Blog: Fighting Off Fleas

Anyone that has dealt with a flea infestation in their home knows exactly what an exhausting and time consuming battle this can be.  We have seen a large number of dogs and cats (yes, even indoor cats) coming in with fleas lately, so it seems that covering this topic would be helpful.

Many people wonder how their pets get fleas in the first place.  As you can imaging, this is especially upsetting to the pet parents of indoor only cats or dogs that “barely go outside”.  When your pet goes outside, even for a moment, they are at risk for a whole host of parasitic infections.  This includes fleas and is why we advocate for year round prevention.  In addition, humans can send off the same signals that fleas are looking for in a host and while they typically will not stay on us, that does not mean that they will not hitch a ride until they find a more suitable residence.

Any animal that is not on a good quality flea medication will be at risk for becoming a target and NOT ALL FLEA MEDICATIONS ARE CREATED EQUAL.  This can not be stressed enough.  There are many different products available.  A good majority of these products do not work and some are even dangerous to your pet.  While you will most certainly kill the fleas if you kill your pet in the process, we don’t generally recommend this approach.  Please ask your veterinary team about effective medications.  We have been where you are (and learned from it).  We are here to help you and dislike those fleas just as much as you do!

Fleas are fast and they are proliferative.  What does this mean?  They multiply…and in a hurry!  Typically, when you see that you have a flea “problem” it is already too late and you will have a lot of work ahead of you.  This is why we recommend year round protection for all dogs and cats.  This method of prevention saves a lot of headache for you and itching for your pets.

If you decided to play Parasite Roulette and have landed yourself with a flea infestation, expect to be resolving this problem for at least the next 3 months.  That is because the fleas you see are not the only fleas that you have.  There will be adults on your pets and other life stages (eggs, larvae, and pupae) in the environment.   Carpets will need to vacuumed, bedding will have to be washed and in very bad cases, bug bombs or exterminators are necessary.  (See why we recommend the preventatives…)

Remember that all pets should be on prevention year round because fleas will find the host that is not protected and they can become a big problem very quickly.  There are many options and we can help you find one that works best for you.  Need to get your pets on parasite prevention? Give your veterinarian a call!