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Best friends - and isn't it great. We love this close interaction with our pets. Cats climb on sofas, dogs curl up on the rug, we fuss and cuddle them .....but how do you know what else is lurking in all that dense hair? Fleas? Impossible. Or is it?
What if your pet has fleas? Once they're on the cat or dog, the next jump for these persistent bloodsucking predators is on you! And once in the house and on carpets and clothes and furniture they are extremely difficult to eradicate.
First of all, how do you find out if they are around? You might see one on your dog or cat's coat - a very small black beetle shape - often sitting quite still, but try to catch it and with a mighty jump - he's disappeared to burrow back into the deep fur housing complex where he lives with his family. There is almost never just one flea. If the flea is larger, it's because he's just had a meal - and that will be blood - your pet's blood - or you if he's jumped on you. Fleas prefer dogs and cats to humans but they will vampirize us if they're hungry.
So how do you tell if your cat or dog has fleas? There are some obvious warning signs. If your cat or dog is scratching a lot it is almost invariably because of these pesky little critturs. Occasionally it could be a skin complaint so if you suspect this have your pet checked out at the vets. A flea infestation will worsen an itchy skin so both problems will need attention.
This little dog came to us as a stray and it looks as though she has a skin problem. Not so, she was badly infested with fleas. The constant itching makes the skin go pink and the hair eventually falls out. A dog or cat may also suffer from an allergic reaction to the parasites and then there's a skin problem as well. When we'd treated her the hair grew back and the inflammation in her skin disappeared.
It may be that you think your pet is fine - no scratching, no hair loss, no sign of any unwanted pests. Best not to be complacent - sometimes there seems to be no indication of fleas whatsoever but they are still lurking in the thick furry coat. Unless you comb your pet meticulously every day you may not spot them. And if your pet has brown or dark coloured hair, it's even more difficult. So, how to tell for sure? It's all down to a background check- fleas are well camflouged and the eggs are tiny and hard to spot on normal pet bedding. They roll away into crevices and lie there, often for a long time, until a new warm, full blooded host comes along when they suddenly hatch and decide it's feeding time again.
If you want to make absolutely sure your pet is clear of these - put a white sheet in the pet's basket or wherever he or she sleeps. If there are any tiny black dots on it - that means your cat or dog is harbouring fleas. They will be either droppings or eggs. The latter don't move by the way but they need to be disposed of carefully because they are extremely resilient and will hatch out under the most difficult conditions.
Coming next..... getting rid - how to treat your pet for fleas - are there hidden dangers in chemicals treatments?
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