Dealing with dog fleas
Few things can be quite as frustrating to a dog owner as dog
fleas. They can give painful bites and in some cases transmit
disease. An infestation is irritating but manageable and with
just a little work they can be treated and prevented.
What are they?
The first step to dealing with fleas is to make sure you
understand them and their lifecycle. Fleas are small,
flightless insects that survive on blood. They should be
visible to the naked eye but if your dog has dark fur you may
have an easier time seeing them against the skin. Otherwise,
you have to hunt for them.
An irritant at every stage
A flea goes through four stages in its lifetime: egg,
larvae, pupae and adult. Adult females lay eggs in batches of
20. These are laid on the host but are usually quick to fall to
the ground. Eggs are very small, oval shaped and grey or white
in colour.
Once the eggs hatch, larvae emerge which feed mostly on
debris such as faeces, dead insects or vegetable matter. Within
a week or two the larvae will spin cocoons and pupate for
another one to two weeks. Adult fleas emerge and must
immediately find a host for a source of blood.
Fleas tend to specialise in a particular kind of host. The
type you'll find on your dog won't normally feed on humans but
there are always exceptions.
Prevention
It is much better to prevent a flea infestation in the first
place than to try and eliminate one later. Unfortunately it 's
difficult to guess the source of a flea infestation until
you've already had one.
Careful vacuuming with particular attention paid to nooks,
crannies and upholstered furniture will go a long way towards
getting rid of eggs, larvae and cocoons.
If you've never had fleas in your home before, the most
likely way for them to get in is to be carried from outside by
your dog.
If you know he has been infested after a trip to a certain
location (a friend's house for example) then in future, you
should bathe and comb him whenever he returns home from that
particular place. Use a fine-toothed comb and keep soapy water
on hand to drown the fleas.
If the outdoor source is as close as your front lawn then
there's little you can do besides taking extra precautions
during flea season.
Spotting the signs
You can tell if your dog has fleas when he is scratches or
bites excessively or develops a rash on his skin, Eggs or flea
dirt (dark, hard pellets of digested blood) either in his fur
or on his bedding are also a good indicator.
Treatment
Your vet can recommend a number of treatments to help
quickly eliminate fleas and their eggs. These usually work by
killing adult fleas (and turning your pet into a walking flea
death trap!) or by weakening larvae.
Because treatment usually only affects fleas in one of their
life stages it is important to supplement any treatment with
diligent cleaning of your dog's bedding.
Be wary of flea treatment products not provided by your vet.
As ever, it is always wise to consult with your vet before
beginning any sort of treatment on your animal.