Fleas have been in existence for millions of years and prefer to feed from the blood of warm-blooded animals. They also like to make a home and survive in carpeting, furniture, blankets, shoes, pants, and other clothing. These wingless parasites are able to jump from one host or hiding place to another with ease.
There are approximately two thousand species, but the cat flea is the most common pet flea and infects both cats and dogs. This variety prefers indoor animals due to the warmer temperatures and cannot survive colder climates. They may inhabit virtually anywhere on canines, but are more often found on the back of the neck and base of the tail of felines since these are areas not easily reachable when grooming.
These tiny, black pests are able to transmit diseases to humans like the plague, murine typhus which is a bacterial infection, and the skin disease tungiasis. Their saliva may cause allergic reactions to sensitive pets and people resulting in the need for steroid shots or antihistamines to relieve pain and swelling.
If flea larvae consume fecal matter from the pet dog or cat that contains tape worm eggs, those eggs grow and hatch inside the flea. Fleas that are chewed and swallowed by the affected animal make their way into the intestine and are broken down in digestion. However, the parasite survives and grows into a tape worm that produces more eggs which are expelled with the animal's fecal matter. This restarts the entire process and may spread to other pets in the home.
Besides tape worms, pet fleas cause skin sores, hair loss from biting and scratching, open wounds, bacterial infections, and anemia. Animals who are allergic to a flea's saliva suffer from various forms of dermatitis. Prescription medications may be required to soothe pain, swelling, and irritation.
Various methods such as Frontline Spot On and Advantage are directly applied to the animal where it is absorbed into their blood stream and disbursed throughout their skin. As these parasites feed on the host animal's blood, their nervous system becomes paralyzed which results in their death. The protective coating produced on the dog or cat's skin by their natural oils also deters them from remaining.
Fleas do not like the smell or taste of garlic, yeast, lemon, eucalyptus, lime, cedar, myrrh, or neem. A teaspoon of garlic added to dog food once a day will keep the family dog flea free, but the digestive system of cats cannot tolerate this. Sprinkling salt on infested areas in the home kills them by dehydration.
Pet fleas are a nuisance to pet dogs, cats, their owners, and homes during their short one hundred day lifespan. Immediate steps should be taken to rid the infected animal and household of these parasites before serious health issues affect everyone in the dwelling.
This article was written on behalf of Flea treatment online retailer fleakiller.org.uk. For more information about pet health please visit http://www.allaboutpethealth.co.uk
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