Maple

Maple Veterinary Hospital

FLEA FACTS

THE FLEA

There are over 2,200 species and subspecies of fleas. The most common fleas found on dogs and cats in North America are the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) and the dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis). However, the most common flea found on both cats and dogs is the cat flea. The cat flea will infest most warm-blooded animals including other domestic animals such as rabbits and ferrets.

Interesting Fact: Flea fossils date back to the Lower Cretaceous period, meaning fleas have been around for 100 to 200 million years. Just think, their original neighbors might have been a Tyrannosaurus Rex or Triceratops!

If you find fleas on your pet, the most likely reason is that your pet has visited another household with fleas or come in contact with fleas in its environment. Frequently wild animals such as feral cats and dogs, raccoons, opossums, or skunks will take up residence under a porch, crawl space, or shrubs where they continue to introduce new fleas into the environment. Note that squirrels and rabbits are seldom carriers of the cat flea.

FLEA LIFE CYCLE

Once a flea jumps onto a host cat or dog, it can lay eggs within 24 hours. A female flea can lay 40 to 50 eggs in just one day!! The eggs are laid in the hair coat of the host and then roll out of the hair into the surrounding environment inside and outside the home. The adult fleas that you see represent only 5% of the total flea population in your home. If you happen to see one flea, there may be more than 100 offspring or adults looming nearby in furniture, bedding, corners, cracks, carpeting, grass, or on your pet. In just 30 days, 10 female fleas can multiply to over a quarter million fleas in varying stages of development.

5%	Stage 4 is the adult flea stage.	A female flea can lay 40 to 50 eggs in just one day! The flea lifecycle can be completed in as little as 16 days. In just 30 days, 10 female fleas can multiple to over 250,000 fleas in varying life stages.
10%	Stage 3 is the pupal stage.
35%	Stage 2 is the larval stage.
50%	Stage 1 is the egg stage.

If all 53 million dogs in the U.S. each hosted a population of 60 fleas, we'd have more than six trillion flea eggs surrounding our pets. Laid end-to-end, those eggs would stretch around the world more than 76 times. Eggs make up 50% of the flea population in your home.

RISK ASSESSMENT AND MEDICAL CONCERNS

Take our risk assessment quiz to see if you, your dogs, or your cats are at risk for external parasites, like fleas.

If left untreated, fleas can cause:

flea-bite dermatitis

Flea-bite dermatitis is due to the dog or cat being allergic to the saliva of the flea. The typical appearance of flea-bite dermatitis is hair loss on the posterior back, with scabs, inflamed skin, and intense itching. Many times fleas can be seen running through the sparse hair coat on the back. If left untreated, the hair loss and scabs can cover the entire body.

tapeworm infestation

Fleas may contain the cyst of a tapeworm. When the dog or cat swallows a flea, the cyst may then form into tapeworms in the intestinal track of the dog or cat. Small white tapeworm segments may be seen moving on or attached to the hair or skin under the tail. Segments may also be seen on a bowel movement. If your pet becomes infected with tapeworms, you will need to contact your veterinarian for the proper deworming medication.

Signs of a flea problem include:

excessive scratching and/or biting behavior	All animals will itch occasionally, but you should be able to recognize if a pet develops a recurring and irritating itch. A flea itch is not usually caused by the adult flea moving around on the animal's skin, but is more normally caused from the pet having an allergic reaction to the flea's saliva.
flea dirt	Fleas leave a residue of "flea dirt" on your pet. You may or may not find adult fleas on your pet. Even if you do not find an adult flea, you may find "flea dirt" that is left behind. These small, black droppings that resemble ground pepper are made up of blood and secretions from the adult flea. Suspected "flea dirt" can be deposited on a sheet of waxed paper. You can apply water to the dirt and wait a few minutes. If the dirt turns into a red streak, it confirms that the dirt is actually "flea dirt".
skin disorders	any evidence of skin disease can have fleas as the primary cause. If your dog or cat exhibits any hair loss, soreness or skin problems, a veterinary examination is important to determine the cause of the problem and recommend the best treatment plan.
flea bites to humans	Humans are not a primary host for cat and dog fleas. A flea that is looking for a host may jump onto and bite the ankles of a human but the dog and cat flea will jump off quickly since dog and cat fleas do not live on humans. As with cats and dogs, some humans are allergic to the saliva of a flea.

HOW TO AVOID A FLEA INFESTATION

Avoid flea infestations by regularly inspecting your pet for fleas. This is done by frequently

grooming your pet	Make sure that you are combing through your pet's fur all the way down to the skin.
inspect your home for fleas	Using a pair of white socks, walk around your home and watch for fleas to jump on the socks.
vacuuming	Vacuum daily in areas where your pet lingers most often and weekly throughout other areas of the house. Make sure to dispose of the vacuum bag after each vacuuming to remove all flea eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult fleas from your house.
cleaning bedding and carriers	Wash all bedding materials, clean carriers and kennels, and clean/vacuum the automobile.
knowing the health of play pals	If your pet has a playmate from another household, encourage your friends and family to treat any pet that may be visiting your house or yard. Be sure to protect your pet with a flea preventative if you frequent dog parks, boarding kennels, groomers, or pet stores. If you and your pet are campers and take walks in the woods, you should use a flea and tick preventative.

HOW TO TREAT A FLEA INFESTATION

If you have multiple pets, they all must be treated for fleas at the same time. Just one untreated pet can act as a "safe haven" for fleas, thereby triggering a new infestation or preventing you from eradicating an existing one.

Be sure to purchase the right flea treatment product. Use a flea product that is manufactured to stay active throughout the entire flea lifecycle.

If you suspect that your pet has fleas or you've found a flea on your pet, don't rush off to the store and buy the first or cheapest flea treatment that you find. Insecticides may kill adult fleas without having any affect on the eggs, pupae, or larvae forms of the flea. Remember adult fleas are only the 5% tip of the flea iceberg. The other 95% of the flea iceberg lives in areas where your pet walks, plays, and sleeps.

Also, many over-the-counter flea treatments contain Permethrin that effectively kills fleas BUT IS TOXIC TO CATS. If a Permethrin product is applied to a cat, the cat will most likely suffer a fatal reaction. Cats are so sensitive to Permethrin that if they just come in contact with a dog that has been treated with Permethrin, the cat can suffer a toxic reaction which may result in death.

.Maple Veterinary Hospital veterinarians recommend using a long-acting flea preventative such as Advantage, AdvantageMulti, Frontline, Comfortis, or Sentinel for at least three consecutive months to break the flea cycle. These products are designed to be administered once a month and are affective at killing fleas for 30 days.

In Michigan, flea infestations are generally the worst from August to October. In southern states with year-round warm climates, flea infestations can occur anytime. So, if you take your dog or cat on vacation to a warmer state during the winter, they need flea protection.

If you have questions as to what product is best for your pet, call Maple Veterinary Hospital at 248-585-2622 and ask to speak to one of our Licensed Veterinary Technicians.