Not only do fleas and ticks make your pet’s life a misery, ignoring the problem can have a tragic outcome.
If you are a dog or cat owner, it’s almost guaranteed that you’re going to have to deal with fleas. While some people consider them an unavoidable part of pet ownership, the infestation should be taken seriously. At the very least, your pet is going to be uncomfortable, itching and constantly scratching. At the worst they make pick up a bloodborne disease that can lead to a serious illness.
As far as fleas are concerned some animals and humans are allergic to them. Animals and people can display severe skin reactions if they develop a flea burden. Ticks are ore dangerous and more of a threat. The consequence of a tick bite can be tragic, ending in paralysis or death.
Both fleas and ticks are parasites that feed on the blood of the host animal, usually a cat or dog. Pets pick up fleas from the environment. When dogs run on lawns or roll in the grass, fleas can jump aboard their bodies. Those fleas can then jump from animal to animal. Ticks are usually picked up in bushland areas where they lie in wait for warm blooded animals to pass by.
If you pet brings fleas into your home, it can be a frustrating process to get rid of them. For the majority of a flea’s life stages -egg, larvae and pupa- they live in the environment. They are very hardy and can persist for quite a while. They like carpet, leaf litter or a nice cool, moist environment under the house. They just sit there until they feel the vibration or sense movement and then jump onto the host.
To rid the animal of ticks or fleas means treating with a topical or oral parasiticide. It means vacuuming the carpet, washing all bedding and cleaning wherever the animal has been and everything with which it has come into contact with.
Prevention is always better than treatment. Once an animal is infected with fleas, treatment is expensive, can take a long time and is often very frustrating. Staying on top of things with a sensible, preventative regime is the cleanest and most effective way to maintain a clean animal and environment.
