Fleas love hot weather, but as our temperatures, cool fleas are looking for a warm spot to live. This usually means our pets are their first choice to hop on for warmth and stay for a while.
If you are not sure what a flea is, they are a small parasite that feeds by sucking blood from animals. Young fleas do not bite, but adult fleas do and usually feed several times a day. Fleas are a reddish brown colour, tiny, flat and can jump up to 20 cm vertically and 41 cm horizontally.
Fleas can cause discomfort to our pets. Some pets have allergic reactions to the flea’s saliva, which we see in a rash form. Some pets are itchy or have hair loss. If a severe enough burden of fleas on your pet has happened, they can cause anemia (low red blood cells).
Fleas can transmit tapeworms and some other diseases to our pets. Checking your pet daily for fleas will help protect them. When checking look for a dark pepper like crust or the little critter itself. They are very fast, so be quick about it.
If your pet does have fleas, clean all bedding with hot soapy water and clean the sleeping area well, by washing down walls and vacuuming floors and baseboards. See your veterinarian for a dose of Advantage, or a product that is best for the pet to help get rid of those pesky fleas.
Written by Christine Attridge-Hardy, Practice Manager
