Articles

The unfortunate facts about fleas, ticks and lice.

 

Unfortunately, fleas, ticks and lice can cause more than just a nasty itch which your pet will want to scratch.  Fortunately, there are things you can do to protect your pet, yourself and your home from them and the problems they cause.   

Fleas: little breeders, aren’t they?

The simple truth is one little flea can quickly become one big problem.  In fact, in only 21 days, one flea can become 1,000!  Just take a look at the life cycle to see how.

life cycle of the flea

Fleas can cause your pet problems such as:

·        Intense itching and scratching, resulting in hair loss

·        Tapeworms

·        Anaemia

·        Flea Allergy Dermatitis

And another truth is that if you see fleas on your pets, there will almost certainly be flea eggs, larvae and pupae in your home too.  

How one flea becomes 1,000 in 21 days:

Adult fleas live on your cat or dog and females lay up to 50 eggs a day each.

The eggs fall off your pet wherever it goes – on the sofa and carpet, even in your car or bed.

Larvae: Eggs hatch into larvae which move away from light, deep into carpets or furnishings.

Pupae: Larva spin cocoons and grow into adult fleas inside.  They hatch when they sense warmth, CO2 and vibration.

Protect your pet and home from the little breeders.

Did you know that only 5% of the flea problem is on your pet? 95% is in the home as eggs, larvae and pupae.  Which is why it’s important to protect your home as well as your pet.   Here’s how:

Use a product to kill adult fleas on your pet.

Use a product to prevent the development of eggs, larvae and pupae in your home.

Regularly wash your pet’s bedding above 60% to remove any eggs, larva and pupae.

Regularly vacuum your home for the same reason.

And if you want to get rid of an infestation in your home, you’ll also need to allow your treated pet into all the infested areas.  That way, any new fleas which hatch out can jump onto them and be killed.

Your vet can recommend an easy-to-use pipette treatment that will protect both your pet and your home from the little breeders.  

Ticks:  They’re suckers for cats and dogs.

Ticks are troublesome little creatures.  They like to attach to your cat and dog from a variety of places, such as garden, parks and particularly heaths, moors and woods.

Once they’re attached, ticks will feed on your pet by sucking its blood.  But unfortunately, that’s not the only problems they can cause.  Ticks are second only to mosquitoes in transmitting infectious diseases to humans and animals.

Ticks can:

Attach to pets and even people.

Cause a skin reaction or abscess.

Transmit diseases such as Lyme Disease, which also affects humans.

How to protect your pet from ticks.

You should use a treatment which kills ticks within 48 hours of them attaching – this will minimise the chance of a disease being transmitted.  Ticks should drop off once they’re dead, but if not, try to gently pull them out with a pair of tweezers.  If you can’t remove them, as your vet for help.

And a line on lice

Lice aren’t very nice for your pet – they cause irritation and discomfort.  Your vet can recommend a treatment which will kill lice within 48 hours, as well as killing fleas and ticks.

Remember to treat your pet regularly to keep them free of the little breeders and suckers.  Ask your vet to recommend a suitable product.  

A Morning Kiss

A morning kiss, a discreet touch of his nose landing somewhere on the middle of my face.
Because his long white whiskers tickled, I began every day laughing.

Janet F Faure