 Ticks
and fleas
Ticks are small spider-like acarids and
fleas are insects, but these two tiny creatures have at least one
thing in common—they are both parasites that feed on your dog’s
blood and can cause a lot of discomfort and more serious health
problems.
Flea bites may go unnoticed on some pets, cause slight irritation
in others and produce extensive itching, red lesions, hair loss
and even ulcers in those animals with flea allergy dermatitis,
which is the result of extreme sensitivity to flea saliva. Severe
flea infestations can cause anemia, especially in puppies. Fleas
can also transmit several diseases, as well as tapeworm. Ticks are
“vectors” or carriers of a number of diseases, including Lyme
disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever which can sometimes be
transmitted to humans.
About fleas…
Adult fleas are wingless insects, generally
smaller than a sesame seed, who feed on the blood of animals. Their
proportionately enlarged back pair of legs gives them an
extraordinary jumping ability. Hanging on to your pet’s fur with
their claws, their needle-like mouth parts bite through the skin to
suck up blood.
If one flea finds your dog an attractive food source, you can be
sure that other fleas will, too! They mate, with females laying
30–50 eggs per day. These eggs will drop to the ground within 8
hours and, as soon as 2 days later flea larvae will hatch and hide
in dark places on the ground, on carpets or in upholstery. After
about a week of feeding on adult flea droppings, crumbs, flakes of
skin, etc., the larvae spin cocoons to become pupae. The pupae can
remain in this stage for very long periods of time. As early as a
week later, the pupae develop into adult fleas and emerge from their
cocoons when they sense that a dog or other animal host, is near.
The cycle—which can take as little as 12 days or as long as 180
days—can then begin again.
And ticks...
Ticks are wingless creatures that
live exclusively on the blood of animals for three of the four
stages of their life cycle. They are equipped with an apparatus
called Haller’s organ which senses heat, carbon dioxide and other
stimuli to allow the ticks to locate the presence of an animal food
source. Once found, they crawl on and embed their mouth parts into
the animal’s skin and proceed to suck up its blood.
 You
should inspect your pet regularly for ticks, especially if they have
been outside in areas where there are woods or tall grasses. A
thorough combing within 4 to 6 hours of exposure to such
environments can help prevent ticks from attaching themselves to
feast on your pet. Should you find a tick, it should be removed
immediately, as the longer it is attached to its host, the greater
the chance for disease. Do not touch the tick. Wear gloves and use
tweezers to carefully grasp the exposed section of the tick’s body
near your pet’s skin. Gently pull until the tick lets go. To dispose
of the tick, wrap it in several tissues and flush it down the
toilet. Do not crush, burn or suffocate it, as any one of those
actions may spread infectious bacteria.
Controlling fleas and
ticks
The best way to control flea problems is to
prevent them from happening in the first place. Fortunately,
developments in veterinary parasite control in recent years have
made the twofold goal of eliminating fleas on pets and preventing
further infestations much easier to achieve. Available for both dogs
and cats, new insecticides and insect growth regulators in
easy-to-use topical or oral forms not only eliminate any existing
fleas, but also work long-term to prevent future infestations. This
is accomplished either by killing the parasites before they can
reproduce or by preventing their eggs from developing into normal
adult fleas. Consult your veterinarian for advice about the proper
product for your pet. Furthermore, thorough daily vacuuming of
high-traffic areas and frequent washing of your pet’s bedding will
also go a long way in reducing the flea population in your home.
Some of the same types of topical or oral products used to control
flea infestation are also effective against ticks. Such treatments
should be combined with daily examinations and tick removal for
those pets, especially dogs, who are frequently outdoors in areas
with high tick populations. Ask your veterinarian for information
about the situation in your locality. Clearing brush and long
grasses and removing leaves, grass clippings and other organic
debris will also help reduce the presence of ticks by disturbing
their natural outdoor habitats.
When a parasite picks your pet
for a meal
If, despite your best efforts at control,
you find that fleas or ticks have crawled (or jumped) on board your
pet, you will have to use a product that will kill and/or repel the
parasites. These include once-a-month topical treatments, or more
regular use of sprays, powders, dips, shampoos, collars and, to
combat fleas, oral or injectable medication. Once again, you should
ask your veterinarian for advice about what the most appropriate
product is for your pet . And remember, it is perfectly normal to
see live fleas or ticks on a pet immediately after a topical
treatment, spray, shampoo, collar, etc. is applied. Many believe
that this means the product is not working, but the fleas or ticks
have to fully absorb the product before they will be affected, which
may take
from a few hours to a few days.
Facts about fleas
Worldwide, there are about 3,000
different types of fleas, but the cat flea (Ctenocephalides
felis) is the most common to be found on dogs and cats.
Adult fleas can jump 600 times an hour. Each jump, in terms of the
flea’s size, is the equivalent of a person clearing a 50-story
building.
The record jump for a flea is 13 inches.
In just 30 days, 25 adult female fleas can multiply to 250,000
fleas.
Tips about ticks
A female tick can lay up to 3,000 eggs.
Except for eggs, ticks need a blood meal to progress to each stage
of their life cycle.
Some ticks can live for more than a year without a meal.
In very rare cases, toxins secreted by ticks can cause pet
paralysis.
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