The Bloodsucking Menace

Cheryl Augustyne By Cheryl Augustyne Staten Island Advance
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on October 30, 2008 at 9:05 AM, updated October 30, 2008 at 9:57 AM

People are shocked to find out their pet has fleas. Without using prevention, more than likely they are going to get them. Yes, even if they 'only go in my yard'....By the time you notice them, your house is now involved. Fleas stay on the host (dog or cat) but the eggs drop off like salt from a shaker wherever the pet goes. 1 female flea can lay 20-50 eggs a day, up to 2000 in a lifetime. Those eggs can hatch in as little time as a day, and those baby fleas need to feed!! If a dog or cat isn't around, a human will do for that first blood meal...gross!

So, what do you do? Merial, the makers of Frontline provide an informative little slide show on how pets get fleas, the house gets infested and how to treat both. Your vacuum will become your new best friend, as it is the first in line of defense against THE BLOODSUCKING MENACE!!! Advantix K-9 Advantix is another good product but should not be used on your dog if you have cats in the same house. Promeris is a newer flea prevention that I have used on my dog, Molly and it has worked just as good as the other two.

Dogs and cats can be allergic to the flea bites even after you've removed the fleas. Secondary bacterial infections can occur and a trip to the vet may be in order if you see the pet still scratching, red skin, pus, scabs, hair loss, etc. In addition to causing problems on the outside, fleas can cause tapeworms on the inside. So when Fido or Fifi had fleas and groomed themselves or were biting at the bloodsucking menaces, most likely they ingested some. A fecal sample should be done by your vet and the recommended deworming should be followed.

So prevention is the key here. Collars are very ineffective for whole body protection (and smell horrible!) I tell clients all the time, it is so much cheaper to prevent fleas then to have to treat the pet AND your home. Some homes are so badly infested that they need professional exterminators to come in...usually more than once. So, why are you still reading this....go to your veterinarian and get some flea prevention!!