Flea Fi Fo Fum!

Fleas are one of the major causes of allergic skin diseases in domestic animals. Effective flea control is dependant on an all year round approach – this would include controlling fleas on your pet and in its environment. Fleas are present all year round, although we tend not to see them in winter as much. Effective flea control involves keeping your pet on a topical flea product throughout winter. You should also spray your household environment with a flea spray, or powder, to control those fleas and parts of the fleas’ life cycle that are not on your pet. Often the problems we experience in summer with fleas build up in the winter months, so by maintaining treatment throughout the year the spring season becomes a lot more manageable! And in particular: good winter control of fleas and other parasites means a more easily controllable summer season!

Fleas!

These little creatures are dreadful parasites that, to some degree, inhibit the quality of your pet’s life. It is important to ensure that your pet is protected against this parasite, as they may the cause for discomfort in the form of hair loss, rashes, or they may act as a vector for other diseases. Fleas, larvae and the eggs may be controlled by a number of products on the market. Some products prevent the larvae from developing chitin, killing them, but it is important to note that this will not kill the fleas. Remember to use flea medicines with care as some of them are strong enough to affect your pet, if not applied according to the instructions. One must also ensure that one’s home environment is rid of these beasties, by spraying appropriate product, and through regular vacuuming. Fleas also tend to thrive at higher temperatures (so be prepared for the summer months) and the use of air conditioning may also inhibit the fleas’ life cycle.

Plague Away

Next time you complain about fleas it would be prudent to think about an age past when a simple bite could spell your immanent death. This is of course, the Bubonic Plague , better known as the Black Death.

This disease is historically one of the most notable diseases of the middle ages, killing one third of Europe’s population, a total of nearly 200 million lives. It is believed that the rats transported the disease filled critters through the London sewers, and then promptly bit humans who died within 4 to 7 days of infection.

So when next your children play ‘Ring around the rosy” consider the fact that they’re enacting the steps that claimed so many lives. As “posies” were flowers that kept the smell of death away, while “Ha-choo, Ha-choo, we all fall down” refers to the first sign of oncoming death, sneezing. So, it would be advisable to count your blessings as a bite is no longer deadly.

Where fleas come from...

Fleas are pesky and horrible little parasites — we are all agreed on that! — but where exactly do they come from and how does your pet pick them up? Well, one thing for sure is that fleas definitely seem to appear faster than they disappear and it can take some effort and time to get rid of fleas once they have a foot into your home or a hold onto your pet. Your pet most likely picks up fleas from other pets or from romping around in the sand. Fleas can also be brought into your home by people who have been in contact with animals or have themselves romped in sand. Once fleas are in your home they tend to make themselves at home in your carpets, your pet’s cushions and beds and are best dealt with as soon as you spot them or even suspect their presence.

Fleas breed quite rapidly and not controlling them and getting rid of them altogether can lead to escalating problems and flea infestations! The first step is to bath your pets – all of them, wash out pet cushions and blankets and vacuum your entire home! You may even need to spray your home with anti-flea sprays as this will kill the fleas and help to control the larvae and eggs.

Dealing with Fleas

Fleas vary as greatly as they are annoying – in size, type, lifespan and hardiness! Some fleas are easy to get rid of and others once around tend to stick or return again and again. As a pet owner you would definitely want to know how to get rid of fleas and also how to prevent them!

Your pets are at risk of picking up fleas anytime that they are outdoors – in bushes, grass and sand and also when they come into contact with other animals (or people) who are already carrying the pesky parasite. Fleas like to stick to warm skin areas so when you are checking your cat or dog, be sure to look in the key areas: their ears, the base of their tail, the stomach area and the top of the neck. Fleas will also usually keep close to skin so you will need to take a proper look under your pet’s fur.

An adult female flea lays white round eggs and she can lay up to 50 per day and can lay anything from 500-600 eggs over several months. It does not take major mathematical skills to work out that if fleas are not dealt with you could be sitting with a miniature epidemic on your hands!

Are fleas driving you hopping mad?

Getting rid of fleas can be a tough task, but it does not have to be! Prevention is always better than a fix but sometimes prevention is near impossible. Your cat or dog, if they pick up fleas, is likely to pick them up from other animals, from playing around in the garden or from rolling
around in the sand. As much of a hassle as it can be you cannot really stop your pets from playing outside, so because your pet is still going to be outside and is potentially going to be coming into contact with the likes of fleas, and ticks the best that you can do for them is to keep a vigilant eye and to know how to best deal with the fleas when they do appear.

Anti flea solutions include drops, sprays and tablets. All three have been shown to work, with a lot of pet owners and pets having their own preferences. Do keep in mind that when getting rid of fleas cats do not generally take too kindly to the anti flea sprays as the sound of the
sprayer tends to sound a lot like another cat hissing. Which ever is easiest to dispense to your cat or dog is the going to be the answer to getting rid of their fleas.

Recognizing Ringworms

Ringworm, unlike the name suggests, is a fungal disease, and unlike fleas, ticks and worms, it is not a parasite. Ringworm is a fungal infection that sits inside of the skin tissue and can spread if not treated and controlled. Ringworm is identifiable through skin lesions and in some cases, through a fungal presence on the hair follicles. The appearance of ringworm is easily differentiated from that of bites from fleas or other parasites as the lesion on the skin is circular, and hence the name, it looks like a worm that is curling up inside of the skin tissue. Because ringworm is a fungal infection the sooner the infection is caught and treated the sooner the spread of the infection will be stopped and it can start to clear up.

The incubation period for ringworm is around two weeks. This means that only after about two weeks of coming into contact with the fungus will lesions on the skin start to show. Do be careful, the fungal infection is highly contagious and can be transmitted by contact with people and with animals that are already infected or are carriers of the fungal infection – this is another reason to seek out treatment as soon as you notice or suspect that you pet may have ringworm. As with fleas, there are a number of ways to treat ringworm, from tablets to ointments and shampoo treatments.

Fleas!

Fleas and worms are grave concern for any pet owner. They are not only pesky and very, very creepy but they can only pose as serious health hazards for both animals and for humans. The presence of fleas is easy to spot, your cat or dog will be scratching a lot more than usual and chances are you too will have a bite or two from the pesky little black parasites. The best treatment against fleas is early treatment before they are able to lay eggs. Using anti-flea shampoos, powders, drops or pills can get rid of fleas quite effectively. But there is another side to your pet having fleas that you will also need to watch out for – worms.

One of the most common ways that your cat or dog can become infected with tapeworm is by your pet swallowing a flea while your animal is grooming itself. Fleas often carry tapeworm larvae and these larvae arrive in your cat or dog’s stomach where they continue to grow and eventually hatch as worms. Recognizing that you pet has tapeworms is pretty easy by simply check your pet’s stools. A scary fact is that adult tapeworms may reach 8 inches in length as it matures inside of the intestines, so getting rid of worms, along with the fleas, with cat or dog deworming medication is vitally important to your pet’s health.

Oh no! FLEAS!

Does you cat or dog have fleas? This pesky little bug can cause hours of hassle and can leave extremely itchy and annoying bites all over you and your pets. When you first notice that your animals are scratching that is the best time to leap into action and to get rid of the fleas while they are still quite easily controllable.

Fleas get onto your pets and into your house through dust, sand and by coming into contact with other animals that already have fleas. Thankfully they are easy to control and when you have seen that your pets are extra itchy you can do something quite quickly and easily to get rid of the impending flea problem.

Many pets do not enjoy being bathed but bathing your pets with an anti-flea shampoo is one of the simplest and also one of the surest ways to get rid of the fleas. Other good anti-flea products include powders, collars and for a fast acting result when you are unable to bath your pets you can give them anti-flea pills that get to work within half an hour. Once fleas are left to their own pesky devices your job to get rid of them will be much harder than if you caught them early on.

Fleas strike back!

Fleas can be a huge hassle and can be a big trouble to get rid of once they have settled in to your home and your cat or dog’s fur. The most effective ways of getting rid of your pet’s flea problems is to tackle the problem in its early stages. This means that once you notice a flea or see that your cat or dog is scratching more than usual you should find a solution that works for both you and your pet as soon as is possible. From pills, powders and shampoos there is sure to be something that will work for you.

Flea shampoos can be very effective and fast ways of getting rid of you flea problem but not all animal take very kindly to being dumped into a bath full of water. If your cat or dog can handle a bath then this is probably your best bet. If your animal is not one for baths you could give flea powders or sprays a try. Not all animals like the sound of the spray so you may need to drop the liquid onto them instead. And for something fast and easy you could even try anti-flea tablets that your pet must ingest.

Fleas!

Fleas are not only annoying but can also lead to detrimental effects on your cat or dog’s health. And once fleas are hooked into your pet’s fur they, and their itchy after effects, can be somewhat of a nightmare to get rid of. So, understandably, to take the best care of your cat or and dog and their health you may have tried to get rid of the fleas by doing anything from bathing, to spraying and even medicating your animal against the pesky parasite. But in taking care of your pet’s health, you are not alone. Pet health insurance gives you, as a pet owner, the ability to be free from concern over your animal’s veterinary needs and expenses.

This means that without the worry about the bigger implications of taking care of your cat or dog’s health you can have the time to handle the smaller things that your pet needs you to look out for. You may have to sort out the parasite problem when it comes to fleas but any other health, illness or accidents or injuries with your cat or dog can be reliably covered and cared for through your animal’s pet insurance with Medipet.