by Dr. Claudia Lewis DVM

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• Blood sucking fleas (the little vampires!) feed off your pets and invade your home. They sneak in through screens, door cracks, crevices, visiting pets, boarding, dog park, grooming, traveling, kennels, animal control visits, strays, newly adopted pets, neighbor and family pets, yards, wildlife, and when moving to new residences.

• Flea dirt (poop) looks like pepper flakes sprinkled in the fur. If you're not sure, you can apply a couple drops of water and flea dirt turns red.

• Fleas can jump 10-12 feet.

• One flea can lay 40-50 eggs a day

• Fleas can live for months to years.

• One flea on one pet means 10-20 fleas (400-1000 eggs) in your house and yard.

• Eggs hatch in as little as 2 weeks and last in the environment over 6 months.

• Even during freezing winter conditions, fleas live on wildlife and in their dens.

• Flea infestation is the most common skin problem seen in veterinary practice.

• For more information about fleas, check out this YouTube video by KQED-PBS.

• If moving, consider pre-treating your new residence for fleas.

• For rapid flea control: treat your pets, home and yard. If only pets are treated it takes 6 months or longer to control fleas.

• I am not a big fan of Advantix for dogs. Not because it doesn't work, but because it can be fatal to cats.

• Flea baths and sprays are a waste of time and not very effective.

Pets get TAPEWORMS from eating fleas and wildlife. It is the most common worm in cats. Tapeworms look like dry, off white, flattish pieces of rice. They are usually seen around the rear end or stuck to stool. They can also be alive and undulating and stuck together end to end.

In addition to having fleas, your pet could have a flea allergy.

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TREATING YOUR PET FOR FLEAS (& TAPEWORMS)

1.) WEIGH YOUR PET:

Holding your pet, weigh both of you together and record that number. Then, put your pet down and weigh only yourself, also recording the second number.  Subtract the second number from the first, and that’s the weight of your pet!

2.) SELECT THE LEVEL OF INFESTATION AND DETERMINE THE CORRECT PRODUCT:

The flea control product you select for your pet is determined by whether it’s a dog or cat, their size/weight, and the severity of the flea infestation.

(Disclosure: I worked as a small animal veterinarian for over 30 years before retirement, and use my experience and expertise to recommend the what I believe are the best, most effective, reliable and safe products for your pets. All opinions expressed here are my own, and if in doubt always consult your local veterinarian).

OTC = over the counter, no prescription needed.  Rx = prescription needed.

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• More than 2-3 live fleas found per pet

• May get flea bites on people

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• Occasional live flea seen

3.) Have your home and yard treated for fleas regularly by a warrantied professional exterminator.

4.) Vacuum daily. Wash pet and household bedding at least once a week.

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• Flea dirt observed

3.) Vacuum daily. Wash pet and household bedding at least once a week.

4.) If still seeing flea dirt after 1-2 weeks, treat the house and yard with an OTC product or use a reputable, professional flea exterminator.

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• Tapeworms look like dry, off white, flattish pieces of rice. They are usually seen around the rear end or stuck to stool. They can also be alive and undulating and stuck together end to end.

• Usually one dose of praziquantel is enough, but pets can get Tapeworms again. There are also some fancy prescription products you can get from your vet.

• If you see tapeworms, pick up some praziquantel oral tablets (now available without prescription). Follow label directions.

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• In addition to having fleas, your pet could have a flea allergy.

• Pets scratch, bite and lick their fur causing irritation and fur loss especially around the rump, legs, neck and/or belly. One flea bite can cause an intense reaction. The more exposure to fleas, the worse the allergy will get. The allergy is separate from the fleas and needs separate treatment. Just treating for fleas will not necessarily clear up the flea allergy.

• In moderate to severe flea allergy your pet needs allergy medication and sometimes antibiotics from your vet.

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