When I was a new graduate, I would love looking at the schedule and seeing, “Itchy dog” or “cat scratching so much it’s bleeding.” As a new graduate, these were simple cases for me to solve as 95% of the time, the itching was caused by fleas or even an animal being allergic to the flea bite. Now when I see those descriptions on the clinic calendar, I feel dread and get the sudden urge to brush that case off onto Dr. Vroman (my colleague). Why is it I hate seeing those cases now? One word: Fleanial. It is a common condition afflicting pet owners, and veterinarians use this word to describe an individual that is in complete denial that their pet has fleas. I have not been trained to treat human conditions, and this particular condition is quite difficult to treat. The ONLY hope for treating fleanial is education, which I hope to provide in this blog post (along with a little entertainment). Before we move on to the rest of this blog post, we need to go over the basics of the flea life cycle. It is important for you to understand this for my explanations later in this blog post. The flea life cycle is divided into four parts: eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. The complete life cycle can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to many months depending on environmental conditions. The flea life cycle begins when an adult female flea lays eggs after a blood meal (from your pet). These eggs are smaller than a grain of sand and normally laid in bunches of 20. They lay these eggs in your pet’s fur, carpet, bedding where they rest, in the seams of hardwood floors, or in your yard. The female flea starts laying eggs after her first blood meal and lays up to 50 eggs per day. Eggs can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to hatch, depending on environmental conditions. If your environment is cool and dry, it will take longer. They hatch and develop quickly in hot or humid weather. Ideal temperature is 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature of most homes unless you’re a Stroupe like me with a wood stove and no air conditioning. The two temperature settings in my house are either hypothermia or eternal hell fires. Anyway, eventually the eggs hatch and larvae emerge. The larvae are blind and avoid sunlight. They survive and develop by eating digested blood (also known as flea dirt) that the adult fleas pass or other organic debris in the environment. If all goes well, within 5-20 days of hatching, the larvae will spin cocoons. This leads to the next life stage, which is the pupae. The cocoon protects the pupae for several days or weeks until the adult flea emerges. If the environmental conditions are not ideal, the cocoon can protect the developing flea for months or even years. The cocoons have a sticky outer coating, which allows them to be buried deep in carpet or other materials. This also makes them difficult to remove with vacuuming. When conditions are ideal and the adult flea senses vibrations, increased carbon dioxide levels, or body heat, it emerges from its cocoon...like a beautiful butterfly. Or not. The adult jumps on your pet, takes a blood meal, and the cycle repeats over and over again until you have tens of thousands of these guys in your house or yard. Now that we’ve gone over the flea life cycle, I will list the most common phrases uttered by individuals with fleanial, and my response, which may be somewhat more sarcastic than what I give in the exam room (a perk to reading the blog). 1. I don’t have fleas in my home. I haven’t seen any and they’re not biting me! Did I just comb a bunch of live fleas or flea dirt off of your dog? Does your dog go into your house? Then the answer is yes, there are fleas in your home. After learning the life cycle above, you probably understand that it is physically impossible to have fleas on your dog or cat but NOT have them in your home. You may not see them because for the most part, the fleas are either on your pet or getting into the carpet or other areas of the environment to lay eggs. There are over 2,000 species of fleas. The most common species of flea found in households in North America is the cat flea. Dogs, cats, and humans are the preferred hosts for this flea. However, the fleas mostly prefer dogs and cats, which is why you might not experience flea bites in your home until you have a heavy infestation. 2. I don’t think my pet has very many fleas. She only has 2 or 3 fleas. Oh no. Where there is one flea, there are often thousands of them just after a few days of laying eggs. As mentioned above, an adult female flea lays up to 50 eggs per day. The average flea infested dog has about 20 fleas on them at one time, but heavily infested dogs can have hundreds. It’s a party in your pet’s fur, and the more the merrier. 3. There can’t be fleas in my house or on my pets! I’m a clean person! Fleas don’t really care if you live in a gated community or disinfect every surface of your house and vacuum three times a day. Fleas also don’t care if you bathe your dog twice a week. If fleas jump on your pet and they’re not on effective flea preventative, no amount of cleaning will completely prevent the flea lifecycle from taking place or spiralling out of control. While vacuuming can help remove adult fleas, larvae, and eggs from the environment, many other measures also need to be taken to eliminate fleas in your house or on your pet. The best person to ask for advice on this is your veterinarian. They know what preventatives will work best for you and your pet, and they can walk you through treating the environment. 4. Yeah, I know my pet has fleas, but I really don’t think that’s what’s causing her itching. Do you realize how ridiculous this statement sounds? Imagine you have bugs crawling on you, biting you, and sucking your blood. That is definitely enough to make you itch and scratch. Heck, I’m scratching right now just thinking about it! Of course fleas are causing your animal’s itching! This could even be complicated by a flea allergy in your animal. Pets with flea allergies have an even more severe itch response to flea bites as they are allergic to the saliva of the flea. In some cases, all it takes is one flea bite to set them off. 5. I’ve tried everything! Nothing gets rid of the fleas! A flea infestation on your pet or in your home can definitely be frustrating. However, “I’ve tried everything” usually means the client has tried every single crappy, over-the-counter flea preventative that Wal-Mart has to offer. Look, I understand. You see commercial flea products on the shelves and assume that they not only work but that they’re also safe for your pet. Unfortunately, neither of those things are true. Not all flea preventatives are created equal, and you usually get what you pay for. I’m convinced that some of these cheap supermarket flea preventatives actually attract fleas. I’ve even had some patients die from certain over-the-counter flea preventatives. PSA: Do NOT apply Sargent’s Silver to your cats. I have had two patients die from this flea product from a pyrethrin toxicity. Pyrethrins are a pesticide toxic to cats. This company gets away with using this pesticide because it is not listed as an active ingredient. If you look at any box of flea preventative and it says, “Other ingredients: 45%”, that is a HUGE red flag! Even if you’re not buying your preventatives from your vet (which you should), you should at least consult your veterinarian before using a flea product on your pet. It can save their life. Good flea preventatives aren’t usually cheap, but it prevents the headache and expense of treating a flea infestation. Most importantly, flea prevention prevents a number of diseases and discomfort in your pet. Consult your veterinarian and find out what preventatives work best for you and your pets. We can be a great resource to you. 6. My pet doesn’t have fleas. They never go outside! Indoor only pets can certainly be exposed to fleas. While outdoor animals are more likely to become infested with fleas, as well as ticks and other parasites, indoor pets can get them as well. When you consider that a flea can jump nearly 100 times its height, you realize how sneaky they can be. Fleas can hitch a ride on your pant leg or shoes and get into your home. If you have a dog that goes outside and plays in the yard, they can pick up fleas and bring them inside to your other indoor pets. Fleas are also small enough that they can get indoors on their own by jumping through a screen door, through window cracks, or any small opening. Once inside, the flea jumps on your pet and the rest is history. The ONLY way to prevent a flea infestation on your pet and in your house is to use a reliable, flea preventative as labeled year round. Fleas do not go away in the winter months as they survive on your pet’s body heat and move indoors. As mentioned earlier, consult your veterinarian on what products work best for you and your pet. I hope this blog post was both informative, entertaining, and maybe even prevents the outbreak of fleanial plaguing pet owners. There’s no need to be ashamed. I promise not to judge you for having a pet with fleas if you promise to listen to reason and allow me to help you.Your pet will thank you. And besides, who wants larvae crawling around in the their carpet? Gross!
3 Comments
4/6/2016 06:54:09 am
So sending this to my mother back in Cali. Thanks for the post!
Reply
Jessica Stroupe, DVM
4/8/2016 05:42:02 am
Glad you enjoyed it!
Reply
Chris
4/26/2023 09:08:43 pm
After a few days of egg-laying, there are frequently thousands of fleas where there are only one. An adult female flea can lay up to 50 eggs every day, as was already noted. The average dog with fleas has 20 of them on them at once, while dogs with severe infestations might have hundreds. The more guests you bring, the more fun it will be in your pet's fur. You should buy right flea medication from PetCareRx website.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Jessica Stroupe, DVM
Archives
August 2017
|