How to Get Rid of Fleas on Your Dog or Cat
Fleas are one of the inevitable byproducts of owning a dog or cat. Most flea infestations begin outdoors where other small host animals (opossums, skunks, feral cats, raccoons) have unwittingly transported them from one habitat to another, such as a shady area of the lawn.
Although fleas can crawl or jump short distances, the transfer from one host to another is usually passive. Your cat takes a rest in your yard or your dog picks them up doing his business at the park. Adult fleas live on animals and feed on their blood, consuming many times their weight in blood over their lifetimes.
Fleas are about the size of a fruit fly (but without the wings). If you suspect a flea problem, but can’t actually find any, look for flea fecal matter, which resembles tiny specs of dirt.
Understanding the Flea Life Cycle
The fleas you see on your pet are adults. Adult females lay from 25-50 eggs a day, which are distributed around your home or yard every time your dog or cat scratches, brushes up against something or lies down. The tiny eggs hatch into larvae, generally in dark, comfortable environments where your pet spends most of his time, such as carpets, bedding or couches. During the pupa stage, the larvae form cocoons and eventually hatch, growing into adults that infest the host pet. Because of this four-stage life cycle, you need to eradicate not only the adult fleas, but any remaining eggs, larvae and pupae, or the cycle will start all over again.
Signs Your Pet Has Fleas
If your cat or dog is chewing, licking, scratching or biting itself more often than normal, inspect its fur. Fleas often gather on warm parts of the body, including the inside of the back legs, the neck area, at the base of the tail, and on the belly or groin area. Use a flea comb to part your pet’s fur to find fleas or evidence of their waste. In our practice the most common sign of fleas is an ear infection caused by allergies to the flea bites. Typical signs:
A Note About Scratching: Not all scratching is due to a flea infestation. Scratching may also indicate a food allergy, ear mites or skin irritations. For example, both cats and dogs can develop allergies to flea bites, which is caused by the flea’s saliva. This flea allergy dermatitis may result in skin infections from increased scratching. In addition, fleas act as a host for a species of tapeworm, and if a pet swallows an infected flea while grooming, it will likely develop a tapeworm infestation. As a result, the pet may lick or scratch its anus or drag its hindquarters across the floor in response to the itching.
Although fleas can crawl or jump short distances, the transfer from one host to another is usually passive. Your cat takes a rest in your yard or your dog picks them up doing his business at the park. Adult fleas live on animals and feed on their blood, consuming many times their weight in blood over their lifetimes.
Fleas are about the size of a fruit fly (but without the wings). If you suspect a flea problem, but can’t actually find any, look for flea fecal matter, which resembles tiny specs of dirt.
Understanding the Flea Life Cycle
The fleas you see on your pet are adults. Adult females lay from 25-50 eggs a day, which are distributed around your home or yard every time your dog or cat scratches, brushes up against something or lies down. The tiny eggs hatch into larvae, generally in dark, comfortable environments where your pet spends most of his time, such as carpets, bedding or couches. During the pupa stage, the larvae form cocoons and eventually hatch, growing into adults that infest the host pet. Because of this four-stage life cycle, you need to eradicate not only the adult fleas, but any remaining eggs, larvae and pupae, or the cycle will start all over again.
Signs Your Pet Has Fleas
If your cat or dog is chewing, licking, scratching or biting itself more often than normal, inspect its fur. Fleas often gather on warm parts of the body, including the inside of the back legs, the neck area, at the base of the tail, and on the belly or groin area. Use a flea comb to part your pet’s fur to find fleas or evidence of their waste. In our practice the most common sign of fleas is an ear infection caused by allergies to the flea bites. Typical signs:
- Increased biting, licking or scratching
- The appearance of fleas or flea dirt (flea feces)
- Red bumps or scabs
- Excessive grooming / licking feet
- Loss of hair/fur
- Shaking head
- Restless or nervous behavior
- Pale gums, especially in kittens, due to anemia caused by fleas feeding on their blood
A Note About Scratching: Not all scratching is due to a flea infestation. Scratching may also indicate a food allergy, ear mites or skin irritations. For example, both cats and dogs can develop allergies to flea bites, which is caused by the flea’s saliva. This flea allergy dermatitis may result in skin infections from increased scratching. In addition, fleas act as a host for a species of tapeworm, and if a pet swallows an infected flea while grooming, it will likely develop a tapeworm infestation. As a result, the pet may lick or scratch its anus or drag its hindquarters across the floor in response to the itching.
Treatment and Prevention
Eradicating fleas requires a multi-pronged approach, including treating the pet (and all other pets in the home), the home environment, and the yard. Even with these measures, your pet can still contract fleas from other people’s pets or from surrounding properties.
There are oral and topical treatments available to treat fleas, both over-the-counter and by prescription. Which treatment you choose will depend on the animal species (dog or cat), the degree of infestation, your pet’s medical history, and your personal preference.
A study published in Veterinary Parasitology found that topicals were 88.4 percent effective, while oral treatments were 99.9 percent effective. The key to reliable treatment is using the medications properly and consistently.
Treating Your Pets
Oral Medications
Flea and tick control products such as Trifexis, NexGard, Comfortis, and Simparica come as chewable pills. Once ingested, they generally work by transmitting active chemicals to the adult fleas when they bite your pet, resulting in their demise. These medications are given orally every month and are the most effective way to treat for fleas. Because they are oral medications, there is no risk of spread to other pets or humans as there is with topical treatments.
Topicals
Topicals (e.g., fipronil, selamectin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, pyrethroids) are supposed to work for up to a month. They most commonly work by attacking the nervous system of the fleas, ultimately killing them.
Medicated flea shampoos are another topical option for treating pets, and some of them contain additional ingredients that soothe itchy skin. They need to be used as often as every one to two weeks to remain effective.
Flea dips, powders and wipes are also available for treating fleas; however, they tend to not be as effective and must be reapplied frequently.
Flea collars, of course, are another option, but their effectiveness can vary depending on how much contact the collar makes with your pet’s skin and the degree of infestation. Be sure to use a properly fitting collar and trim any excess length. Watch for signs of irritation (e.g., scratching), which may indicate an allergy to the medication in the collar.
Important: The medications for cats and dogs are different. Do not use a treatment intended for dogs on your cat, or vise versa, as they may be harmful!
Treating Your Home
Because of the four-stage flea life cycle, you need to eradicate not only the adult fleas, but all remaining eggs and larvae in the home. This will require real diligence on your part.
Start with a thorough vacuuming of the entire house, giving special attention to any areas your pet frequents, such as dog beds, cat climbing structures, carpeting, furniture and bedding. Don’t forget to vacuum your car also. An Ohio State University study found vacuuming 96 percent effective at killing adult fleas and 100 percent effective at destroying younger fleas.
Next, wash all your pet’s bedding and toys with hot, soapy water.
For extreme infestations, you can treat your home with carpet flea powders or foggers. Use them with caution, however, as they can be toxic to other animals and children.
Treating Your Yard
To keep the flea population in your yard in check, keep your lawn and bushes trimmed, and pick up any loose debris, as fleas like environments that are warm, shady and moist.
You can also hire pest control professionals to help with the problem.
Ongoing Prevention
You’ve done the hard work of getting rid of those pesky fleas, so be sure that moving forward, you have a good, year-round flea control plan of action.
And, if you’d like a recommendation for the topical or oral treatments we use at Evergreen, just contact us.
Eradicating fleas requires a multi-pronged approach, including treating the pet (and all other pets in the home), the home environment, and the yard. Even with these measures, your pet can still contract fleas from other people’s pets or from surrounding properties.
There are oral and topical treatments available to treat fleas, both over-the-counter and by prescription. Which treatment you choose will depend on the animal species (dog or cat), the degree of infestation, your pet’s medical history, and your personal preference.
A study published in Veterinary Parasitology found that topicals were 88.4 percent effective, while oral treatments were 99.9 percent effective. The key to reliable treatment is using the medications properly and consistently.
Treating Your Pets
Oral Medications
Flea and tick control products such as Trifexis, NexGard, Comfortis, and Simparica come as chewable pills. Once ingested, they generally work by transmitting active chemicals to the adult fleas when they bite your pet, resulting in their demise. These medications are given orally every month and are the most effective way to treat for fleas. Because they are oral medications, there is no risk of spread to other pets or humans as there is with topical treatments.
Topicals
Topicals (e.g., fipronil, selamectin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, pyrethroids) are supposed to work for up to a month. They most commonly work by attacking the nervous system of the fleas, ultimately killing them.
Medicated flea shampoos are another topical option for treating pets, and some of them contain additional ingredients that soothe itchy skin. They need to be used as often as every one to two weeks to remain effective.
Flea dips, powders and wipes are also available for treating fleas; however, they tend to not be as effective and must be reapplied frequently.
Flea collars, of course, are another option, but their effectiveness can vary depending on how much contact the collar makes with your pet’s skin and the degree of infestation. Be sure to use a properly fitting collar and trim any excess length. Watch for signs of irritation (e.g., scratching), which may indicate an allergy to the medication in the collar.
Important: The medications for cats and dogs are different. Do not use a treatment intended for dogs on your cat, or vise versa, as they may be harmful!
Treating Your Home
Because of the four-stage flea life cycle, you need to eradicate not only the adult fleas, but all remaining eggs and larvae in the home. This will require real diligence on your part.
Start with a thorough vacuuming of the entire house, giving special attention to any areas your pet frequents, such as dog beds, cat climbing structures, carpeting, furniture and bedding. Don’t forget to vacuum your car also. An Ohio State University study found vacuuming 96 percent effective at killing adult fleas and 100 percent effective at destroying younger fleas.
Next, wash all your pet’s bedding and toys with hot, soapy water.
For extreme infestations, you can treat your home with carpet flea powders or foggers. Use them with caution, however, as they can be toxic to other animals and children.
Treating Your Yard
To keep the flea population in your yard in check, keep your lawn and bushes trimmed, and pick up any loose debris, as fleas like environments that are warm, shady and moist.
You can also hire pest control professionals to help with the problem.
Ongoing Prevention
You’ve done the hard work of getting rid of those pesky fleas, so be sure that moving forward, you have a good, year-round flea control plan of action.
And, if you’d like a recommendation for the topical or oral treatments we use at Evergreen, just contact us.
