External Parasites; Fleas
Parasites such as worms, fleas and ticks can make your dog uncomfortable and even seriously ill. This page describes the most common parasites that can affect dogs. You should consult your veterinarian for the best way to prevent infestation in your dog and your home. The AKC Pet Healthcare Plan can help with the cost of providing quality healthcare, including preventive medicine, throughout your dog's life.
Are a very common problem. You will need to be diligent about flea control; if you're not, your dog can suffer hair loss, allergic reaction, and worms. You also risk infesting your house and family members as well.
If your dog has fleas, you should ask your veterinarian for the most effective way to rid them from the dog
and its bedding and environment. Effective flea prevention is also available; ask your vet for the best
method for your dog. Read more about fleas.
Are a very common problem. You will need to be diligent about flea control; if you're not, your dog can suffer hair loss, allergic reaction, and worms. You also risk infesting your house and family members as well.
If your dog has fleas, you should ask your veterinarian for the most effective way to rid them from the dog
and its bedding and environment. Effective flea prevention is also available; ask your vet for the best
method for your dog. Read more about fleas.
FLEAS;
How Fleas are Transmitted to
Dogs and Cats;
Ctenocephalides felis, the fleas that affect most dogs and cats, can breed year-round indoors. The flea life cycle varies according to where they live. In the south, fleas may hatch year-round, while their northern counterparts flourish in warm summer months. Moving through the life cycle from egg to larvae to pupae to adult can take a flea anywhere from 14 days to 140 days in certain conditions. Adult fleas mate shortly after contact with animals. Once they produce eggs, the eggs often drop off the animal to complete their larval and pupal stages. The pupal stage can last from 3-to-4 weeks to several months depending on the environment (warm, humid conditions with temperatures above 80 percent humidity are optimal). Once hatched, adult fleas search for a host, and if fleas are not removed from the host they can live for more than two months, depending on environmental conditions.
Dogs and Cats;
Ctenocephalides felis, the fleas that affect most dogs and cats, can breed year-round indoors. The flea life cycle varies according to where they live. In the south, fleas may hatch year-round, while their northern counterparts flourish in warm summer months. Moving through the life cycle from egg to larvae to pupae to adult can take a flea anywhere from 14 days to 140 days in certain conditions. Adult fleas mate shortly after contact with animals. Once they produce eggs, the eggs often drop off the animal to complete their larval and pupal stages. The pupal stage can last from 3-to-4 weeks to several months depending on the environment (warm, humid conditions with temperatures above 80 percent humidity are optimal). Once hatched, adult fleas search for a host, and if fleas are not removed from the host they can live for more than two months, depending on environmental conditions.
Signs in Dogs and Cats
Pets that exhibit signs of itching, scratching, and unusual amounts of chewing and licking may have fleas. Although fleas are sometimes difficult to spot, black specks (flea feces) on pets' skin and coat are one sign - these specks turn reddish brown when placed on dampened white paper. Flea-infested dogs may scratch mainly on the lower part of their bodies while cats may scratch more around their heads and necks. Fleas also can cause an allergic reaction called flea allergy dermatitis, a hypersensitivity to flea saliva, which can cause a rash inflammation or hair loss in some pets. If ingested, fleas also can transmit tapeworms to pets.
Treatment and Treatment Outcomes
Effective treatments for fleas require killing fleas and breaking the flea life cycle. Because fleas multiply rapidly, treating fleas involves removing them form the animal's environment as well as its skin and hair.
Human Health Connections/Concerns
When no suitable animal hosts are found, fleas often look to humans for the blood they need to survive. Although fleas are mostly a nuisance to humans, some research indicates that fleas play a role in transmitting cat-scratch disease and plague. If ingested, fleas also can transmit tapeworms to humans.