Parasites, Volume 1: Flee the Approaching Flea Season

Fleas are the perennial foe of Fido and Felines. Although fleas are annoying enough on their own, they also carry transmittable diseases including tapeworms (gag) for a nasty one-two punch for pets and their people.

Facts about Fleas

Fleas are tiny, wingless insects that are cleverly designed to survive on both dogs and cats, as well as the environment around potential hosts. They have a hard, waxy shell for protection and are laterally flat to make movement through fur easier. The adult fleas feed on blood and leave black specs of waste known as flea dirt on your pet's skin. You can tell if it's flea excrement by putting it on a paper towel and adding a drop of water on it. If it dissolves into a rust-colored stain, like dissolved blood, it's not just dirt.

Fleas have several life stages. A female flea can lay around 40 eggs a day. Even though she lays them on her host (your cat or dog) they will dry and foll off onto your carpet or the pets' sleeping area. They will hatch in about two days. 

Next, larvae hatch, which look like tiny worms. They feed on flea feces in the environment. (Yummy!) The larval stage usually lasts from 5 to 15 days.

Then the larvae spin themselves hard cocoons to transform into fleas. The sticky cocoon is basically indestructible and gets camouflaged with dirt. The developing fleas can remain dormant in this stage for several months, only coming out when they sense warmth and carbon dioxide (from potential hosts' breathing.) That's why it's important to gear up to fight the little buggers before warmer weather arrives!

With spring, the famished fleas begin to hatch and use their powerful legs to jump on mammals (including humans) for their first blood meal. A young female flea can start laying eggs within 24-48 hours of eating. She will also begin shedding bloody feces for the hatched larvae to feed on, starting the whole nasty life cycle over again. Adult fleas can live 4-6 weeks, which translates into a minimum of 1,120 eggs she can lay.

Myths about Fleas

1. I live in a cold climate. We don't have a flea problem. If only this were so. Living in Colorado, we may not have as many fleas, but they still enjoy the high life here, living year round indoors, and outdoors on hosts including birds, bats, foxes and rodents. As seen on the above life cycle description, they can live in a dormant cocoon stage for several months to wait out the cold.
2. Winter kills off fleas.  Winter does seem to help cut the numbers of visible fleas by slowing down the life cycle, but the cocoons can survive a long time in protected areas, including your home. If you saw them in the warmer months, they're just biding their time to reemerge.
3. If I don't see any fleas, there aren't any. As noted above, fleas live the majority of their life cycle in nearly invisible forms. If you see one or two, there are likely hundreds more in egg, larval, or pupal life stages. These phases all take place off your pet in the environment close to where your pet plays and lays. Once the fleas reach maturity, they'll be ready to pounce on your pet for a free ride and a free meal.

Risks of Fleas

Beyond the "gag" factor of fleas that is graphically outlined above, fleas have additional health risks to our pet and human family members. These include allergic reactions to the flea bites, anemia and tapeworms. Tapeworms use fleas as an intermediate host. When a human accidentally ingests an infected flea, or a pet grooms themselves and eats a flea, the tapeworm is released to start an internal parasite infestation with the worms that can grow to be several feet long. 

Tapeworms are usually asymptomatic in pets, but are more dangerous to humans. If your pet has had fleas, there is a pretty good chance they also have tapeworms. Tapeworms can be detected by looking for the tiny white egg sacs that they shed which accumulate on the surface of your pet's stool and possibly their anus. These tell-tale egg packets resemble sesame seeds. The tapeworm eggs are ingested by fleas, and that complex dual-host cycle begins again.

Prevention and Treatment

Preventing fleas in cats is fairly straightforward. Simply keep them indoors, and the risks are considerably less. Outdoor cats can be treated with a veterinarian-approved topical that is specialized for your area. For cats who only go out occasionally, try our Pet Naturals Flea and Tick Repellent Spray. This formula contains no toxins and acts as a temporary shield against external parasites and flies. Never use dog flea/tick formulations on cats as they can be toxic.

For dogs, our Sentry Natural Defense 3-Month Flea/Tick Squeeze-On Treatment for Dogs is a safer alternative to other topical treatments. This all-natural formula safely kills insects on dogs and puppies for up to four weeks. This synergistic blend of plant oils is safe to use around people, pets, and the environment. This product even works on mosquitoes to prevent heartworm infestation!

If you're concerned about a flea infestation, your best bet is using our UGroom Flea Comb to detect and remove fleas, eggs and debris with the tightly-spaced teeth.

Diatomaceous Earth

For another natural treatment for both yourself and your pet, try Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth. This fine powder is sometimes called shell flour and is made of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. This gritty powder is like glass for insects, tearing through their exoskeletons and dehydrating them. The powder can be used both internally, topically and on pet sleeping areas, but care must be taken not to inhale the powder either by you or your pet.

Diatomaceous Earth could be an important health supplement for you and your pets to rid  to get rid of both internal and external parasites, including tapeworm. Again, be sure it is food-grade DE or it could be dangerous to you and your pets' health.