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So, once again, pest control is not easy. It is really important to understand basic facts about fleas and ticks.
The most common parasite of companion animals is the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. These fleas will infest most warm blooded animals in the household, including dogs, cats, ferrets, and domestic rabbits. Flea bites are itchy for all pets. They are worse for the many dogs and cats that are allergic to flea bites.
Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is the most common skin disease of pets. Fleas can cause other diseases including: anemia, tapeworm infections, and cat scratch fever.
Once a flea jumps on an animal, it lays eggs within 24 hours. The eggs are laid in the pet’s hair and roll off into the environment where the larva and pupae can survive for a long time. One flea can lay thousands of eggs in her short lifespan. Flea eggs and pupae are resistant to all insecticides but can be controlled with Insect Growth Regulators (IGR’s)
There are outdoor flea reservoirs. If there is a flea infestation in the outdoor environment, it may be difficult to eradicate fleas in the house. The outdoor fleas often come from dogs, cats, opossum, or raccoons that live in or visit the yard. Flea eggs fall off these reservoir animals and the larvae and pupae can develop in the environment.
Fleas do not jump from one pet to another or jump off a pet. Pets acquire fleas from infested premises not another pet. An adult flea spends its entire life on one pet. Flea eggs deposited into the environment develop into adult fleas in as little as16 days or the larva can remain in the cocoon stage for up to six months. Carbon dioxide, warmth, and vibration cause the pupae to emerge as adult fleas. So, fleas hatch in response to a dog or cat walking by and they jump on the pet immediately after they hatch. All fleas seen in the environment developed from flea eggs. They did not jump off the pet.
We have learned that fleas are much easier to prevent than they are to conquer once you have an infestation. An infestation can happen before you see the first flea on your pet and take months to get under control.
All pets should start flea prevention before flea season starts and continue past the end of the season. Here in central Virginia and many parts of the United States that means year round preventative medication.
All pets in contact with your pet need to be on flea control. This means all your pets including dogs, cats, and small mammals as well as visiting animals. Be sure to read product information carefully. Most flea products are made for a specific species. What is safe for your dog may not be for your cat or rabbit.
Your flea control program needs to include a product that kills flea eggs, larva, and pupae (IGR). These are the source of the infestation.
In general, spays, powders and dips have been replaced with safer and more effective oral medication and liquids that are applied in one spot over the pet’s shoulder. The newest product is Comfortis®, the monthly flea pill that appears to be very effective and safe.
Shampoos may kill adult fleas on the pet, clean the coat, and make the pet feel better, but will not offer protection from the eggs, larva, and pupae. As soon as the pet’s feet touch the ground, newly emerged fleas can jump right on and start feeding.
Ticks are another important external parasite of dogs. Tick bites spread disease including: Babesia, Ehrlichia, Lyme disease, Anasplasma, Feline Cytauxzoonosis (which is deadly), and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Pets come into contact with ticks when they are outside in areas of vegetation (grass or shrubs) or in or near wooded areas. Ticks live in moist and humid environments. It is not surprising that ticks flourish in many parts of the United States. Here in central Virginia, we see ticks 12 months of the year.
There is no product on the market now that can keep pets tick free 100% of the time. Ticks are acarids (like spiders and mites), not insects, so insecticides are not very effective in killing them. Be sure to do “tick checks” every day during tick season. Remove the ticks with tweezers and discard them in the toilet or drown them in alcohol in a jar. Treat all ticks like they are infectious. Do not touch ticks with your hands or cut or burn them. Most disease is spread after the tick has been on your dog for 24 hours, so these daily tick checks and removals can really help you keep your pet healthy.
Your veterinarian is the best source of information about safe and effective flea and tick control measures for your pet. We will make an effective plan just for your pet's special needs.
Second Hand Smoke & Cancer in Pets
I just read interesting information about second hand smoke and the risks for our companion animals that I definitely want to share.
The most common form of cancer cats get is lymphosarcoma. This cancer was associated with young, Feline Leukemia Virus positive cats in the past. However, the incidence of this cancer is on the rise at the same time the incidence of Feline Leukemia has been declining. At the same time, this deadly form of cancer has been occurring in an older population and the intestinal form has become more common. This shift prompted researchers to look for the reason for this. The results surprised everyone associated with the study. The environmental issue these cats had in common was second hand smoke. The carcinogens were found on the cat's haircoat, and were ingested as the cat licked their fur as well as the cat breathing them in the air. The statistics are alarming. Just being in a house where one person smokes increases the cat's risk of getting this disease 2-1/2 times. The risk increases with more people in the house smoking or with heavy smoking.
Second hand smoke has also been associated with oral cancer in cats, and sinus and lung cancer in dogs.
The evidence is clear - pets should not be in a house where people smoke or around anyone who is smoking.
What a great reason for a pet lover to give up this habit that now that we know it causes health issues not only for people but also for their beloved pets.
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