Fleas are small reddish brown, wingless and blood sucking insects. They are flat side to side and have powerful legs for jumping and moving through the fur of the host. They can affect both dogs and cats. Like the ticks, fleas have mouth parts adapted for sucking blood from the host. It is very difficult to catch a flea because the flea will most likely hope or run very quickly to other parts of the body as you part the fur and expose it to sunlight.

The Female fleas can lay as many as 50 eggs each day. When the eggs hatch into larvae, they feed on flea dirt (which is excrement of partially digested blood). Flea dirt may be the first sign that you observe on your petĄ¯s fur even if you do not see the actual adult fleas. The larvae will develop into pupae and then to the six legged adults. The adult fleas attach to the animal and feed and bread and then start another life cycle all over again.

Fleas bite causes intense skin irritation and infested pets will scratch themselves excessively. The fast movement of the hopping fleas will add to the skin irritation. Some animals have flea bite hypersensitivity where they suffer acute allergy to the fleaĄ¯s saliva and severe skin inflammation follows, even with just one flea bite. Secondary bacterial infection occurs resulting in skin with pus filled pimples, rough fur coat and excessive shedding.

As fleas bite and suck blood from their host, anemia and weakness can easily develop in young or very old animals. Affected animals suffer from lethargy, pale gums and inappetance. Tapeworms can also be transmitted via flea bites. Infestation of tapeworms will cause severe weight loss, inappetance and even seizures in worse cases. Fleas are also the arthropod vector for Mycoplasma hemofelis. The disease is called feline hemobartonellosis where the catĄ¯s red blood cells are being attacked and destroyed. The affected cat will develop anemia, weakness, anorexia and weight loss.

Like ticks, fleas can also reproduce and live in our homes. They like to live in the dark damp places like floor or wall cracks, ceiling and even on our bookshelves. Fleas can also bite us, causing intense itch with small red spots on our skin. Some of us may suffer worse to flea bites due to an allergic reaction. This often results in secondary bacterial infection with severe skin irritation.

Flea control can be very challenging because two things must be done ¨C treatment of the infested pet and treatment of the environment. Only treating the animal is not enough because the treated animal quickly becomes reinfested from any untreated premises.

Flea collars, shampoos, and sprays are commonly used to control fleas. These can effectively remove adult fleas before they cause skin irritation by biting. Some veterinarians may prescribe oral flea medication. Topical or spot treatment can also be helpful to provide effective residual control. Always check through your petĄ¯s coat by regular grooming and combing.

Premise control can be achieved by regular cleaning and vacuuming of your petĄ¯s area. It is important to throw out vacuum bags to avoid it becoming a breeding ground for more fleas. Any flea dirt must be disposed off immediately to kill off the adult fleas or its larvae. Pay attention to floor mat edges, curtains, floor cracks and wall crevices. Some insecticidal chemicals can be used to kill off the adult fleas. These chemical products must be used with great care and animals should be kept away during treatment.