What do I do about all of these fleas???

Of all client questions answered during the course of the day. The most common, by far, this time of year is..."Doc, What do I do about all of these fleas? Is there an answer? Does anything really work? The products recommended by your office are not working! What do I do now?".

So, here is the skinny on fleas...

First it is imperative that one understands the life cycle of the flea. The complete life cycle consists of the flea eggs, larvae, pupae and the adult.

Only 5% of the flea population consists of adult fleas. Adult fleas live their entire life cycle on the pet. They may bite humans but will quickly jump off as humans are not a natural host. The adults eat, breed, LAY EGGS and die on the body of the pet.

Population check: Adults 5% and survive 50 days, Eggs 45% and survive 10 days, Larvae 35% and survive 12 days, Pupae 10% survive 8-9 days or upto 4-5 months.

While most of the focus ends up being on the fact that there are live fleas crawling everywhere, the true problem is in the egg population.

To accomplish flea control pet owners must attack three areas:
1.) Treat the pet
2.) Treat the house
3.) Treat the yard

Flea preventatives like Frontline, Advantage, Advantix, etc. that are sold by veterinarians and over the counter are PREVENTATIVES and work very well but all of the above areas MUST be addressed appropriately.

Treat the pet:
See your veterinarian immediately for advice. Often times there are other conditions that go along with flea infestation such as Flea Allergy Dermatitis and Tapeworms just to name two. Your veterinarian is equipped to get the fleas off your pet very quickly and easily without toxic dips and baths. If underlying conditions with the pet are not addressed flea preventatives may not work properly and the prevention will fail. If the listed areas above are not addressed properly the preventative plan will fail.

Treat the house:
Forget messy bombs and foggers. What a mess! Instead focus on getting the eggs out of the house! See your veterinarian for recommendations for in-house area treatments and focus on the baseboards. Vacuum or dry mop like you have never before. Get the eggs out! Get the eggs out! If you have a disposable vacuum bag throw it out each time. If you have a canister clean the canister each time. Throw away or launder dry mop heads immediately. Treat the baseboards with a high quality, veterinary recommended area treatment. Don't neglect the high traffic areas but don't focus heavily on them either. Think of the eggs as hair. On a hardwood floor where does the hair end up at the end of the day? Around the edges of the rooms and piled in corners. Retreat monthly until the problem has resolved. Keep up on the pet's prevention. The fleas will not magically disappear in days or weeks. Often severe flea infestations take months to recover and maintain.

Treat the yard:
Either have an exterminator treat the yard for you or treat it yourself but make sure it gets treated! I usually recommend treatment at the beginning of the summer, again mid summer and again in the fall. Keep the grass trimmed short, collect grass clippings and rake any leaves and debris.

Once all three areas have been tackled and the flea problem has resolved it is important to continue flea prevention monthly all year around to avoid future outbreaks. Do not stop when winter comes. Flea eggs can stay dormant in your nice comfortable 68 degree home for up to 2 years. Never take them for granted. They will return and re-infest if you are not careful. If you know you have had problems treat the pet year around, treat the yard through the summer and treat the house when problems arise.

There is not one flea regime that works for all pets and all geographic areas. It is important to speak with your veterinarian to get advice on the best flea program for you and your area. It will save you hundreds of dollars and long time frustration. We have a multitude of wonderful flea products on the market today. There is no reason to have flea infestations today.

Feel free to contact me anytime with questions or concerns regarding your worst nightmare: FLEAS!