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Fleas - An Irritation at Best and Major Problem at Worst
Fleas are a tiny almost
invisible insect. Something that most people never even
think about, until they, or their pets become infected.
People then realize that fleas are a major problem to
many of households and will take whatever measures are
available to eliminate them.
Fleas are an irritation at best, and
a major problem at worst. Not just to our pets but to
us as well. The most common symptom of a flea infestation
is itching. This comes from several sources. Firstly,
fleas just itch when they crawl around on skin because
this is very irritating. But worse than this is that
fleas bite their host...and this can include you! They
bite to feed on the blood of the host, and the bite
causes irritation, itching and scratching.
However, the health effects of fleas
can be worse than just the associated itching. Fleas
can cause and transmit a range of medical conditions
in animals and humans.
Dermatitis caused by fleas is responsible
for more than half of all pet skin complaints treated
by vets. This can result from excessive scratching or
from an allergy to the flea bites, and can be caused
by as little as one bite in a particularly sensitive
individual. And the dermatitis can become more serious
leading in some cases to secondary infection.
Fleas can carry worms from one host
to another. Cat fleas, for example can carry and transmit
dog tapeworms. This is generally not a problem for people,
but can certainly be a problem for our pets.
And because fleas feed on blood they
can transmit diseases from one host to another whenever
there are blood borne diseases. Many years ago, it was
fleas, not rats, that carried the plague which decimated
much of Europe. The fleas were responsible for transmitting
the disease from host to host. Even today fleas can
transmit the plague in some remote villages in Africa,
although this does not generally occur elsewhere.
Fleas therefore, are not something to
be ignored if your pet is infected. In the warm months
it is particularily easy for a wandering pet to pick
up fleas very quickly and it is important to be aware
of this possibility.
So what do you do if your pet is scratching
and appears unusually irritated? Firstly, suspect fleas
and then inspect your pet.
How do you determine if there are fleas
present? They can be seen on your pet if you comb through
the fur. Fleas are fast moving so make sure to look
closely.
Check where you animal sleeps. Pets
with fleas usually infest their bedding (or yours if
this is where they sleep).
Be vigilant and keep note of any places
where fleas are found as these are the places which
will need to be treated to remove the fleas.
And how do you find out if you have
fleas in the house? You'll see or feel them. If you
find a flea on your person, chances are you've probably
got fleas in the house.
A simple trick for detecting fleas is
to walk around any suspect areas in your house with
white socks over your shoes. Then check the socks for
fleas.
Alternatively you can put a shallow
dish of water in the suspect area on the floor. Suspend
a light bulb (taking proper safety precautions) about
6 inches above the water and leave the light on at night.
Try putting a few drops of dishwashing detergent in
the water to break the surface tension. Fleas are attracted
to the light and some will fall in the water and drown.
So, if you find fleas in the water next morning you've
got fleas!
Moral of this story - If you have fleas
don't ignore them. The problem isn't likely to go away.
Do something about it soon.
1howto.com
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