Well let me start of by saying there is over 2000 different varieties of flea in the world today, the female version of these small little pests can reproduce at the alarming rate of 50 eggs a day max and an average egg count is normally around 20- 30 a day. Fleas can start to lay eggs as soon as 48 hours after having their first blood meal which makes getting rid of these fleas early on in their life cycle an essential and key tool for permanently getting rid of these pests.
Around half of the flea population are eggs, 30% larvae, 15% pupae and only around 5% of the population are biting adults. These larvae take anywhere from a week to a month to become biting fleas and as you can see by the stats, the key to stopping your flea problem and letting your dog get a good night sleep again is through getting rid of the eggs.
Fleas can't reproduce without a blood meal from your dog or another animal but can survive for long periods of time (2 months to a year) in hibernation without a meal but usually they will die off within one week without hibernation.
The key places to look out for fleas around the home are near your dog's bed or under bushes outside that your pet sleeps or rests. Anywhere your dog lies for long periods of time are key areas for fleas to live and should be inspected thoroughly.
To check for fleas on your dog you will first have probably noticed your dog being very restless and uncomfortable, so the next step is to search for flea feces, this will look like small bits of dirt to the human eye and rubbing it between your fingers with some water will bring out the red colour of blood if it is flea feces.
Once you have found evidence of flea feces you are now ready to move on to the next big step and get rid of the pests that are making your dog feel so uncomfortable, there are plenty of leaflets and advice to be had on removing fleas but often the veterinarian is the best option for the correct advice.
Dog Fleas And Ticks
Heart worm, fleas and other parasites in dogs need to be eliminated by following appropriate medications in them. Many products have come up in the commercial fields to protect the dogs from heart worms, fleas and other parasites like hook worms, whip worms, round worms, lice, ticks.
Among the heart worm, fleas and other parasites, the fleas produce the hyper sensitive reactions in the affected animals. Hence, the animals infested with fleas start severely scratching of body. Many times, the scratching is so severe and the skin becomes more hyperemic and dermatitis occurs in the affected areas.
Animal will not lie down or sleep comfortably due to the constant bites by the fleas. Hence, animal looks as if affected by some severe skin disease. If the animal is not properly attended for this tick bite problem, there will be often secondary bacterial invasions in these sites and there may even be a bad smell emanating from the skin areas.
Close observation of the dog is highly essential to rule out the occurrence of fleas disturbing the animal to a greater extent. Similarly, the skin of the animal needs to be tested for the presence of ticks, lice. For this, the hair materials need to be separated and the close observation with patience is required for the proper diagnosis.
In many incidences, if anemia is present, the blood protozoa need to be ruled out in addition to the hookworm problems. The clinical problems like anemia, loose motion, pot belly etc. might be recognized by the dog owners themselves and however, the dog needs to undergo the routine health related examination involving fecal examination, hematological examination and blood smear examination.
Many commercial products have come up in the market, which are useful to deal with all these conditions by single dose. Drugs like Ivermectin are highly useful and are available in both injection and oral form in addition to the solution form that can be applied on the skin. These drugs in dogs can lead to the prophylaxis of these conditions also.
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