Health

There are over 2000 species of flea in the world. Thankfully, only the cat flea and the dog flea (Ctenocephalides felis, Ctenocephalides canis) affect dogs and cats. Despite the name, cat fleas infest dogs just as much as they infest cats.

The problem is that fleas breed in enormous numbers. Each female can lay as many as 500 eggs in its lifetime, which immediately fall off the animal, all around your home!

Fleas are small, flightless insects that survive on blood. 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. The eggs hatch after one week into white thread-like larvae. The larvae thrive in dark, humid places such as carpets and animal bedding.

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!

You can tell if your dog has fleas when he is scratches, bites excessively or develops a rash on his skin. Eggs or flea dirt (dark, hard pellets of digested blood) either in the fur or bedding will also tell you if he has fleas. They are normally visible to the naked eye but if your dog has dark fur they are easier to see. Adult fleas are between 1-3 mm long and brownish in colour. Their bodies are compressed from side to side which enables the flea to move through fur with ease. The hind legs of a flea are relatively large and are used for jumping heights of up to 16 cm. Flea eggs can also seen, they are white in colour, oval shaped and approximately 0.5mm long.

Few things can be quite as frustrating to a dog owner as dog fleas. They can give painful bites to both parties and in some cases transmit disease. An infestation is irritating but manageable and with just a little work they can be treated or prevented. Integrated Flea Control should be used every 1-2 months to keep fleas at bay, the insecticide should be applied onto the skin between the shoulder blades of the dog.

Treatment of Fleas

If your dog does develop fleas, Integrated Flea Control should be given to kill fleas and their eggs on the dog. Dogs can also be washed with an anti-flea shampoo and the fleas brushed out with a flea comb. Wash all dog towels and bedding.  Eggs, larvae and cocoons can hide in your house so give all carpets a thorough vacuum. It is much better to prevent a flea infestation in the first place than to try and eliminate one later!