| All dogs pick up fleas, ticks, and chiggers | | | | vertically up to seven inches, and |
| at one time or another, usually during the | | | | horizontally up to fourteen inches. They have |
| warm weather months. Even a pampered city pet | | | | piercing - sucking mouth parts and spines on |
| can pick up a stray flea from a potted plant. | | | | their body. Adult fleas cannot survive or lay |
| Hunting dogs often return home with a | | | | eggs without a blood meal, but may live from |
| collection of chiggers or ticks. Fleas hop | | | | two months to one year without feeding. |
| from one dog to another with amazing speed | | | | |
| and agility. Your pet only needs to greet one | | | | In order to effectively control an |
| flea infested friend in order to acquire the | | | | infestation, fleas must be removed from the |
| beginning of a flea colony of his own. | | | | pet, the home, and the yard. Starting with |
| | | | the pet, there are shampoos, topical |
| External parasites are not a special | | | | treatments, sprays, collars, and oral |
| affliction of dogs. The dog is simply a | | | | medications. The least recommended is |
| convenient host for them. We would probably | | | | shampoo, due to the grooming the pet does to |
| have them too, if our bodies were covered | | | | his own coat. The pesticides can be toxic if |
| with hair and we ran around without shoes and | | | | they are consumed in quantity. Topical |
| clothing and sat or slept on the ground. | | | | treatments are better, along with sprays and |
| Fleas are the most common, the easiest to | | | | collars, but the best and most recommended is |
| detect and to get rid of. Fleas appear as | | | | the oral medication Lufenuron called |
| black specks on a fine tooth comb, and a | | | | "Program" from your veterinarian. |
| single one can drive a dog crazy. | | | | |
| | | | To clean the home, all areas frequented by |
| The worst part of fleas is that they act as | | | | the dog should be cleaned thoroughly by |
| hosts to tapeworm larvae, and if your dog | | | | vacuuming, washing bedding and rugs and |
| swallows one you may end up with a worm | | | | possible treatment by insecticides. Treating |
| problem too. You can trap fleas in a silky | | | | your carpet with a Borate powder such as |
| smooth coat with a flea comb, but fleas that | | | | "Borax" laundry powder works as a poison upon |
| nestle in the dense undercoat of double | | | | ingestion by the flea, simply sprinkle the |
| coated dogs must be treated with a product | | | | powder on your carpets and leave it for a few |
| that penetrates the skin, and a regular mild | | | | h ours before vacuuming will rid most homes |
| treatment is safer than an occasional severe | | | | of their fleas. A second treatment can follow |
| one. | | | | if necessary. It's cheap, you can do it |
| | | | yourself and there are no insecticides used. |
| In one day a single flea can bite your pet | | | | |
| 400 times, while consuming more than its own | | | | To treat the lawn and around the homes |
| bodyweight in blood. Some dogs can contract | | | | exterior, pyrethroids such as "Archer" or |
| flea allergy dermatitis, an allergic reaction | | | | "Nylan", as well as fenoxy carb such as |
| to the flea's saliva. The severity and length | | | | "Logic" or "Torus" can be effective. Outdoor |
| of the flea season varies depending on what | | | | treatment is usually only done in extreme or |
| part of the country you live in, but it is | | | | severe cases of flea infestation and may not |
| best to treat your pet in early spring, | | | | be necessary. You should however keep your |
| (April - May). In northern climates, flea and | | | | lawn trimmed to create a drier, less ideal |
| tick season usually lasts approximately 4 | | | | environment for flea larvae. If you don't |
| months, but in the extreme south, fleas can | | | | want to handle the pesticides yourself, any |
| live all year long. | | | | licensed professional pest control operator |
| | | | can do the treatment for you. |
| There are more than 2000 species of fleas in | | | | |
| the United States alone, but the one that | | | | In summary, you should check with your |
| attacks most pets is the cat flea, | | | | veterinarian before using any form of flea |
| Ctenocephalides Felis. A cat flea can lay up | | | | treatment. Never use products for dogs on a |
| to one egg per hour, and within two days, a | | | | cat, as cats are more sensitive to the |
| wormlike larvae will hatch from those eggs. | | | | pesticide and they groom themselves more |
| The eggs are oval, smooth, and about 0.5mm in | | | | thoroughly. Never apply pesticides to young, |
| size. The hatched larvae will range from 1.5 | | | | pregnant, or sick animals, and use |
| to 5mm in length. The complete cycle from egg | | | | alternative methods to control fleas, such as |
| to adult takes approximately 30 to 75 days | | | | combing frequently with a flea comb, vacuum |
| depending on temperature and humidity. | | | | your home frequently and dispose of the |
| | | | vacuum bag, wash all pet bedding regularly, |
| Adult fleas are about 1/16 to 1/8 inch long, | | | | and bathe your pet with a pesticide free |
| are dark reddish brown, wingless, hard | | | | shampoo. Prevention is much easier than |
| bodied, have three pairs of legs and are | | | | dealing with an infestation. |
| flattened from side to side. Fleas can jump | | | | |