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| Fleas - HEALTH CARE - THE DEN - Canine Corner | ||||||||||||
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Robi Pack Leader 
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With the emergence of spring flowers, budding trees and green lawns, thoughts automatically turn to those parasites that wreak havoc with our dogs. One parasite, which is especially troublesome not only to the dog, but the environment in which he lives, is the flea. The "American Kennel Club Dog Care and Training" book contains some valuable information about fleas and how to get rid of them. What are fleas? Fleas are tiny wingless insects that feed on dogs, among other animals. Flea bites make some dogs, that are allergic to flea saliva, so miserable that they bite and scratch themselves raw. Other dogs do not seem to respond to flea bites with the same intensity. If you see evidence of fleas on your dog, it is essential to eradicate them as quickly as possible, before the population grows. Hungry fleas sometimes bite humans too, leaving small. red itchy bumps most commonly observed on the wrists and ankles. Flea Life Cycle If you think just killing the adult fleas on you pet means that he or she is safe from further infestation, think again! Flea eggs and larvae could be lurking on your pet or around your home, just waiting to reach adulthood and start your furry friend scratching all over again. Flea eggs: Eggs are deposited on the host. After 1 to 6 days, the eggs fall off the host onto the carpet, your pets bed, or your lawn. They then hatch into a larval stage. Flea Larvae: The eggs hatch and develop into white larvae. The larvae feed on organic debris, commonly called "flea dirt". Flea dirt consists of partially digested blood which is left behind by the blood sucking adult flea. Flea Pupae: After several days, the larvae form a cocoon or pupa. The young flea is not transforming into an adult. The adult emerges as soon as a potential host crosses its path. If however, the environment is too cold or too dry, the flea may remain in the pupal stage for several months waiting for a better opportunity for a meal. Adult Fleas: Adult fleas are about the size of a pinhead. They use their remarkable jumping ability to leap onto any passing animal and then spend almost their entire adulthood on this host. They feed on the hosts blood, then breed and lay large numbers of eggs. Before a flea reaches adulthood, it has been through three other life stages: egg, larvae, and pupae. Depending on environmental conditions, it can take between two weeks and eight months for a flea egg to reach adulthood, although the average is probably three to four weeks in most homes. That means that while the fleas might be dead today, in as little as two weeks your home and your pet could be re-infested with hungry adult fleas. How can you tell if your dog has fleas? You may actually see the dark fleas, about the size of sesame seeds, scurrying about on the skin. Their favorite spots include the base of the ears and the rump. Look closely to sparsely haired places like the groin for telltale signs. A more accurate way to diagnose fleas, however, when the live ones aren't observed, is to part the fur in several places and look for tiny black specks about the size of poppy seeds. These specks are flea feces, composed of digested blood. If you're not sure whether you're looking at "flea dirt: or just plain dirt, place is on a damp piece of white tissue. After a minute or so, a small red spot or halo will become apparent if it's flea feces, since the blood re-hydrates and diffuses into the tissue.
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| Canine Corner > THE DEN > HEALTH CARE > Fleas | |
