Say Goodbye to Fleas

Where does my pet get fleas from?

The flea life cycle has 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult flea. The entire cycle, from egg to adult flea, is complete in 12 – 22 days when temperature and humidity conditions are ideal, but more commonly takes 3 – 4 weeks, but could take as long 325 days once conditions cool off and the pupal stage can lay dormant until next summer.

Surprisingly, only approximately 5% of a flea infestation is made up of adult fleas on your pet, this is what you see on your pet.  The other 95% is in your home as eggs, larvae and pupae. 

Come and talk to us about the most appropriate flea control for your pet and home.

Eggs

Flea eggs are generally small and white. They kind of look like grains of sand. For an adult flea to lay eggs they have to consume a blood meal.  These eggs will hatch between 1 and 12 days of being laid.  Fleas can lay between 4-8 eggs at a time and sometimes up to 50 eggs in a single day. The highest concentration of eggs is laid towards the end of the female’s life.  Flea eggs are not sticky so when laid on a host (your pet) they will usually fall to the ground.  This is why vacuuming is very important when trying to remove fleas from your environment.

Larvae

Flea larvas are generally between 3 and 5.2 mm long. They are a semitransparent white colour during this stage. Flea larvas do not have eyes or legs so they wiggle around to get from place to place. They feed on faeces left behind from adult fleas and also small organic matter such as crumbs from food, dead insects or skin particles.  When the larvae are away from the host, they seek out shaded areas, such as a crack in the floor, deep down in your carpet, or outside in a shady spot in your garden.  Dehydration is very fatal to flea larva, so environments of suitable humidity fleas can prosper year round.  This larval stage lasts between 4 and 18 days. At the end of this stage fleas begin to spin a cocoon around them and enter the Pupal stage.

Pupal Stage

The pupal stage is pretty painful. When fleas are in the pupal stage they are protected by a silken cocoon making them immune to poisons and insecticides. This is the last stage before the flea becomes and adult.

Making it even more difficult to remove, the outside of the cocoon is covered in a sticky material. Light vacuuming or sweeping is not enough to remove these fleas. You may have success with use a steamer or strong vacuum to remove them.  This stage can last from a few days to months. The fleas will not emerge from the cocoon until a suitable host passes by. They will then spring out and try to latch on to the host attempting to get a blood meal. They have to have this blood meal within a week of emerging or else they will die.

Adult Flea

So when you see a flea this is when they are finally fully matured and ready to feed. They begin to bite your pet and or you so they can get the blood needed to survive and reproduce.

An adult flea is approximately 2.5 mm long. They’re generally dark in colour ranging from brown to a red-brown colour. They have six legs used to jump long distances from host to host.  Fleas so not have wings. When an adult flea bites it will first inject a numbing agent.  Later though you will begin to itch as it is the saliva traces that the fleas leave behind cause skin irritation. Many pets live with fleas but show minimal signs.

The following problems can occur:-

• ·         Some pets develop an allergy to flea bites. If these pets are exposed to fleas they groom or scratch excessively and develop skin disease.
• ·         Adult fleas live on animals and feed on blood. In kittens and debilitated animals this may cause anaemia.
• ·         The flea acts as the intermediate host for the tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum). Tapeworm eggs which are shed within tapeworm segments in cat faeces are eaten by flea larvae which develop into infected fleas. Cats become infested by eating infected fleas during grooming. Any cat with fleas is likely also to have a tapeworm infestation.

How can I get rid of fleas on my pet?

Fleas need to be eliminated from your pet.  This means ALL cats and dogs that you own, and live in your home, will need to be treated.

Within 12 hours the adult fleas on your pet will die and there will be no new viable eggs that can be laid.  But remember all the existing flea stages that are hiding in the environment.  Eggs and larvae that come in touch with your treated pet, or their treated hair that moults in the environment, will be killed.  But the Pupal stage will continue to develop into adult fleas and jump on to your pet, but because your pets are treated these fleas will be killed to.

Therefore it is never a one treatment fix.  You need to ensure your pet is treated for the entire time that the flea cycles run their course.  We do recommend you protect your pet and home from fleas with treatment all year round.

Come and talk to us about the best option for you and your furry family.  Products range in topical and oral options.

How can I treat my home environment?

When you are struggling with a heavy flea burden it is important that you treat your home too. 

When picking a “Flea bomb” you need to be sure it contains a growth regulatory hormone to kill the egg and larvae stage. So be sure to move cushions and to move furniture and beds to spray underneath. Other places liked by larvae are skirting boards and the cracks in wooden floors. Don't forget out of the way places to which your cat has access such as cupboards.

Your pet's bedding should be regularly washed at a high temperature or replaced. Regular and thorough vacuuming of your carpets, floors and soft furnishings can remove a large proportion of the flea eggs, larvae and pupae which are present in your home. You will need to throw away and preferably burn the dust bag to prevent eggs and larvae developing in there. Vacuuming prior to the application of a spray to the house is recommended because the vibrations will encourage newly developed fleas to emerge from pupae which will then be killed by the insecticide.

Are insecticides safe for my cat and my family?

Insecticides for flea control should be safe both for animals and humans provided the manufacturer's instructions are carefully followed. There are however some insecticides available that are not safe to use on cats.  Always seek your vet's advice and always tell your vet about any flea control products you may be using other than those they recommend.

Certain types of pets (e.g. fish, amphibia, reptiles and invertebrates) may be particularly susceptible to some products. Do not use any flea control products in the room in which these pets are kept without first consulting your vet for advice.

I have not seen any fleas on my cat. Why has my vet advised flea control?

Fleas are easy to find if a cat is heavily infested. If fleas are present in smaller numbers it can be harder to see them and they move fast. Try looking on the cat's belly, around the tail base and around the neck. Sometimes adult fleas cannot be found but "flea dirt" can be seen. This is faecal matter from the flea which contains partially digested blood and is a good indicator of the presence of fleas. Flea dirts are small black specks or coiled structures; if you are not sure place them on damp white tissue and they will dissolve leaving a reddish brown blood residue. Flea dirt may be found in cats’ bedding even when they cannot be found on the cat.

In cats that develop an allergy to fleas one of the symptoms is excessive grooming. Cats are very efficient at removing debris from their coat's using their tongues and may succeed in removing allevidence of flea infestation i.e. adult fleas and flea dirt. One of the commonest causes of feline allergic skin disease is flea allergy. To investigate this possibility your vet may advise rigorous flea control even though no fleas can be found. If the cat's skin problem improves with flea control then it suggests that flea allergy is involved. As with many conditions, problems with fleas are much easier to prevent than to treat once they develop so routine flea control is recommended even in pets with no problems or evidence of fleas.

I noticed my cat had fleas after his return from the boarding cattery. Did they get them at the cattery?

Not necessarily. Newly hatched adult fleas can survive for up to 140 days within the pupa. When you and your pets are absent from home for extend periods of time these adult fleas will remain in the pupae because no host is available. As soon as you or your pet returns these fleas will suddenly emerge in large numbers and jump onto cats, dogs and even people in the search for a blood meal.

Despite treating my cat for fleas he still has them. Is there a superflea?

There is no evidence of fleas developing resistant to insecticides. Apparent failure of treatment almost always results from inadequate treatment of the home or exposure to other infested environments. Consider treating garden sheds, cars and in the summer favoured outdoor sleeping spots. Bear in mind that your cat may be going into other people's houses. A lot of these problems can be overcome by using a really effective and persistent product on the cat to kill adult fleas in addition to treating your home.

ALWAYS READ THE LABEL CAREFULLY - apply the product as instructed and repeat at the intervals stated.

NEVER USE DOG FLEA PRODUCTS ON CATS – this practice can be life threatening. Some dog products contain chemicals that are very dangerous for cats.