Understanding Fleas and Your Pet's Health




		Understanding Fleas to Protect your Pet's Health There are many facets of a flea's life cycle, favorable habitats, and physiology that make flea infestations a challenge to prevent, and even more of a problem to eradicate. However, knowing more about the flea can help one to gain the upper hand. Several of the following facts can help one create a successful prevention or extermination plan. Flea physiology, habitat and capabilities Fleas have exceptionally hard durable bodies which make it exceedingly difficult when trying to exterminate a flea. Fleas bother, infest and are external parasites to many mammals, including, dogs, cats, humans, raccoons, other mammals and birds. Adult fleas feed off of blood of their animal or host, and adult female fleas must have a blood meal before laying viable eggs. Fleas have a unique chemical in their saliva that assists the flea break down the skin of their animal or host in order to reach the blood. This causes the itching that affects human or animal alike experience when inhabited with fleas. Fleas can jump considerable distances, almost 200 times their body size, or up to 13 inches, which makes it hard to brush them off a pet using a coarse brush. The flea can simply jump away somewhere else to avoid being swatted or crushed. Flea control and extermination: One straightforward method to help kill and prevent fleas is the use of environmental control. A cold environment combined with low-humidity will stop most of the eggs from hatching or spreading and can kill most of the insects with prolonged environmental exposure, as their life cycle cannot perpetuate far below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, placing pet blankets, toys, beds and things outside on a very cold day for a while will help with 1 layer of defense or extermination. However, since many pets live indoors, you will have to use another method to remove them from the animal. Additionally, if an outdoor pet lives in a well insulated house with warm bedding, many fleas can survive from the warmth and moisture provided by the host animal. In order to remove flea infestations properly, you also have to consider the flea's life cycle, as they have different vulnerabilities at different stages. Most flea extermination plans include a combination of sprays, powers, drops, and/or shampoos. Since fleas are so small and pervasive, ensuring 100% coverage over an extended period of time is necessary. Fleas lay batches of tiny white eggs of more than 20 and can lay around 40 to 50 eggs per day. In a single season, they can lay between 500 and 600 eggs: hence it is crucial to treat flea infestations immediately, and long-term to avoid adult fleas spreading to other animals and things. Some treatments only kill fleas once they hatch, which can be one of the troubles in permanently removing fleas from the host or animal. Other treatments, such as some internal pet medications sterilize the fleas in the egg, not allowing them to reproduce at the adult stage. During the pupa stage, fleas remain in hibernation until they sense pressure, carbon dioxide, movement, vibration and the right temperature and humidity before hatching. One common allergy that fleas cause is called F.A.D. (or flea allergy dermatitis). Based upon the above facts and treatment methods, it is highly recommend by professionals that treatment cycles address every stage of the flea life cycle and last up to 6 months. Additionally, for pets, one can purchase collars and drops to rid your loved animal of the adult pests. However, for complete success, a continual, well layered treatment will ensure removal of all pupa to adult fleas. This article was brought to you by Animal Lover's Forum http://www.animalloversforum.com. For more information about pet health or other resources geared to help you and your pet live a healthy and happy life, please visit our growing, family-safe pet forum.

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