Solving the Flea Problem

Author: Amanda   Date Posted:28 November 2016 

Flea problems in dogs

Fleas are pesky little parasites that cause stress for pets and their owners, but the good thing is they can be stopped.  You do not have to put up with these on your pet or in your environment.  We have the knowledge and the products to get rid of your fleas and how to help you keep them away. 

There are over 2000 species of fleas worldwide but the most common flea found on your pets is the 'Cat' Flea (Ctenocephalides felis).  Fleas are tiny reddish-brown wingless parasites that are the source of much distress for pets and pet owners.  Fleas have the amazing ability to jump up to 150 times their own body length, enabling them to easily jump from host to host or from the environment to a host (your cat or dog).

Fleas reproduce at a rapid rate and an adult female flea can lay bewteen 40-50 eggs per day and up to 2000 in their life time!  An Adult Flea can start laying  eggs 36-48 hours after feeding.  A little problem can rapidly turn into a big problem if flea prevention is not kept up year round on your pet.

Fleas need the right conditions to travel through their life cycle and the warmer temperatures and higher humidity are ideal, hence why alot of pet owners see more and more fleas in the warmer months.  Despite this fact, it is far easier to prevent fleas than eliminate them when spring and summer come, as it can take 8 weeks or more to eliminate a flea problem in the environment.   That's why keeping up flea control on your pet even during the cooler months is vital to reduce the likelihood of a flea outbreak when the sun decides to come out and the weather heats up.  Fleas can lay dormant and can be slowly multiplying during winter waiting for just the right conditions to hatch and jump on your pet and start feeding and multiplying.

 

THE FLEA LIFE CYCLE

Understanding the life cycle of the fleas helps us to understand why it is important to treat both your pet and the environment to solve a flea problem. Different products, preventions or actions may work on different stages of the flea life cycle. 

If you are noticing fleas on your pet, this is only a small part of the flea life cycle. The adult flea is only 5% of the flea life cycle, while 95% of the flea population is in the environment.

 

There are 4 stages in the life cycle of the flea:  

1. Eggs

Once a flea has a meal (by biting and feeding on a host) they can start reproducing within 36-48 hours.  An adult flea can lay between 40-50 eggs per day: up to 2000 eggs in their lifetime!  Eggs hatch in 1-10 days depending on the temperature and humidity.  

Eggs are a white, oval shape and approximately 0.5mm long.  As the eggs are not sticky they will fall off your pet and into the environment.  Wherever your pet spends most of the time is where a majority of the flea infestation will be. 

Eggs make up approximately 50% of the flea infestation.  

 

2. Larvae

If the conditions are right (Humidity is between 50 -92%), the larvae hatch in 1-10 days. Larvae are long, slender white and worm like and very small (1-2mm).  They feed on organic matter and , flea faeces.

Since larve are negatively phototactic (avoid light) and positively geotropic (prefer to move downward) they can be found in carpets, lounges, mattress, couch materials of organic debris.  Moisture is essential for the development of the larvae, and this stage can be as quick as 5-11 days depending upon the availability of food and the climatic conditions, and will account for about 35% of an infestation in a home.

 

3. Pupae

Once fully formed the pupae spin a protective coccoon around themselves before developing into adult fleas.  In ideal conditions this can occur in a quickly as 5-14 days, however if the conditions are not ideal they can lay dormant for several days or weeks until conditions are ideal. Physical pressure, carbon dioxide, vibration and heat can all stimulate emergence from this stage.  This can be one of the most difficult stages in eliminating fleas as no chemical products or sprays can penetrate the cocoon.

Pupae commonly make up 10% of the infestation in a home. Depending upon temperature and humidity, the entire life cycle of the cat flea can be completed in as little as 12 to 14 days under ideal conditions, or be prolonged to 6 months and possibly as long as a year in rare instances. However, under average household conditions, cat fleas will complete their life cycle within 3 to 4 weeks.

 

4. Adult Fleas

Once the adult fleas have hatched they immediately seek out a host and can start feeding in as little as 7 seconds.  An Adult flea can start laying eggs within 36-48 hours.  Once an adult flea finds a host it will not leave their host voluntarily. They remain until removed by ingestion, grooming behaviour, dying a natural death or dying a chemical-induced death (insecticide application). The drawback of using only an adulticide treatment is the 95% of pre-adults waiting to develop in the environment. The adult cat flea can survive and reproduce on the host for 2-4 weeks under most natural conditions, but if not killed prematurely an adult flea may live as long as 4 months.

 

HOW DO I KNOW MY PET HAS FLEAS?

The most common signs are:

• Your pet is itching, biting or scratching
• Live Fleas or flea eggs on your pet or in the environment
• Pepper-like particles on the surface of your pet’s skin and coat. These may be ‘flea dirt’, which are flea droppings.
• Redness or irritation of the skin
• If you are unsure if you pets has fleas use a Gripsoft Flea Comb and run this through your pet's coat to see if they have any fleas or flea dirt present

 

 

PRODUCTS FOR YOUR PET

There are a range of products available to treat fleas on your pet.  These range from topical applications, oral chewables & tablets, sprays, collars, shampoos and rinses

Many of these products help to break the flea life cycle by killing adult fleas and multiple stages in the flea life cycle.  If fleas can not reproduce, the flea population gradually disappates even when your pet comes in to contact with the 'hitch hiker' fleas it can pick up when out and about. 

Choosing the right product for your pet can depend on several factors:

• Mode of Administration
• Convenience
• Cost
• What stages of the flea life cycle treats.

 

TOPICAL APPLICATIONS

• Advantage : a monthly application for dogs and cats to treat adult fleas and the larval stages.  Advantage has been shown to kill adult and larval fleas within 20 minutes of contact by absorption.This product also helps control flea allergy dermatitis (FAD).  Safe to use in puppies and kittens from weaning.
• Frontline Plus: a monthly application for dogs and cats, it treats adult fleas, and stops fertile eggs being laid and prevents larval and pupal development, preventing re-infestation of your pet and contamination of your home.  Will kill any new fleas within 12 -24 hours of contact. Safe from 8 weeks of age for puppies and kittens
• Frontline Original: given monthly it contains an adulticide that kills adult fleas.  Suitable for dogs and cats
• Revolution: given monthly onto your pets skin, this treats adult fleas, flea eggs and flea larvae (also prevents heartworm and treats ear mites, lice and sarcoptic mange in dogs & prevents heartworm, treats intestinal worms, ear mites & lice in cats).  Suitable for dogs and cats from 6 weeks of age
• Advocate: contains the active ingredient in Advantage (Imidacloprid), but also contains treatment for intestinal worms, mites & lice and heartworm prevention. Use in kittens from 9 weeks of age and puppies from 7 weeks of age
• Advantix: contains the active ingredient in Advantage but also contains Permethrin to control paralysis ticks (this product would need to be used every 2 weeks if controlling ticks), midgies/sandflies and repells stable (biting) lice. For dogs and puppies from 7 weeks of age. Please note this product is toxic to cats
• Activyl: a monthly topical application for dogs and cats.  Activyl works by killing 90% of fleas within 12 hours of the first application and 99% of new fleas within 8-12 hours for a full month. Safe from 8 weeks of age.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLETS

Capstar: Although no quick and easy fix, if your pet is suffering from a heavy flea infestation you can administer Capstar which is a fast acting tablet containing an  Adulticide to kill adult fleas within 30 minutes.  This may help in instances of your pet suffering Flea Allergy Dermatitis or when you are trying to manage an existing flea problem.  It can also be used with products such as Sentinel Spectrum which is an insect growth regulator that sterilises flea eggs & larvae and does not kill adult fleas.  These can be given every 24 hours. 

Comfortis: a monthly beef flavoured tablet for cats and dogs which rapidly kills fleas within 30 minutes of administration. This product also helps control flea allergy dermatitis (FAD).  Safe for dogs and cats from 14 weeks of age.

Panoramis: Contains the active ingredient in Comfortis (Spinosad) a monthly beef flavoured tablet for dogs which rapidly kills fleas within 30 minutes of administration. It is an 'all in 1' treatment - preventing heartworm & treating and preventing intestinal worms.This product also helps control flea allergy dermatitis (FAD).  Panoramis can be used in dogs and puppies from 8 week of age and over 2.3kg

Nexgard: a beef flavoured chewable table that is given monthly for the control of fleas in dogs.  For dogs from 8 weeks of age and over 2kg

Bravecto: a tasty chew given every 3 months for the treatment of fleas in Dogs from 8 weeks of age and over 2kg.

COLLARS

• Seresto: A new product that provides up to 8 months protection from fleas for your cat and dog.  It kills adult fleas and flea larvae in your pet's surroundings.

Seresto is safe in kittens from 8 weeks of age and puppies from 7 weeks of age.

 

SPRAYS

• Frontline Spray: Can be used on puppies and kittens from 2 days of age.  Controls adult fleas when applied every 4-8weeks.  Aids in controlling Flea Allergy Dermatitis when applied monthly.
• Fleatrol Plus: A spray that can be used on dogs over 3 months of age to control fleas for up to 7 days.  It also prevents fleas from producing viable eggs for up to six weeks in the environment

 

SHAMPOOS & RINSES

• Malaban: A concentrated rinse used to control fleas on dogs and cats over 3 months of age.  Can also be used in the environment (such as in dog kennels)
• Permoxin: A Permethrin rinse used to control fleas in dogs for up to 20 days. When applied daily to flea allergic dogs, PERMOXIN repels fleas and gives relief to the pruritic dog. In fact, the high safety margin means that Permoxin can be applied as often as needed, to maintain the repellent action. DO NOT USE ON CATS
• Fido's Flea Rinse Concentrate: For Dogs & cats : a concentrated rinse to control fleas: Use with caution in cats
• Fido's Flea Shampoo: A Pyrethrin shampoo for cats and dogs : Use with caution in cats
• Fido's Pyrethrin Shampoo: A Pyrethrin shampoo for cats and dogs.   Use with caution in cats

 

Remember to treat all cats & dogs in your household year round to prevent further infestations.  This will mean if you pet is protected year round, any new emerged fleas that jump on your pet will be killed before they can lay any eggs and continue the cycle.  Always use the products as directed.

If you have a large dog over 50kg it is important that you administer the appropriate combination of product : seek veterinary advice if unsure of the correct dose

 

PRODUCTS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Fido's Flea Bomb: An Insecticide fogger the contains Permethrin to kill adult fleas.  Contains the long acting IGR Methoprene which prevents fleas from breeding for up to 9 months

Fido's Coat & Jacket Spray: A perfumed spray that can be used on your dog's bedding and clothing.  It controls fleas for up to 7 days.  To be used from over 3 months of age in dogs. 

Fido's Home Solution Flea Control System: Contains both of the above products to tackle the flea infestation around your household.

 

Other Tips for Treating Fleas in the Environment

• Steam clean (not shampoo) carpets and upholstery to kill pre-adult flea stages.
• Vacuum frequently.
• Use premise sprays, foggers, bombs or aerosols.
• Launder bedding, blankets, pillows and throws weekly.
• Wash pet bedding in hot water over 60° C for at least 10 minutes.
• Throw out any cushions or bedding you think could have infestations.

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