subject: The Simple Way to Keep Your Pet Flea Free [print this page] So your pet has fleas, should you panic? No! It's fairly common for pets to get fleas, especially in the hotter months of spring and summer.
The genuine problem is how it is possible to get shot of them and the way to keep them from re-infesting your pet. What type of treatment is needed to get shot of them? Sadly that is not necessarily an easy answer. The flea life cycle is complex and there essentially is no single product which will look after all of the possibilities for re-infestation. The first step to eradication is to start to grasp a touch more about your upsetting little enemy.
Flea Life Cycle
Ctenocephalides felis, more famous as the pussy-cat flea ( first flea found on dogs as well as pussies ), has four main stages in their life cycle : egg, larva, pupa and adult. The complete flea life cycle can go from two weeks to 1 or 2 months counting on environmental conditions.
ADULT - Adult fleas live on the host animal ( your pet ) where they eat the pet's blood. Female fleas lay up to 50 white, roundish eggs a day.
EGGS - The eggs often fall off the animal and onto your carpet, bedding, floorboards, and such like. Where they'll hatch anywhere from 2 days to a couple of weeks later. The larva then appear.
LARVA - The semi-transparent white larvae spend the majority of their time eating dried blood from the feces of adult fleas. They're also keen on waste in your carpet and bedding. After five to 18 days they spin a cocoon and pupate.
PUPA - The adult flea will appear from the cocoon in three to five days, or it can remain asleep for at least a year or longer till the time is right.
things like warm temperatures, humidity, deep carpet agitation or the passing of animals could cause an adult flea to appear.
Where to begin
If you find yourself scratching your head thinking how you're going to take on a flea infestation, there are one or two options to contemplate. First, find a good flea collar. There are many good ones on the market. You might also think about employing a flea spray or perhaps a spot-on treatment. Anyhow, check with your vet and be certain to read labels to avoid over-medication. Other points to contemplate are flea shampoos or natural flea repellent chewable additions.
Fighting Dormancy
The hardest issue with fleas is the potential for long-term dormancy in the pupa stage. It's common for a pet to be treated and totally flea free only to get more fleas one or two weeks or months later on . That is because fleas can remain sleeping for a very long time and appear again for re-infestation on your pet. So it's vital to treat your carpets, pet beds, kennels, car seats and any other shaded, wet environments with a grounds spray. Stopping a flea infestation isn't a simple task, so stay observant. And as always, early and regular prevention is the strongest defense.
