Parasites are.....well yuk😔
Hat's off, they are very good at what they do, which is living off their host - this could be your cat, dog or you. They are also very good at evading predation.
Looking at fleas, everyone knows them, we've probably all met them but......
..........did you know that a flea has a lifecycle which has lots of different stages, and the majority of the flea's life is spent off your pet! This can make them hard to get rid of as they can move in with you and before you know it you have generations of them camping in your living room. But how do we get rid of them?
..........did you know that fleas live off the blood of your pet, and if they bite you - yours as well!
..........did you know that fleas carry a tapeworm (called Dipylidium) which can be transmitted to your pet - and you 😳 when it bites.
How to check for fleas
Look through your pet's coat: part the coat to the base of the hair and go through the coat in sections, fleas are quick moving and can be difficult to find - unless there are lots of them. Unfortunately if you find fleas easily you need to act fast as they breed at rate of around 50 per day
Use a fine-toothed flea comb: you're looking for specks of dark dirt near the base of the hair. There may be the odd speck normally but if you find more than a few, comb it onto a piece of white paper and add a drop of water - if the colour turns red its likely flea dirt. Fleas feed off the blood of your pet.
If your pet is flea-free a treatment for them can be all that is needed. This can depend on your pet's life style and how much they are mixing with other animals, but if you have families of this awful parasite living with you, you will also need to treat your home. When using environmental sprays - follow the instructions to the letter (as you would with medications) as these products can be extremely toxic to pets.
Summer is party time for fleas!
If you need advice about any of the points raised here, call CareVets on 0151 345 1121.
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