Paws for Thought Radio Show - FLEAS

WHAT BUGS US THE MOST? FLEAS!

LISTEN TO THE PAWS FOR THOUGHT RADIO SHOW ON KMUZ 88.5 FM OR ONLINE AT KMUZ.ORG OR THROUGH THE TUNEIN RADIO APP on your smartphone or iPad.

  

Fleas are just awful. If you’ve ever had a flea infestation you know exactly what I am talking about! Fleas and ticks are much more than just a nuisance. They cause severe distress in dogs and cats and, more important, they cause disease. By the time a pet owner notices fleas on their pet, the fleas have already injected their salivary proteins, transmitted infectious diseases and are already laying eggs. Ticks can transmit diseases to a dog or cat way before the pests are even found and removed.

The fleas that invade our homes and feed on our cats and dogs don't usually live on non-furry hosts like humans but they can and do bite people. Adult fleas are perfectly built for hiding in fur. They have flattened bodies that help them to navigate through fur or hair. They also have backwards-facing spines on their bodies to help them cling to fur when a cat or dog is on the move. Our relatively hairless bodies don't make great hiding places for fleas, and thank goodness it's much harder for them to hang on to OUR bare skin. Fleas have 3 pairs of legs, the rear pair is designed for jumping. They are pretty well known for this ability to jump which makes it easy for one pet to infect another.

With that said, people living with pets most likely will, at some time, find themselves faced with fleas and as they multiply in number, all those blood thirsty fleas will be competing for your pet. They may even begin biting you too. Flea bites typically occur on the ankles or lower legs. And yes, flea bites do itch, especially if you're allergic to them.

One word of caution, though. While fleas rarely take up residence on human skin, they can and will live happily in a human home even with no pets present. If fleas do find their way into your house and don't find a dog, cat, or bunny on which to feed, they will use you as the next best thing. We hear stories all the time at the store about families who have had to cope with flea infestations when they move into a new apartment or home.

Understanding the various stages of the fleas life cycle, will help make it easier to get rid of them.

Fleas thrive in warm, moist environments and climates. Sound familiar? We do get enough warmth all year around and lots of moisture. Fleas thrive on the blood of a host animal and Flea saliva, like other biting skin parasites, contains an ingredient that softens, or "digests" the host's skin for easier penetration and feeding. This flea saliva is very irritating and highly allergenic, causing itching and scratching, often called flea dermatitis.

Fleas have four main stages in their life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The total flea life cycle can range anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months and even up to a year, depending on environmental conditions.  

Adult fleas lay all of their eggs (up to 50 per day) on the pet. However, the eggs soon fall off the animal into carpeting, beneath the cushions of furniture, and wherever else the pet rests, sleeps or spends most of its time. This is where homeowners should focus control measures.

After hatching, flea eggs develop into tiny, worm-like larvae. By the way larvae is the active and immature form of an insect. These larvae remain hidden deep in carpet fibers, beneath furniture cushions and in other protected areas. The larvae feed mainly on adult flea feces (dried blood) which accumulates, along with the eggs in all the areas that your pet rests and plays.

Before becoming an adult flea, the larvae transform into pupae within a silk-like cocoon. pupae remain inside the cocoon for 2 to 4 weeks, sometimes longer. The cocoon is resistant to insecticides and this is exactly why some adult fleas are seen over and over again for an extended period of time, even after the home and pet are treated.

The pupae pupae which develop into adults to start the cycle all over again. But there’s a catch! If conditions are not right, or food sources are not available, pew-pie can survive several months or up to a year inside a dwelling or even outdoors in warm weather, and quickly emerge into adults when stimulated by an approaching pet or person. Adult fleas can survive for several weeks indoors with no food, waiting for a blood filled meal before they lay eggs again. So even if there are no fleas on your pet, part of the flea life cycle can still be present just waiting for the right conditions to attack again.

Addressing flea treatment and prevention is not easy. It truly is hard for most people to understand just how difficult eradication of this pest can be and how expensive. It’s easy for those of us in the industry to assume people know the basics about fleas, but the truth is they typically don’t.  Most people don’t think that their cat has fleas just because their dog does. Most people don’t know that their outdoor cat will always have fleas unless treated monthly, and that they bring them inside every time they walk in your house. We hear people cry all the time “But my dog has never had fleas before!” Most of the life cycle of the flea is spent off of the pet and those hatching fleas will latch on to the very next pet that walks by.

Fleas are quick, and they are very small – 2 to 4 millimeters and for every flea you see, there are, on average, 10 more you don’t see. Adult fleas will eat their blood meal at least once per hour, making small cuts in the skin to do so. Once blood is digested, the flea excretes the rest, leaving “flea dirt”, which looks like small dark comma shaped specks on the pet’s skin. You can tell if it’s flea dirt or regular dirt by dampening a paper towel with a little warm water and try to smear the dirt. If it smears, especially with a dark reddish tint, it’s flea dirt. If it rolls and leaves no mark, it’s plain dirt.

Because the larvae and pupae can’t be seen by our eyes, the best thing we humans can do to do battle with these pesty fleas is to vacuum often. And, you need to throw vacuum bags away outside of your house. If you have a bagless vacuum, empty it immediately. You can get a product to kill fleas inside your vacuum cleaner. Something like Fleavac or Diatomaceous Earth. I’ll talk more about that in a few minutes. You should also have a flea comb available, comb your pets hair and drop fleas immediately into a bowl of soapy water. Fleas can just skate across water, but soap breaks down the surface tension of the water so they fall in and drown. You can also put a bowl of soapy water under a night lite where your pet sleeps to attract fleas and let them drown.

Your yard is a breeding ground for insects. Taking the proper steps will make a world of difference. First, get rid of yard debris like leaves, grass piles and trash where fleas can hide. There are multiple ways to protect your yard. One way is to treat your grass in the spring with healthy Nematodes, which can be found at most garden centers. The nematode, hunts down fleas in most of the stages of their growth, which account for 95 percent of the flea population. They even search out fleas that lie dormant in cocoons before reaching maturity. Without going into the gory details, just know that the killer nematode, enters the pest's body and releases bacteria that kills the flea within 48 hours. If there are no host bugs to be found, the nematodes starve and biodegrade, leaving no harmful backyard bug alive to tell the story. Lastly, treat your mulched areas with pet safe and organic Diatomaceous Earth. This is a natural powder of dried sea crustaceans that helps stop the flea development process by slitting the body as they move through it. It causes insects to dry out and die by absorbing the oils and fats from the cuticle of the insect's exoskeleton and its abrasive and sharp edges speed up the process.  It is a very fine powder and will not hurt pets or people and it does a great job on fleas. There is one caution though. It is a fine powder so it’s best to keep it out of your lungs. You might want to wear a dust mask while applying it to your yard or home. Diatomaceous earth is all natural and safe. I use it all around my kitchen in the spring to kill the army of ants and outside in my garden to keep the slugs from eating my strawberries and on the carpet in my office to prevent fleas from attacking my dogs when they go to work with me.

Other natural products are topical drops and sprays that include essential oils in their formulas to repel fleas. They do work but must be applied as often as daily or every few days depending on the concentration. There are shampoos that kill fleas too. My favorites have essential oils that kill fleas. They smell good too.

There are flea collars and topicals available but unfortunately, not all work well and some are even harmful to your pet. Without getting myself into too much trouble, I must tell you to please be careful and do not buy the low cost flea collars that are available at drug stores, grocery stores or the big discount stores.  Many of them can cause skin problems.

There are effective flea collars. Bayer has one. You have probably seen the advertising for Seresto collars. They are the same products as Advantage that is imbedded in a dog or cat collar. The good news is that this collar works for 8 months eliminating the need to remember to put topical drops on your pets fur every month. It is newer technology and safe. The over the counter topicals, like Advantage, Frontline and the generic of Frontline can be good choices.  Also your vet can prescribe either topical solutions or oral medication to prevent fleas. You can get very good advice at your small local pet supply store, like Nature's Pet Market or at your vets office. They are knowledgeable, care deeply about your pet and can give you the proper guidance.  Most products that were prescription only or currently are prescription, are held to a higher standard of quality control and testing and therefore considered safer. 

Many dogs and cats are very sensitive to flea bites. Just one bite can set off a bout of constant itches and scratching and can cause secondary skin irritations or infections.

Fleas are much more difficult to get rid of than it is to prevent them. It takes a long time of diligent flea control and a lot more money than people really want to spend to get rid of a flea infestation. It really is very expensive to get rid of fleas. It is much less so to prevent them.

The best advice I can give you, is to get your cat or dog on flea control immediately and don’t miss a monthly dose. Flea season is ramping up right now and will soon be in full flea bloom. While there are slower months for flea infestations, here in Oregon, we often see fleas all year round. Keep your pet on a monthly flea control product all year.  It’s very important also to keep all the animals in your house flea free because it does not take more than one bite for a severe flare up of fleas and flea allergies.

One big caution is to use care when applying products to cats. There are some that should never be given to cats since cats are more sensitive to chemicals. Consult your vet, your groomer or your local natural pet supply shop.

Controlling your home and yard of fleas can be challenging and takes time, regular maintenance and commitment from you.  Insects are very resourceful and will more than likely outlive us, but there are unique tools that nature has provided us to help protect and care for our loved ones.

Bottom line, here is the battle plan:

The best plan of action is to prevent fleas from nesting on your cat or dog or in your home. But once you have noticed fleas, even one flea, on your animal there is no turning back. It is time to take action! First, if possible, contain your pets in one specific room. The bathroom works best, since you are going to bathe them after cleaning your home thoroughly. It is critical to gather all loose items such as toys, water bowls, blankets, throw pillows, rugs and any other items that will be able to go through the washing machine. Next, begin vacuuming the entire home making sure you use the hose attachment to get the base boards, since this is where fleas like to hide and breed. We carry in the store an attachment for your vacuum that is specifically designed to pick fleas. Next, mop your non-carpeted areas with a natural cleaning product like Simple Green or Shaklee Products. To keep up with the flea’s reproduction cycle, make sure in worst case scenarios that you vacuum your home once a day and if you have a vacuum bag, make sure to discard it every time so that fleas cannot escape back into your home. Items should be washed at least once a week. Diligence is a must.

Once you have taken care of the inside of your house, it is now time to take care of your pet. You need an extremely safe and effective flea shampoo specifically for cats and dogs. Cats and Dogs have much different skin types, so shampoos need to be PH balanced specific to each skin type. Also Cats are more susceptible to essential oils and the products need to be diluted for their health and safety.  While bathing your pet, it is very important to create a sudsy lather from head to toe. This creates an environment where fleas will not be able to breath and will just float down the drain. A good PH balanced shampoo means that you can repeat this process as often as it’s needed.

Once the bath is finished and you have towel dried your pet, it is now time to treat them to prevent fleas from infesting your pet again.

Once fleas become established in a home, insecticides are almost always needed to control them. Always read and follow label directions on the insecticide container. Other than the person performing the application, people and pets should be out of the house during treatment. People and pets should also remain off treated surfaces until the spray has dried. This may take several hours, depending on carpet type, ventilation and method of application. Opening windows and running the fan or air conditioner after treatment will enhance drying and minimize odor.

Expect to see some fleas for 2 weeks or longer following treatment. Provided all infested areas were treated initially, these "survivors" are probably newly emerged adults which have not yet succumbed to the insecticide. Instead of retreating the premises immediately, continue to vacuum. Vacuuming stimulates the insecticide-resistant pupae to hatch, bringing the newly emerged adults into contact with the insecticide sooner.

You will also have to consider de-worming for your cat or dog because tape worms are associated with fleas. This intestinal parasite is transmitted when a pet ingests a flea carrying the tapeworm larva while grooming itself or biting an itchy spot. After ingestion, the tapeworm larva develop and move through the gastrointestinal tract. The parasite segments resemble small pieces of rice and may be discovered around the anal region of your pet.

The best prevention for flea discomfort and disease is very clear: year-round prevention. Simplify your life and enhance the health of your pets and yourself with a comprehensive 12-month insect control.

I hope you have a flea free year!

If you have questions, concerns or ideas, please email us at naturespetsalem@gmail.com, call the store, Nature's Pet Market at 503.362.4555 or better yet, come see us in person!

Until next week – Healthy Pets, Happy People!

Listen TO THE PAWS FOR THOUGHT RADIO SHOW ON KMUZ 88.5 FM OR ONLINE AT KMUZ.ORG OR THROUGH THE TUNEIN RADIO APP.