Fleas & Ticks
Fleas
Fleas are the most common blood feeding parastie of warm blooded mammals. There are two main species of fleas found in the UK. The cat flea [Ctenocephalides felis] and the dog flea [Ctenocephalides canis]. More than one species can be present on an animal. The cat flea is the most common and can breed on both dogs and cats.
All adult feleas are about 2mm long, flattened laterally, wingless and redish brown in colour. They are known for their ability to jump. They live on your pets most of the time, but the eggs and larvae are mainly found in your animal's surroundings such as pet's bed, baskets, the carpets, and soft furnishings. Traditionaly the flea season lasted from April to November, but now fleas are a year round problem with central heatingand carpets enabling them to breed all year.
Fleas need to be able to feed on your pet's blood in order to lay eggs. After feeding the female flea lays her eggs in the animals's fur and these eggs drop off later into dedding or carpets. One female can produce 400 - 500 eggs in her lifetime, usually in batches of around 20.
Depending on the tempreature and humidity the eggs hatch after 2 - 16 days. The larvae then feed on household dust [skin cells]. Each larvae takes 7 - 10 days to develop fully. They then spin a cocoon, usually lasts 10 - 17 days, but maybe much longer in winter. The vibrations of a passing host stimulate the flea to emerge.
Some pets tolerate fleas well with only very slight scratching, others can show a severe reaction reslting in intense scratching, chewing of the neck, ears, thighs and base of tail. Checking the coat preferably with a flea comb, will show if there are any fleas on the animal. Also, take a sheet of paper or cotton wool, wet it well and with the animals sitting next to it, brush or rub your pets back so that scurf and flea dropping fall onto the wet paper. Look for "black" specs, like coal dust, which after a few secondsturn reddish brown. Thisis the dried blood flea droppings.
Successful flea control involves two stages: killing the fleas on the pet and preventing re-infestation in the home. It is essential that you treat your pets fleas on a regular basis. This usually involves treating your pet with one of the proprietary flea brands but should also include the washing of bedding, vacumming of carpets and cleaning upholstery on a regular basis. To control fleas, all animals in the home must be treated on the same day.
Ticks
Ticks belong to the spider family. A tick is an arachnid that burrows its head beneath the skin and sucks blood. They vary in size and when engorged can reach the size of a pea. The types of tick found on cats and dogs in the UK are [Ixodes ricinus] the castor bean tick; [Ixodes scapularis] deer tick; [Ixodes hexadonus] hedgehog tick; and the [Rhipicephalus sanguineus] brown dog tick. These ticks are prevalent on animals exercised in fields or moor land grazed by sheep and cattle - the tick's main hosts. Ticks can also be picked up from parks, gardens, kennels and burrows.
Ticks can be anywhere on a pet's body but are almost frequently found on the ears, face or abdomen where the hair cover is relatively thin. Ticks feed at certain times in their life. The main seasons are Spring and Autumn, but they can remain a problem throughout the year depending on the weather and climate. Most of their life cycle is spent outside in areas of long grass and moor land, but they can survive in cracks and crevices in walls and floors of kennels.
There are warning signs that a tick may have bitten your cat or dog, such as fever, lameness, loss of appetite, lethargy and swelling in the joints. Adult ticks can be seen attached to the skin of your pet and will resemble a small smooth wart or bloodblister. Ticks can be carriers of Lyme disease, which can be transmitted to humans.
Pets need to be examined regulary. Treatment usually involves the physical removal of ticks and the applicationof insecticide sprays or shampoos that will kill ticks if regularly. Because it is important that mouthparts of the tick do not remain in your pets skin, it may be necessary to refer the pet to the vet for the safe removal of ticks.
