Fleas Are Everywhere
Your pet can pick up fleas from literally anywhere - without ever being in contact with another animal - and because of our lovely warm houses, fleas can also continue to live and breed inside our houses even in winter!
Fleas Are Hard To Spot
Fleas are tiny and can be difficult to spot in your pets fur. Usually by the time you notice the fleas your pet will have a lot of fleas hopping around their coat. Did you know that flea eggs can live on your pets fur for up to 10 months!
Flea Bites Can Be Itchy
Flea bites can be very itchy and uncomfortable for your pet. Pets who are very itchy may scratch and nibble at their fur, which may result in fur loss, and skin infections, which may require vet treatment.
Flea Bites Can Cause Allergic Dermatitis
Some pets are allergic to flea bites, and may develop a severe uncomfortably itchy, skin condition called allergic dermatitis.
Fleas Infest The House
Adult fleas live on pets, but their eggs and larvae can live in our sofas, carpets and beds. A warm and cosy house provides ideal conditions for flea eggs to hatch and larvae to develop. Fleas can reproduce in as little as 2-3 weeks.
Removing flea eggs and larvae from your house can be difficult and time consuming. Using an effective preventative treatment that kills fleas on your pet before they lay eggs will help prevent your house becoming infested.
Fleas Suck Your Pets’ Blood
A pet that becomes heavily infested may suffer from anaemia caused by blood loss. This can be a particular problem in young puppies and kittens, or elderly pets.
Flea ‘dirt’ Can Give Us Diseases
Contact with flea dirt (flea faeces - left in fur) can transmit the bacteria Bartonella henselae, which causes ‘Cat Scratch Disease’ in people – an illness that can cause fatigue, headaches, fever, muscular and joint pain, and in rare cases can even affect the brain.
Fleas Can Bite Us
Although cat and dog fleas don’t live or breed on us, they can bite us. Flea bites are itchy, round red bites, usually smaller than mosquito bites and are most commonly seen on the arms and ankles.
Fleas Can Transmit Tapeworm
The tapeworm Dipylidium caninum can infect dogs, cats, and humans, and is spread by flea bites.
Flea bites Can Transmit Serious Diseases
Fleas carry and spread diseases such as the blood parasite Mycoplasma haemofelis, which can be fatal.
The good news is that there are a large range of preventative treatments available for your pets! Regularly treating your pets with preventatives will ensure your pet and home remain flea free!