Emily Coatney-Smith is a veterinarian at Far Hills Animal Clinic. The clinic has been in business for over 40 years. It is a small animal clinic that specializes in dogs, cats, and exotics. It is located at 6240 Far Hills Avenue in Centerville.
With spring already in full swing, now is a perfect time to talk about the parasite every pet owner wants to avoid.
Fleas!
It has been reported already that this year will be a bad year for all insects, and fleas will be no exception. With the unseasonably warm weather, fleas have gotten off to an early start.
Here are a few facts about fleas:
A female flea can lay up to 2,000 eggs during her lifespan of about three to six weeks. So in less than a month you can imagine how many fleas can be in your yard or in your house, and all over your pets.
Even if your pets are indoor only, they can still get infected with fleas. Fleas can enter through screens and can come into the house on your clothing. They are not safe just because they stay inside.
Fleas can carry different kinds of diseases that can be transferred to your pet when they bite. Some kinds can lead to life-threatening illnesses. Fleas can also carry tapeworms. When your pets eat a flea (mostly when they are biting themselves when the fleas make them itch), the flea gets digested but it leaves behind a tapeworm larva in your pet’s digestive tract that then grows into an adult tapeworm.
There can also be so many fleas that are taking blood from your pet when they feed that your pet becomes anemic, or has a low red blood cell count. This can cause lethargy, weakness and even organ failure. It occurs more readily in the very young and the very old but can still occur at any age.
How to stay flea free
The best way is to never have fleas to begin with. A good preventative plan implemented by you and your veterinarian is a must. There are many flea products available and it can be overwhelming to figure out which ones are the safest and most effective. Some are topical. Some are oral. Some are not safe for cats. Some are not safe for the very young or very old.
Some are not safe if your pet has certain medical conditions. Again asking your veterinarian for guidance is very important.
If your pet already has fleas, you will need to treat your pet and take care of the environment, too. If you don’t take care of the environment, then the eggs can stay there for months and reinfect your house and pets.
Checking your pet regularly for fleas is helpful in trying to catch the problem early on. Also, watching your pet for signs that they may have fleas is important. Many times they will be itching around their hind end, they will be acting like something is biting them, and they can have sores and scabs. Sometimes the skin reaction to the fleas can be so bad that it needs to be treated as well.
Hopefully all of our little furry companions will stay away from the fleas that are supposed to be in large numbers this year. Remember: prevention is the best plan.
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