Fleas, fleas, fleas.
The flea is a blood-sucking parasite that
makes a pet’s life miserable, and people itch
just at the thought of them. Pet owners often
ask what flea treatment, be it a drop, a dip, a
collar, a spray or a shampoo works best to get
rid of the pesky, persistent parasites. The
answer is: No single method or product will
completely eradicate a flea problem. The life
cycle of the flea is actually fairly complex,
and understanding the various stages will help
to get rid of them.
Fleas
are insects that have an exoskeleton, no wings,
simple eyes, six legs and piercing, sucking
mouthparts. The most common, problematic flea is
Ctenoceplalides felix (the cat flea) and infests
cats, dogs, humans, other small mammals and
birds. Fleas are active and reproduce year-round
(contrary to popular belief), but thrive in
warm, moist environments. Optimum temperatures
for fleas range from 70°
to 85° F, and
optimum humidity is 70 to 80%. Fleas are
metamorphic, meaning they undergo a marked
change of form and structure as they grow from
egg to adult. There are four main stages in the
flea life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult.
In
addition to fleas biting pets, they can also
cause other medical problems. The saliva of
fleas can be irritating and allergenic to our
pets, causing itchy, scratching, chewing and
other signs seen with Flea Allergy Dermatitis
(FAD). One flea bite can cause an allergic
reaction in sensitive animals for up to two
weeks, regardless of whether the flea is still
present on the pet or not. Tapeworms are
an internal parasite of both dogs and cats,
which require the flea as the intermediate host.
This means that fleas can carry tapeworms. Your
pet can become infected by accidentally
swallowing fleas while chewing or grooming
themselves. Anemia (decreased numbers of
red blood cells) can occur secondary to heavy
flea infestations due to numerous blood meals
being taken.
Adult Flea: The adult flea only accounts
for 1% of the total flea population! The
adult flea prefers to live on the animal and
their diet consists of blood meals. Once a blood
meal is taken from the host (your pet), the
adults must feed every 4-6 hours. The female
flea mates after feeding and begins to produce
eggs with a couple of days. The average number
of eggs laid per day is 30-45 eggs, but can
reach up to 50 eggs in one day! A female flea
can lay up to 2,000 eggs in her lifetime. The
eggs drop off the pet onto bedding, carpets,
flooring or soil. The adult flea can jump an
average of 9-15 inches. The adult flea can live
for several months.
Eggs: The flea egg represents 34% of the
total flea population at any given time. Flea
eggs are not sticky and will fall off into the
environment, therefore eggs are typically
concentrated in areas frequented by the pets-
bedding, dog houses, a favorite resting place in
the house, etc, but can be deposited any where
the pet has been. Flea eggs are small, oval,
approximately 0.5mm long and look like little
grains of salt. After 1-7 days (or longer), the
eggs hatch into larvae.
Larva: (Pleural = Larvae) Larvae represent
approximately 57% of the total flea population.
They are legless, whitish to semi-transparent in
color, and can range from 3-6 mm in length. They
are very active and have bristles to move about
in the environment. Larvae dislike sunlight, and
tend to hide in dark places, such carpets, sand,
grass and gravel. They eat primarily adult flea
feces (digested blood, often called “flea dirt”)
and other organic debris found in carpets,
bedding or soil. Larvae eventually spin cocoons
to form the Pupa. The larval stage can last 5-18
days or longer.
Pupa/Cocoon: (Pleural=Pupae) Accounts for
approximately 8% of the total flea population.
This is the final stage before the adult flea.
The cocoon provides a protective barrier, which
makes it resistant to chemicals and pesticides.
The adult flea can emerge from the cocoon as
early as 3-4 days, but can stay in the cocoon
for a year or more waiting for the right time to
emerge. Cocoons can remain dormant over years if
they are not stimulated to hatch. Stimuli such
as warm, ambient temperatures, high humidity,
vibrations and carbon dioxide from a passing
animal will cause the flea to emerge from the
cocoon faster.
The
entire flea life cycle is quite variable,
therefore the entire flea life cycle can be as
short as two weeks, or as long as two years!
The average flea lives 3-4 weeks in the typical
home.
Treatments for fleas The number of
individual treatments needed depends on the
degree of infestation and the thoroughness of
each treatment. Both the pet and the home
environment should be treated simultaneously to
successfully control flea populations at all
stages of their life cycle.
Pet
Products: Thanks to flea control products
available today, flea management is easier and
more effective than ever before. Products such
as Frontline, Advantix, Advantage
and Revolution can all be used topically
on your pets. We can help you determine which
choice might be best for your pet.
Environment: Sprays or foggers with an
Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) are best. Foggers
are not 100% effective because the fog will not
reach underneath furniture. Daily vacuuming of
all floors, carpets, baseboards and pet’s
bedding are recommended to remove a percentage
of the fleas and eggs. Research shows that
vacuuming for two to three weeks after treatment
will expedite the elimination of fleas.
Discarding the vacuum cleaner bad after each use
also helps. Spraying a Permrethrin outdoors may
also be necessary for a few weeks.
FLEA ALLERGY DERMATITIS (aka Flea Bite
Hypersensitivity)
Some pets are allergic to fleabites, and will
have a hypersensitivity reaction to antigens in
the flea saliva. This reaction occurs when the
flea deposits saliva under the skin while taking
a blood meal. The saliva contains histamine-like
compounds that irritate the skin. Not every
animal that has fleas will present with flea
allergy dermatitis, it depends upon whether they
are allergic to the fleas or not.
Historical findings are: Chewing or compulsive
biting, licking/excessive licking or grooming
(primarily on the back half of the body),
scratching due to intense itchiness and many
times fleas or flea dirt (digested blood, flea
feces) will be seen on the pet. Findings will
vary depending upon the extent of exposure to
fleas (infestation vs. small numbers of fleas)
and the severity of the reaction (varies with
the individual pet).
Dogs - lesions tend to be over the rump,
back legs (thighs), groin area, and ventral
abdomen. Some dogs will get papules, which are
red, raised bumps. Thickened skin, hair loss,
scaling and scabs are also common skin findings.
Occasionally, some dogs will get secondary skin
infections.
Cats - tend to get a crusting (scabby)
inflammation of the skin- over the rump or often
around the head and neck. Hair loss is also
common.
Treatment: **Must kill the fleas and flea
cycle, as FAD or FBH is triggered by the
allergic reaction to the flea saliva.
Topical products: Frontline,
Advantage, Advantix or Revolution.
*No matter how “good” the flea product is,
most pets require more than a single application
to get the problem under control.
Injectable/Oral medications: Some pets
are so severely allergic that they will
self-traumatize due to the scratching, that they
require injectable or oral steroids to break the
hypersensitivity reaction cycle.
Ask us today how we can help treat your pet
for fleas, and how to prevent them from coming
back!
