Fleas

Fleas are the most common parasite seen in cats and dogs and every pet may become infected at one stage of their lives, but the good news is, that there are many options available to treat them on your pet and for the home.

Why treat for fleas?

Fleas are an all year round pest and they thrive in warmer conditions and continue to be a nuisance to your pet even in the winter due to central heating. Fleas not only cause severe itching and scratching leading to hair loss but some pets can be allergic to the flea saliva causing Flea Allergy Dermatitis. Puppies and kittens can also become anaemic from fleas biting them and they can also spread diseases such as Cat Scratch disease and tapeworm.

Flea lifecycle

Adult fleas only make up around 5% of the flea lifecycle. The remaining 95%  consists of eggs, larvae and pupae in the environment.

Adult Fleas: Hatch when stimulated in the environment and then take up home on your untreated pet. Females can lay up to 50 eggs each day.

Eggs: These fall off from your pet and into the surrounding environment such as sofas, bedding and flooring.

Larvae: The eggs then develop into larvae which feed off your pets dander in the environment.

Pupae:  The larvae develop into a cocoon. The pupae remain inactive until stimulated by warmth, vibrations and carbon dioxide and then hatch out to adult fleas to continue the lifecycle. Whilst in the pupae stage insecticidal treatments are ineffective and they cannot be killed.

How do I treat fleas on my pet?

We believe that prevention is better than cure so at Brookend we can advise you on the best course of action to keep your pet parasite free. Our range of monthly prescription flea treatments are easy to apply either by a ‘spot on’ treatment or a palatable chew. It is important to treat all pets in the household to prevent reinfestation. The team of vets and nurses can also help administer these if you need assistance.

Why do I need a prescription flea treatment?

Your pet will need to see a vet to discuss your pets needs and will receive  a full health check. A prescription flea treatment will be dispensed or applied in consult. We always advise a prescription flea treatments as they are stronger and more effective than those available over the counter in shops. 

Do I need to treat the house?

It can be beneficial to treat the home environment alongside treating your pet with monthly treatments. We use RIP flea house spray that is effective for one year. It can kill eggs and larvae in the environment but remember when fleas are in the pupae phase they cannot be killed until hatched. Flea infestations can take around 2-3 months to get under control.

Other useful tips to speed up the process is regular vacuuming, especially where your pet likes to sleep or sit most and to wash your pets bedding on a 60C wash to remove some eggs and pupae from the environment.