Petcare Info
All about fleas
A
minority of dogs will be allergic to the
flea saliva, to a level where both vet
and owner do not see any visible
evidence of fleas or flea faeces/eggs. A
single flea may jump on and bite and die
shortly after; but the damage is done.
For optimal control the environment must
be treated.
ENVIRONMENTAL
The aim is to kill all the immature lifecycle stages of the flea. These stages are almost invisible.
INDOORS
Treat all areas in the house inhabited
by your pet in two ways: Vacuum all
accessible areas (use the nozzle end for
difficult access spots). Move furniture
if necessary, and dont forget sofas with
their removable cushions. Then use hand
held insecticidal aerosol SURFACE sprays
to spray all potential sources of the
immature flea stages (eg. Baygon High
Performance Egg Kill, Mortein etc) Be
sure to spray horizontally under indoor
furniture and appliances as the larvae
hate light (eg. under bookcases, washing
machine, clothes dryer) So-called bflea
bomb are not as effective as hand held
sprays as their active ingredient only
falls vertically. The average house with
pets accessing all areas will require
2-3 cans (carpeted houses especially)
per application. The vacuum/surface
spray routine needs to be repeated a
fortnight later. Pet bedding can be
shaken well to remove immature stages,
vacuumed, and then surface sprayed, and
left in full sun for the day. Discard
any bedding where it would be difficult
to dislodge the immature fleas stages
eg. carpet, old mattresses etc. (Check
that kennel out!)
OUTDOORS
Prevent your pet from gaining access to
underneath the house. If accessible to
the pet you must wet these
outdoor/under-house areas that are away
from full sun with a wet insecticide.
eg. Coopex, Lawn Grub Kill or any other
brand of suitable insecticide designed
to make a large volume for application
via a watering can or garden pump spray.
The common active ingredient in these
brands is chlorpyrifos. Dont forget the
garage/carport, paved areas, and
under/around the dog kennel. Repeat two
weeks later. Dont allow your pet to
contact any sprayed area while it is
obviously damp with insecticide. Cats
are especially sensitive as they are
fastidious groomers. Consider
professional pesticide control if the
problem is severe and persistent.
ANIMAL TREATMENT
Apply topical monthly adulticide
These products include Advantage,
Advantix (both fleas and ticks),
Revolution (fleas and heartworm
prevention) and Frontline. They need to
be applied every 4 weeks and sometimes
more frequently. Avoid shampooing your
dog as they are somewhat waterfast but
not sudsfast. Maximum frequency of
washing is monthly and dont apply these
products for at least 24 hours after a
bath.
Comfortis or Capstar tablets
We recommend oral tabs/chews over the
topical products.
Capstar can
initially be used every 1-3 days to
rapidly kill adult fleas, thus
preventing further egg production and
reducing overall environmental
contamination. It can augment the
monthly topical products- give at the
end of the 2nd and 3rd weeks in the
monthly cycle after their application.
Comfortis is an exciting new product
given monthly and should not necessitate
concurrent use of topicals. Both drugs
are especially useful for dogs that need
washing, or swim lots. Compatible with
all other insecticides used
concurrently.
Combination products
(effective for fleas and ticks) such as
Bravecto or Nexgard are very useful in
this area with such a high risk of tick
paralysis.
Most importantly, once you have got your pets flea infestation under control, you MUST continue to use a monthly flea preventative on ALL the pets in your household ALL YEAR ROUND, as this will prevent further infestations from developing. If anyone wants to bring another animal to your house, ensure that it is currently on a flea preventative. If not, then discourage the visit or give the animal a Capstar tablet 12-24 hours before its arrival.
FLEA FACTS
There is little transfer of fleas from
one animal to another directly. Animals
pick up fleas from contact with infested
environments, NOT by fleas jumping from
one animal to another. Eggs are laid on
the host, but fall into the environment
where development continues from eggs to
mobile larvae to pupae (dormant encased
young fleas). A flea can lay up to 50
eggs per day and up to 2000 eggs in its
lifetime. All stages of the lifecycle
are sensitive to dryness and low
temperatures. Therefore, further
development of eggs requires a
microclimate which is humid and
protected from sunlight. These
microclimates typically include carpets,
floor mats, under indoor furniture,
outdoor areas protected from sunlight
(under the house!), cracks in
floorboards, sofas, kennels and pet
bedding. 95% of flea life stages live
off the pet and can survive in the
environment for up to 12 months. Flea
larvae are very mobile and will migrate
away from high traffic areas to
sheltered areas in the house, eg, under
appliances and furniture.