Flea Season

Anytime is Flea Time

Everyday we speak to clients about flea control. It’s not the most appealing subject to bring up, however it needs to be addressed. Unfortunately they do exist. They exist on our pets, in our homes, and in our environment. When asked if a client needs any flea control for their pet, sometimes the response is “My pet doesn’t have fleas.” We then go on to explain that all pets are at risk for fleas. No pet is exempt. It happens to the cleanest of pets and in the cleanest of homes. Pets are easy targets. Only you can prevent infestation. Our hospital has a variety of flea prevention products to choose from. There are many products which prevent heartworm and fleas, from topical to pill form. New products are available which makes preventing and treating fleas better than ever before.

To get a better understanding of fleas, here are a few facts:

• Fleas have been around for about 100 million years!
• Fleas can jump up to 150 times their own length. They can easily jump onto your pet from the ground, or from another pet.
• A flea’s lifespan is 2-3 months. A pre-emerged flea (not living on a pet) can survive undisturbed and without a blood meal for more than 100 days.
• The female flea can lay 2,000 eggs in her lifetime. (so it’s important to kill fleas before they lay eggs).
• A flea can bite 400 times a day. If your pet has 10 fleas, that’s 4,000 bites a day!

Biting fleas can cause many problems for your pet such as:

• Skin problems: Flea bites can cause flea allergy dermatitis, a very common skin allergy in dogs.
• Intestinal parasites: Ingested fleas can transmit tapeworms, a very common intestinal parasite seen by owners.
• Anemia: Puppies, as well as older & sick dogs infested with fleas, can become anemic. Heavy flea infestations may even cause death.