Jenny's Jottings: Fleas

Whilst you go about your daily business, have you ever thought of what happens during a day in the life of a flea? They are busy little creatures… busy multiplying!

Once hopping onto your pet, the female will have a meal of blood and lay up to 50 eggs per day. The eggs drop off into the house and hatch into larvae. These larvae bury themselves into cracks and crevices and develop through a pupal stage from which the adult flea will emerge. The entire lifecycle usually takes 3 – 4 weeks. The scale of the lifecycle can be astounding… it has been reported that one mating female flea can be responsible for producing more than 20,000 adults and more then 150,000 larvae/pupae in 60 days! I’m sure I am not the only one to cringe at this thought!

If an animal has fleas, you may see small black flecks of dirt in the fur. This is flea faeces. Another sign may be scratching, or you may even see an adult flea although they are very quick!

Fleas are irritating to both animals and humans when they bite, but some animals suffer from nasty allergies to flea saliva. These animals become so itchy that they cause injury to themselves by chewing or scratching. Their skin is then susceptible to infection which causes more itchiness and a vicious cycle begins.

There are many other problems linked with flea infestation. Unfortunately tiny kittens and puppies can become anaemic with large infestations and in severe cases, this can be fatal. Also, several infectious diseases can be transmitted. For example, the rabbit flea can transmit myxomatosis. And did you know that dogs can acquire tapeworm from fleas?

It is therefore very fortunate that so many effective flea treatments are available to pet owners. It is beneficial to keep up flea prevention all year round, but in the summer months, it may be of greater importance. Warm weather allows fleas to thrive and numbers can increase rapidly. So if you don’t want unwelcome guests this year, don’t waste time…fight the flea!