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Fleas and Your Dog by Dr. Carol Osborne Fleas and Your Dog
Fleas are the most common cause of itching and skin irritation in dogs. Over 50 percent of all skin allergies in dogs are due to fleas. The allergy is actually a reaction to a protein component of the fleas’ saliva. When these “allergic dogs” are bitten by a flea they itch themselves until their skin is raw. Most also end up with areas of hair loss and secondary bacterial skin infections. In addition, fleas suck blood, cause anemia, and transmit tapeworms.
FACT: Fleas are visible, black in color and have wings. SIGNS YOUR DOG HAS A FLEA PROBLEM• Itching WHAT YOU CAN DOSigns of fleas include itching, especially at the base of the tail, over the hind end and up the back, as well as tiny black specks that look like dirt. To confirm that this “dirt” is flea dirt, place it on a cotton ball moistened with water. Flea dirt will turn red because of the blood it contains. Once fleas have been diagnosed, treating all pets in the home and the home itself is the most effective way to eliminate the problem. In your house, vacuum all the carpets and floors, throwing away used vacuum bags prevents flea eggs from hatching inside the bag. For your carpeting, insect-growth regulators like fenoxycarb or methoprene last up to 18 months. As an alternative, you can sprinkle sodium polyborate powder, which is “borax”, onto the carpet, then vacuum. Borax will protect against fleas for up to one year. Wash all pet bedding with hot soapy water. Finally, bathe all the animals living in your home. Flea shampoos with pyrethrins or d-limolene as the active ingredient are safe and effective for most dogs and cats. In your yard, natural products that contain nematodes provide the best protection. Nematodes are live microscopic worms that eat the larval and pupal forms of fleas and 250 other outdoor pests. These worms are not harmful to beneficial insects, birds or wildlife. TIP: Constant itching may be a sign of a flea allergy. FACT: Fleas can life up to one year in your home and yard. If you’re allergic to fleas, one fleabite sets up a reaction that can cause itching for up to 14 days. Fleas also bite other pets and people. The cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is often the primary problem for cats, dogs and humans. Cats are very susceptible to insecticides. Be sure to read labels and only use products specifically approved for your pet. WHAT YOUR VET CAN DOToday, prevention is the key to flea control. Your vet can prescribe the most appropriate product for your pet. Many new over the counter monthly products are available. Program is a tablet given monthly that contains Lufenuron which causes fleas to lay sterile eggs and prevents environmental contamination. Program is very safe and is labeled for dogs and cats. Sentinel is also a monthly tablet that prevents fleas, intestinal worms and heartworm disease in dogs. Advantage, Frontline, and Revolution are preventative products available in a liquid form, which are applied to the skin between the shoulder blades at 30-day intervals. Advantage prevents fleas. Frontline kills fleas on contact and prevents ticks on dogs and cats. Revolution is used to prevent fleas and heartworm disease as well as intestinal worms and ear mites. Regardless of the product used, prevention should start in the spring, when the outdoor temperature reaches 65-70F on a regular basis. Fleas live primarily in the environment and not on your pet. They only stay on your pets long enough to get a blood meal, then jump back down to the ground and lay more eggs. The presence of just one flea on your pet means that thousands more are nearby, that’s why prevention is so important. TIP: In dogs, fleas prefer the area that runs from the base of the tail up the back. This is referred to as the “Flea Triangle”. In cats, fleas prefer the head and neck. Fleas bite the ankles and lower legs in people. COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTSHERBAL REMEDIES
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