The Simplest Way to Keep Your Pet Flea Free

The Simplest Way to Keep Your Pet Flea Free

So your pet has fleas, should you panic? No! It's reasonably common for pets to get fleas, particularly in the warmer months of spring and summer.

The real problem is how it is possible to get shot of them and the way to keep them from re-infesting your pet. What kind of treatment is required to get shot of them? Sadly that is not invariably a straightforward answer. The flea life cycle is complex and there actually is no single product which will look after all of the probabilities for re-infestation. The initial step to eradication is to begin to grasp a touch more about your upsetting tiny enemy.

Flea Life Cycle

Ctenocephalides felis, more well known as the pussy-cat flea ( first flea found on dogs as well as pussies ), has 4 main stages in their life cycle : egg, larva, pupa and adult. The entire flea life cycle can go from 2 weeks to 1 or 2 months depending on environmental conditions.

ADULT - Adult fleas live on the host animal ( your pet ) where they eat the pet's blood. Female fleas lay up to fifty white, roundish eggs a day.

EGGS - The eggs infrequently fall off the animal and onto your carpet, bedding, floorboards, and such like. Where they'll hatch anywhere from two days to a couple of weeks later on . The larva then appear.

LARVA - The semi-transparent white larvae spend a lot of their time eating dried blood from the feces of adult fleas. They're also hot for waste in your carpet and bedding. After five to 18 days they spin a cocoon and pupate.

PUPA - The adult flea will appear from the cocoon in three to 5 days, or it can remain torpid for at least a year or longer until the time is right.

stuff like warm temperatures, humidity, deep carpet agitation or the passing of animals could cause an adult flea to appear.

Where to begin

If you find yourself scratching your head thinking how you're going to take on a flea infestation, there are one or two options to consider. First, find a good flea collar. There are many good ones on the market. You may also think about employing a flea spray or maybe a spot-on treatment. Anyhow, check with your vet and be certain to read labels to avoid over-medication. Other points to consider are flea shampoos or natural flea repellent chewable additions.

Fighting Dormancy

The hardest difficulty with fleas is the potential for long term dormancy in the pupa stage. It is common for a pet to be treated and totally flea free only to get more fleas 1 or 2 weeks or months later. That is because fleas can remain sleeping for a long while and appear again for re-infestation on your pet. So it's very important to treat your carpets, pet beds, kennels, auto seats and any other shaded, wet environments with a grounds spray. Stopping a flea infestation is not a easy task, so stay observant. And as always, early and regular prevention is the strongest defense.