All About Fleas

Fleas are small, brown or black, wingless insects with flattened bodies. Several types of fleas infest the haircoats of animals, and some may occasionally feed on people. These blood sucking insects cause considerable irritation and distress to infested pets. Severe infestations may lead to anemia from blood loss.

Fleas spread commonly through dogs and cats, and carry several viral and bacterial diseases. Flea bites can also cause skin allergies, rashes, and sores on both pets and their owners.

The best place to look for fleas on your pet are the hind quarters, base of tail, stomach, and groin regions. Sometimes no fleas are found but only tiny black granules that resemble black pepper. This material is flea feces and consists of digested blood. To distinguish this material from dirt, rub the haircoat gently backward, allowing some of the dirt to fall onto a white or stainless steel surface and add a drop of water. If you see a reddish brown color as the granule dissolves, your pet has fleas.

Flea Life Cycle
After taking a blood meal, fleas drop off the animal into the environment and deposit their eggs in cracks, crevices, and carpeting. A single breeding pair of fleas may produce 20,000 fleas in 3 months. Eggs hatch after 2-12 days into larvae that feed in the environment. Larvae molt 2 times within 2-200 days and the older larvae spin a cocoon in which they remain anywhere from one week to over one year, at which point a hungry adult flea emerges from the cocoon. The long period during which the larvae remain in the cocoon explains why fleas are difficult to eradicate from the environment.

Flea Control
Many different products are available for flea control. To eradicate fleas, you must apply the insecticide correctly and at proper intervals. All pets in the household must be treated. Please speak to the staff regarding your treatment options.