pet. Besides being an external nuisance by biting, fleas can carry tapeworms; if your pet ingests a flea infected with tapeworm the tapeworm infection can cause diarrhea. Fleas can also potentially transmit several bacterial and viral diseases of pets.
The Flea Life Cycle
Adult female fleas lay 40 to 50 eggs per day that fall off the animal into the environment, such as the house, car and yard.1 The eggs hatch in 1 to 10 days to become larvae. The larvae then pupate in 5 to 25 days. Fleas emerge from the pupa (silk cocoon) in 7 to 174 days. Even if we have perfect flea control with 100% prevention of egg production it could take a total of 195 days or 6.5 months to complete the flea life cycle. A typical cycle is 25-30 days.
How can my pet get fleas?
New fleas jump onto pets. Possible sources include:
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Indoor infestations – moving into a new infested home, visiting an infested home, infested animals visiting your home can also set up an infestation
- From outdoor infestations – wildlife can carry fleas and their eggs into your yard where adults can jump onto your pet
- If outside of the pet owner's property, this cannot be controlled. Flea protection is key in preventing these sources from causing an infestation in your home.
How do I know if my pet has fleas?
Finding a flea on your pet, although the most direct, is not always possible as they tend to hide in the coat and can jump out of sight. Your pet may be very itchy, although this can vary depending on their sensitivity to flea saliva. You may note bug bites on family members because pet fleas will bite humans. Finding flea dirt and flea eggs are a good indicator of an infestation.
Flea dirt is literally droppings from the flea after is has bitten a pet and the blood has passed through the flea's digestive tract. It looks like pepper, and is easily visualized on a pet with a white haircoat. This is an example of lots of flea dirt.
http://www.moorevet.com/allergy.htm
Finding tapeworm eggs in a fecal sample can be an indication of exposure to fleas, although there are several types of tapeworms and different means of contracting them. Tapeworms from fleas require the pet to have ingested a flea.
How can I protect my pet from getting fleas?
Without a doubt, preventive flea control is better than attempting to eradicate an infestation. There are a number of different products available that are meant to protect against fleas, and one of our veterinarians can recommend the product that would best be suited to your pet’s lifestyle. Several of these preventive medications also offer the added protection of heartworm and intestinal worm protection. In general, these medications are administered once monthly through the flea season (summer and fall) and are extremely safe. Longer treatment may be required while eradicating infestations or depending on lifestyle.
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