The fleas are among us
The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and those pesky fleas are giving their all to get a nice home for winter! We have had a “rash†of patients with extra tag along friends lately.
Now that we have had some rain and the days aren’t so dry and humid the fleas are hatching and coming out in droves. Our mild winter did last year did not help matters any since the bugs were able to hang on and reproduce all season long. As a result they were poised and ready for a big come back. Those pesky little buggers are making a Hail Mary throw at your pet in an effort to take up residence in your home for the winter season- a new turn on the “snow bird†living arrangement.
The favorite place a flea likes to live on a pet is around the base of the tail, on the lower belly, and down the rear legs. This is why you may notice fur loss or thinning in this area (the back half of your pet). You may also feel scabs or bumps when you pet them in this area and also around the head/neck area.
You can take a close look deep in the fur of your pet for small little black specks. If you scratch your pet vigorously (on the back by the tail and down the hind quarters) over a white paper you will see them fall off and resemble ‘periods and commas†in appearance. These little black specks are flea dirt, a nicer way of saying flea poop. If you add water to these specks they will reconstitute and turn red (blood).
Some pets have an allergy to the bite of a flea that causes an intense and prolonged itch. For most pets they may itch a little and go about their business but for the allergic pet they will itch, chew, dig, and be miserable until they cause a secondary infection on their skin from the scratching.
Keep in mind; live fleas are roughly only 5% of a population. One flea lays 25-50 eggs per day that hatch into larva in your house or yard. Getting rid of them all takes time- three to four months of continued treatment and an intense cleaning schedule involving daily vacuuming and washing of bedding or favorite places. Prevention is the best way to keep them away!
The good news is that fleas are preventable with monthly oral or topical products that we have in the clinic and in our webstore. We can also help you get rid of them if you have found some trying to become stow-aways on your furry friend. Call or stop in today, we have several options for flea prevention and flea kill. We would be glad to answer any questions and help you prevent or fix and flea troubles.