Sudbury Veterinarian Discusses Fleas and Treatment
The mere mention of the word fleas can make your skin itch so just imagine how uncomfortable this problem could be for your four legged friends. Sudbury Veterinarians describe fleas as small, blood sucking parasites that can be very unpleasant and cause distress for both you and your pet. They are definitely unwanted house guests, little hitchhikers, which can invade the privacy of your home.
How does you pet get fleas? Sudbury Veterinarians state that your pet can become infected when the adult flea jumps onto them, either from the environment or from other infected animals. Fleas are indifferent. They do not care if your pet is clean or dirty, long or short haired, big or small.
An adult flea can live up to 100 days, spending almost all their time on your pet taking up permanent residency on your pet’s skin. Sudburyveterinarians state that the adult fleas feed on your pet as often as every 5 minutes which causes itchiness and discomfort. As a result your pet may be bitten up to 400 times per day. Could you imagine how painful this must be?? No one would ever want their furry friends to endure this kind of unnecessary suffering. For humans, the sound of a mosquito will have you up swatting at the air to avoid the painful and itchy bite they leave behind. Animals also cannot reach certain areas on their body and therefore cannot even satisfy themselves or find relief by scratching.
Did you know that the female begins to lay eggs within 36 to 48 hours after mating? Sudbury Veterinarians know that a single female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day. Wow!! That’s a pretty significant number. The eggs fall off of your pet into the surrounding environment, i.e. your home, and hatch into larvae which are the worm-like stage of the flea life cycle. Not completely horror-struck yet?? These larvae will move away from any light and hide in the carpet, in the pet’s bedding, under the baseboards and in the spaces in hardwood floors. That means your home becomes an incubator for little flea babies just waiting for an unsuspecting victim. Sudbury veterinarians want people to know that the larvae form cocoons which can survive for many months and even up to a year if the surrounding hatching conditions are unfavourable. Therefore, just because you do not see any living fleas on your pet, the larvae could still be nesting in areas within your home. These cocoons will hatch when they detect warmth, vibrations and increases in Carbon dioxide levels. When all of these factors are present it is assumed that a pet is in the vicinity and the cocoons hatch with the prospect of a new feeding ground being available. That means a lot of scratching for your pets if the situation goes untreated. They lay in wait for their victim and choose the optimal opportunity to strike. Sounds like something from a horror film, you say. Well, anyone who has dealt with a flea infestation will attest that it is, in essence, its own horror film where your family plays the starring roles.
What do I do if my pet has fleas? Unfortunately the solution for ridding your pet and your home of fleas is not a quick fix. At the Barrydowne Animal Hospital we can offer a variety of products to prevent or treat fleas that will suit both your needs and the needs of your pet. For more information on flea control contact our Sudbury Veterinarians at 705-566-4243. Don’t forget to visit our website at www.barrydowneanimalhospital.com and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarrydowneAnimalHospital
