Fleas

Fleas are tiny dark brown flightless insects that can jump very high and quickly. This is why they are not always noticed on your pet. If you suspect your pet may have fleas, you may see tiny black dots in their fur that look like grit or soil. Take a piece of damp cotton wool and run it over this area. If the soil particles turn brown or red on the damp cotton wool, then that is flea dirt. The presence of flea dirt will nearly always mean your pet has or has had fleas.

Fleas are commonly thought of as a summer problem, the truth is that they are an issue all year round. Central heating can make flea pupae think it's warm outside. They wriggle their way to the surface, hatch, jump on our pets, and start feeding and breeding straight away. Usually, the first sign your pet has fleas will be when they start to scratch. You may also notice hair loss, red and sore skin, or a change in your pet’s demeanour. 

Fleas can quickly cause an infestation in your house. It doesn’t take long for a few fleas to become hundreds!  An adult flea lays around 50 eggs per day within 24 hours of it hatching itself and those eggs hatch within 6 days becoming adults within 3 weeks. The full lifecycle of the flea can be completed every 8 weeks in good conditions. This leads to high population numbers very quickly. Adult fleas only account for around 5% of the population with 95% found in your home being eggs, larvae, and pupae waiting to become new fleas. Flea bites can be quite nasty for people, they look like small lumps that are very itchy and can become more swollen and more red-looking over time.  Fleas can't live on people but will bite if they are hungry.

Prevention is always better than cure. Speak to your vet to ensure your pet and your home are receiving the best possible care.  Flea treatments that have been tested for efficiency and safety are available for sale from vets, pharmacists, and suitably qualified persons and will usually be sold from locked cabinets.  

It’s also a good idea to use a long-acting household flea spray to prevent fleas in your house. Flea treatments are designed to break the life cycle of the flea by killing adult fleas before they can lay eggs and some even prevent eggs already in the house from hatching. Follow the instructions on your product and spray the whole house concentrating behind radiators, between floorboards, and near skirting boards. A good tip is to vacuum everywhere first as the heat and vibrations from the vacuum mimic hatching cues meaning more adult fleas are then exposed to the treatment. Flea eggs and pupae can live in the environment for months without hatching so treating the environment as well as treating your pet regularly means you are ensuring the life cycle and any infestation is broken. 

Remember, never treat cats with dog flea treatments as they are not interchangeable and can be toxic. Never use household sprays on pets. Follow all manufacturer's instructions. Regularly wash pets' bedding on a hot wash, 60°C or higher, and make sure all pets in the household are treated for fleas to ensure that fleas are prevented from a foothold in your home.