I won’t lie; getting rid of fleas on your dog is challenging. The secret to getting rid of them is figuring out how various flea treatments operate and combining them in a way that will halt them at every step of their life cycle. A petdumble will begin to feed within 5 minutes and may continue. The most voracious fleas are female, devouring up to 15 times as much blood as they weigh in themselves. A dog or cat may find the superficial scratching from fleas to be irritable enough. However, fleas can also result in more severe health issues. The dog tapeworm is additionally spread via fleas.
Coming up with your own treatment strategy is considerably simpler once you are aware of the flea life cycle. You must be cautious about getting rid of flea eggs and larvae in addition to the apparent fleas. It won’t be long before all the eggs hatch into a brand-new infestation if you’re only eliminating adult fleas. Because you must control fleas throughout each stage of their life cycles on both the host and the surroundings, getting rid of them requires a lot of persistence. It is insufficient only to get rid of your dog’s active adult fleas. Since fleas thrive in these warm surroundings, those who live in humid regions are more likely to contract fleas.
Illnesses Caused by Fleas that Affect Your Dog
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Tapeworms
Intestinal parasites include tapeworms. This flat, segmented worm is prevalent in dogs along with roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm. The dog will first consume a host, usually an adult flea, that is carrying tapeworm eggs. A dog might ingest a flea in a few different ways, including self-grooming or grooming a canine or feline companion. The tapeworm eggs settle in your dog’s small intestine after they have been digested.
Each segment of the adult tapeworm is a little piece roughly the size of a grain of rice. These segments split off and end up in the dog’s stool as the tapeworm develops inside the dog’s digestive tract. The easiest way to prevent a tapeworm infestation in a dog is to keep it flea-free. The surrounding environment must also be treated in order to stop recurrent infestations. The medication causes the intestinal tapeworm to dissolve. The drug doesn’t generally have any adverse side effects.
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Anemia brought on by flea bites.
Anemia, the physical condition of having a reduced amount of blood cells, can result from a severe flea infestation, which can cause sluggish, life-threatening blood loss. Many veterinarians believe that kittens and pups who are able to spend time outside frequently die from flea anemia. A tiny cat or puppy with numerous fleas may experience severe anemia.
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Dermatitis from a flea allergy
An allergic response to a flea bite is known as flea allergy dermatitis (FAD). FAD can affect both cats and dogs. The saliva of the flea, which it injects into the pet’s skin when biting and feeding, contains specific proteins that cause severe allergic reactions in affected pets.
Some animals have severe allergies, and even a single bite can result in a response. The majority of instances are observed in the late summer when flea numbers are at their highest. History can be pretty suggestive in these situations. The patient’s fleas must be killed, the biomass in residence must be removed, and future infestations must be avoided for control to work. Getting rid of current pet flea infestations is still the first step.
Fleas can be pretty challenging to get rid of after an infestation has taken hold in your home. Possibly several treatments are necessary for your pet. The area around the afflicted pet must also be free of fleas. As a result, in addition to treating the home and maybe the backyard with flea-control solutions, it is also necessary to treat any additional pets that are present in the house. The sheets, blankets, pillows, and mattress pad should all be washed in hot water if you suspect that you have fleas in your bed. As fleas and their eggs may be present in your carpet and other areas of your home, you should also treat your home for fleas.
