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The flea is a super survivor, thick skinned in all senses of the word. Walk on one and it will hop away. Immerse it in water and it will come up
spluttering. Fingernail crushing is the only effective exterminator method if you can catch the blighters. Over the years the flea has become resistant to a whole range of insecticides so they are now
even tougher customers. I wager that the flea like the cockroach will survive the bomb and inherit the earth! There are more than 2400 species of flea and, although each type of animal has its own
corresponding type of flea, fleas are not host - specific. This means in effect that dog fleas will go on cats and cat fleas will go on dogs and all of them will have a go at humans! There is still a
definite social stigma attached to having fleas. Yet it is an inescapable fact of life, especially in warm, humid climates. If a dog is scratching it is worth checking its coat for fleas just in case. This
is easier said than done because fleas are laterally depressed, which means they can shoot through a forest of dog hairs at a mighty speed. If the dog has a double coat they are even harder to see. A good trick to use to test for fleas is to ruffle the hair on the dog's back where the fleas will then make a hasty retreat to the underside of the dog. Then, if you roll the dog over, the fleas
should be caught out in the open, running across the bare tummy. Young pups are particularly at risk from fleas as they can die from flea anemia. Fleas eat blood. Later in life, pups can develop an
allergy to the saliva of its fleas and this can sometimes linger for weeks after the last flea has bitten the dust. The little black specs that you sometimes see in your dogs coat are not flea eggs.
Every time a flea bites the dog it regurgitates the blood , that is why when you bath a dog with a lot of these little black specs on it, the water goes creamy brown. In severe cases the water will actually turn red.
A Fleas Life Cycle The tiny fleas on your pup are males and the big, fat ones are
females, full of eggs. The eggs are laid in the general environment but also on the animal and they look like tiny grains of salt, easily visible to the naked eye. Flea eggs unfortunately are resistant to
insecticides. The fleas hatch out into larvae, like tiny fly maggots, which feed on dirt and become tiny pupae or cocoons. At this stage they lie dormant in floor cracks, grass and yard, carpets and dog's
bedding for months, until weather conditions are favorable for hatching a new generation of fleas. The whole life cycle of the flea can be a matter of days in damp, warm weather or it can take months and
months if conditions are not right. Have you ever walked into a house after a holiday when the place has lain empty - to suddenly find an infestation of fleas? The vibrations of your feet can be enough to
hatch the pupae into a new generation of adult fleas, which immediately leap onto your legs for a feed! Even when deprived of an instant feast, unfed adult fleas can live for some months also. Flea Control in the Environment
Remember that prevention is better than cure so even though you may not think that your house or yard have
fleas it does not hurt to have the area treated for fleas. You cannot expect to have a dog or its environment treated once and expect to be completely rid of fleas. It is an ongoing concern and once you have
a infestation it may take some time to eradicate the problem. When dogs who are obviously suffering from flea allergy are seen, a high percentage of owners say that they de-flea their dog every night and
catch about 20 fleas in a comb. It is impossible to catch every flea on your dog and it takes only one to cause an allergy. A pet acts as a vacuum cleaner for all the fleas in the environment. Kill a flea on
the animal and there are plenty more to take its place. It seems obvious that unless you tackle the dog's surroundings, treating the dog for fleas is pointless. You are just subjecting it to a bombardment
of insecticides which in the long term, are bound to have serious side effects; many insecticides, for example are linked to cancer. Many dog owners have a misconception of fleas and it is sometimes hard
for them to realise they need to treat the pets environment as well. It is up to us to educate them. A lot of clients will say `I've got ground fleas coming up out of the dirt, so there's nothing I can
do.' The fleas on the dog are breeding in the yard and jumping on the dog. Solution - Treat the PETS ENVIRONMENT as well as the pet. The surroundings can be sprayed by a professional pest controller, or
you can usually purchase something appropriate from your local vet or produce. The inside of your home should also be done, you can again use a professional or you can purchase flea bombs from your local
produce or vet or supermarket. Make sure that you purchase the flea bomb which has a flea growth regulator in it. Just be sure to follow the directions. Your dog's bedding should also be washed regularly,
preferably every time your dog has its bath. Lock your dog away from any dirt areas and Place Lime or Dolomite on the dirt. Dealing With Fleas: "The Choices" Some years ago fleas were not really a problem because chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as DDT and Dieldrin, were being used as powders and
rinses. These had a residual effect, however, and hung about in the environment for years and years, building up to dangerous levels that contaminated the soil and consequently the vegetation and the animals
feeding upon it. Although these flea rinses may have lasted a long time as flea deterrents, the environment and probably the pets suffered as a result. These products are now thankfully banned. most flea
controls, in the form of flea rinses and collars, contain organophosphates and carbamate these days, but even some of these can be toxic. Organicphosphates Flea Rinses And Shampoos (POISON) Did you read the label on the bottle before you put it on your dog? Are you wearing protective clothing, a mask, gloves and gown? Now get
ready to Pest Control your dog. Why if you have to take all these precautions is it okay to use on your dog. It is also a living creature. It is also not advisable to have such high toxic chemicals around
your household. Owners have a bad habit of not reading instructions carefully. They often apply the rinse at the wrong strength. No worries they think until the animal gets sick. Then they complain, 'But
we've rinsed him every day to keep the fleas off', when the instructions clearly stated that only weekly rinses were necessary. Organicphoshate flea rinses should not be put on pups under 3 months of age. The chemicals in the solution can become a health hazard to you, the dog and the environment. Why is it packaged in a glass or tin bottle?
If left in a plastic container it will eat through it within a few days. Are you still going to douse your dog in this solution when there are other products you can use? Natural Based Products. The safest insecticides to use on dogs is pyrethrum, or permethrins which can be obtained in the form of powder, shampoo or spray, and is perfectly safe where there are young children
handling dogs. (Some of these sprays contain the insect growth hormone inhibitor which stops fleas breeding on the dog) Pyrethrum comes from a type of chrysanthemum but, as there are not enough flowers
available to meet the demand, synthetic pyrethrums are on the market that are just as safe. Permethrin is one of these synthetic products, it actually has a longer residual against fleas than the pyrethrum.
Another product that is found in natural products is Piperonal Butoxide this product is used as an enhancer. Topical Organicphoshate Applications Examples of these are Spot On and Cyflee.
There are many brand names and are available through vets, pet shops and super markets. These are topical applications (i.e. applied externally to the skin) and are absorbed by the body and excreted
throughout the skin surface. Generally they are applied around the neck region. Being organicphosphates, they are chemicals and toxic. They cannot be used when chemical flea rinses, collars, powders or
tablets for fleas are also being used as this may cause poisoning. The fleas also have to bite the dog, which makes this sort of treatment pointless with dogs that have flea allergies as the fleas are
still biting them and causing the dog to scratch and chew itself. if used incorrectly these products can be detrimental to your dogs health. It is not recommended to touch your dog for 24 hours after
applying the product. Why? It is toxic when people touch it, as it is absorbed by the skin.
Oral Insecticides Proban, Fleaban, are Organophosphates that are fed as drops or tablets and act
systematically, that is to say through the whole body, to kill fleas. The flea must bite the dog in order to die. I wonder how the dog feels? If used incorrectly or with organicphosphate rinses or products
you can poison your dog. Flea Collars
Most flea collars exude tiny particles of insecticide spray or liquid which spread through the animals coat.
Some pets are allergic to flea collars and develop a rash around the neck. We do not really know what effect inhaling insecticide long - term can have on a dog. Nor do we have any way of knowing how the
animal feels if, for example, it has a terrible headache. Whatever the case may be, pets should not wear flea collars where there are any small children, nor should they be put on young pups, who can easily
chew them with unhealthy results. Program
Program it is a totally Environmentally friendly product which sterilises the fleas eggs and therefore
stops reproduction of the flea. It will take approximately 2 months for it to work. The reason for this is because of the rapid life cycle of the flea, so within 2 months all or most of the flea eggs in the
dogs or cats immediate environment should have hatched. It does not kill the fleas that are already in the environment , on the dog or cat. So therefore you still need to have the pet flea rinsed.
Apparently it is working really well. But, you have to treat all the cats and dogs in the household. If you have a lot of pets visiting all the time or if the pet is out a lot it can still pick up fleas and
will still need to be flea rinsed. Depending on the environment the pet is in when it is out, will determine whether it is worth being put on the program. It will not work if you only want to treat one of
your pets. It does work out expensive to start with as you have to buy a six monthly pack for every animal in the house. The price ranges from $30 - $58 per pet. You do not need to take your pets to the
vet you just have to have their correct weight. If your customers require any more information have them ring their Vet as it can only be obtained from Vet surgeries. A lot of comments have been made that
this product will kill our trade. This is not true. Peoples pets will still get dirty even if they don't have fleas. Ovitrol Flea Collars The Ovitrol flea collar is very different to the
traditional flea collars. This collar contains an insect growth regulator which disrupts the life cycle of the fleas, thus preventing the fleas breeding and developing into adults. The flea cycle is broken
because flea eggs are killed as they are laid. The collar lasts for 6 months and is unaffected by water, so it is all right to leave these collars on during bathing. The collar is black and rigid. (Be sure
to confirm with the pet's owner of the type of flea collar they have on) They are also environmentally friendly and don't leave a residue. As these collars work similar to Program they do not kill adult
fleas so regular aldutcide treatment is required. E.g. Bathing or flea spray. Again, like Program it will take 2 - 3 months to break the flea life cycle.
Frontline Frontline contains a new molecule that
specifically targets the nervous system of the fleas and ticks and kills them within hours and protects dogs for up to 12 weeks. Daily searching for ticks is recommended. Frontline comes in a spray which
is applied to the dog and rubbed in. The amount used depends on the dogs size, the coat length and the level of flea infestation. It is a very safe product which can be used on cats, kittens and puppies
(from 2 days of age) Treating the pet's environment and bedding is recommended for longer results. Frontline is ideal for animals with flea allergies as no fleas are biting the pet which is what causes
scratching. It is recommended dogs are treated 3 days before or 3 days after bathing because of the oils in dog's coats. Be sure to inform clients of this procedure. Studies indicate that regular washing
does not significantly reduce Frontlines activity, some reduction of protective period could be expected with persistent exposure to water e.g. dogs that swim several times a week. Frontline is an
excellent product particularly because of its safety margin, however it is not the end of fleas. Regular bathing and environmental control is still required to prevent reinfestation. Dogs will still
require a regular service to maintain their pet's best wellbeing. The Pooch Mobile hydrobath service is not just bathing dogs for flea control but to clean them, minimise skin problems, plus nail care,
grooming, ear cleaning and advise on how they can best care for their pet. Safety Directions: Wearing gloves is recommended when spraying Frontline. Ticks: For the prevention of paralysis ticks for up
to three weeks apply Frontline at 6 ml per kg. Daily searching is still recommended. |
