You’ve Got Fleas on Your Pets – What Can You Do? (Part 1)

Fleas are a common issue with dogs and cats. The dark small insect drinks blood, and at the same time can transmit disease, irritate your pet, bring on illness, and can even affect households.

It is very important to move fast to eliminate the flea problem. The life of a flea can be as quick as a month, meaning that if you delay, a whole new generation of problems can appear.

It’s best to first ensure that there is a problem. If your pet is scratching often, fleas may well be the reason. Fleas jump often, so you can detect them if you place a cloth where you suspect they are. They should be visible as they jump (a white cloth works best for showing the small dark bugs).

Fleas have four phases of their lives: egg, larvae or grub, pupae, and adult form. Eggs are released by the female following a meal (of blood). The larvae and pupae are the stages of growth before adulthood, when the insect becomes ready to attack, bite, dine, and lay more eggs to begin the cycle all over.

It’s important to act fast by halting the flea’s lifecycle. For the egg phase, combing the hair of the dog’s or cat’s with a fine tooth comb will help get the eggs out. However, eggs may fall onto surfaces, so you must take care to thoroughly clean any area the pet may have visited.

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