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

Fleas are a frequent issue with cats and dogs. The dark tiny bug drinks blood, and at the same time can cause illness, transmit disease, irritate your cat or dog, and can even disrupt households.

It is vital to move quickly to eliminate the flea problem. The life cycle of a flea is a month or longer, which means that if you delay, a brand new generation of fleas will appear.

It’s best to first ensure that there is an actual problem. If your dog or cat is scratching often, fleas might well be the cause. Fleas jump often, so you can find them if you put a cloth down where you suspect they are. They should become visible as they jump (a light cloth works well to show the dark small bugs).

Fleas have 4 phases in their lives called egg, larvae or grub, pupae, and of course the adult form. The eggs are released by the female flea following a meal (of blood). The larvae and pupae are the stages before the adult, when the insect becomes ready to attack, bite, dine, and lay some more eggs to begin all over.

Should the fleas are already present, you should plan to destroy the cat’s or dog’s bedding. And while vigorous cleaning may solve of the problem, you might wish to steamclean furniture and carpets to removing leftover fleas and eggs.

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