When the weather warms up you may feel it’s time to treat your pets for fleas and other pests
but did you know that pests now pose a year long problem? Here’s how to deal with those unwanted guests.
Years ago, before most homes had central heating, fleas used to be a problem mainly in the warmer months. Preferring warmer temperatures, they would lie dormant over winter. Since most people’s homes are now toasty warm with radiators on throughout the winter and pets living indoors. Fleas happily continue to breed and hatch all year long. So it’s important to establish a good treatment routine on a monthly basis.
But why do we need to treat? Fleas and other pests can cause a multitude of health problems for your pets. These include anaemia, allergy dermatitis, scabies, tapeworms and Bartonella infections and Lyme Disease. At the very least they can be uncomfortable and irritating for your pet (and yourself if they choose to snack on you too).
If you have a good treatment routine worked out, that’s great! But don’t forget to treat your home too. Fleas will breed and lay eggs in the environment, not just on your pet. So if you see one flea, be sure they have plenty of other family members lurking around the house!
You can buy flea sprays for the environment from most vets and pet shops (do not use around fish tanks however). Treatment is most effective if you get the hoover out and hoover first. This will help to “wake up” any dormant ones and bring them to the surface looking for a meal. Spray around each room when its well ventilated and treat your pets at the same time with an appropriate spot on recommended by your vet.
Since the most effective flea treatments for your pet carry a POM-V certification (meaning only a Vet can dispense), we are not able to supply you with your treatment. However, if you are unsure about the most effective application method or struggle to apply the treatment yourself, we are more than happy to book you a nurse appointment. We can visit you in the comfort of your own home to assist you with this. Just contact us here.
But it’s not just fleas, there are other mites that can cause problems too (you can find spot on treatments that will treat these). If you walk near sheep, wooded areas or deer, be especially aware of ticks!
Not every spot on treatment will treat ticks. The best thing to do is to check your pet after a walk and if you find any, remove them manually. Be careful to remove the head as well. If the head if left behind, this can cause a nasty infection.
Removing ticks can be a tricky job, so please contact us if we can be of assistance to you.
It’s much easier to be pre-emptive in your treatment rather than trying to cure an existing problem. If you are, you won’t have to worry about being bitten yourself either.
Here are some surprising facts about fleas and ticks:
- A female flea is able to consume 15 times it’s own bodyweight in blood every day.
- Ticks are arachnids (a relative to the spider).
- Fleas can live for up to 3 months and in that time a female is able to lay up to 2000 eggs.
- Tick saliva has anaesthetic properties, which means you won’t feel them attach when they bite.
- Fleas can jump up to 100 times their own height.
- Ticks will usually be found on the ground, which means they will crawl up their new host, avoid wearing sandals on a walk in long grass if you want to avoid being a target.
- Fleas were responsible for transmitting the bubonic plague to humans.
How do you treat your pets pest problems? Comment below.
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