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Ticks &
Fleas
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Ticks are small spider-like ascarids and fleas
are insects, but these two tiny creatures have at least one
thing in common - they are both parasites that feed on your
pets blood and can cause alot of discomfort and more serious
healthy problems.
Flea bites may go unnoticed on some pets,
cause slight irritation in others and produce extensive
itching, red lesions, hair loss and even ulcers in those
animals with flea allergy dermatitis, which is the
result of extreme sensitivity to flea saliva. Sever flea
infestations can cause anaemia, especially in puppies. Fleas
can transmit several diseases, as well as tapeworm. Ticks are
also "vectors" or carriers of a number of
diseases. |
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About Fleas...
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Adult fleas are wingless
insects, generally smaller than a sesame seed, who feed
on the blood of animals. Their proportionally enlarged
back pair of legs gives them an extraordinary jumping
ability. Hanging onto your pets fur their claws, their
needle-like mouth parts bite through the skin to suck up
blood.
If one flea finds your dog an
attractive food source, you can be sure that other fleas
will, too! They mate, with females, laying 30 - 50 eggs
per day. These eggs will drop to the ground within 8
hours and, as soon as 2 days later flea larvae will
hatch and hide in dark places on the ground, in carpets
or upholstery. After about a week. After about a week of
feeding on adult flea droppings, crumbs, flakes of skin
etc., the larvae spin cocoons to become pupae. The pupae
can remain in this stage for very long periods of time.
The cycle continues when, as soon as a week or so later,
the pupae develop into adult fleas abd emerge from their
cocoons when they sense that a dog or cat, or other
animal host, is near. The cycle - which can take as
little as 12 days or as long as 180 days - can then
begin again. |
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Controlling fleas and
ticks
The best way to control flea
problems is to prevent them from happening in the first
place. Fortunately, developments in veterinary parasite
control in recent years have made the twofold goal of eliminating
fleas on pets and preventing further infestations much easier to
achieve. Available for both dogs and
cats, new insecticides and insect growth regulators in easy-to-use tropical
tropical or oral forms not only eliminate
any existing fleas, but also work long-term to
prevent future infestations. This is accomplished either by
killing the parasites before they can reproduce
or by preventing their eggs from developing into normal
adult fleas. Consult your veterinarian for advice about
the proper product for your pet. Furthermore, throrogh
daily vacuuming of high-traffic areas and frequent washing
of your pets bedding will also go
a long way in reducing the flea population
in your home.
Some of the same types of
topical or oral products used to control flea
infestation are also effective against ticks. Such
treatments should be combined with daily examinations
and tick removal for those pets, especially dogs, who
are frequently outdoors in areas with high tick
populations. Ask your veterinarian for information about
the situation in your locality. Clearing bush and long
grasses and removing leaves, grass clippings and other
organic debris will also help reduce the presence
of ticks by disturbing their natural outdoor
habitats. |
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When a parasite picks your
pet for a meal
If, despite your best efforts at
control, you find that fleas or ticks have crawled (or
jumped) on board your pet. You will have to use a
product that will kill and/or repel the parasites. These
include once-a-month topical treatments, sprays,
powders, dips, shampoos, collars and, to combat fleas,
oral or injectable medication. Once again, you should
ask your veterinarian for advice about what the most
appropriate product for your pet is. And remember, it is
perfectly normal to see live fleas or ticks on a pet
immediately after a topical treatment, spray, shampoo,
collar etc, is applied. Many believe that this means the
product is not working, but the fleas or ticks have to
fully absorb the product before they will be effected,
which may take from a few hours to a few
days
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...And Ticks
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Ticks are wingless creatures
that live exclusively on the blood of animals for three
of the four stages of their life cycle. They are
equipped with an apparatus called Haller's organ which
senses heat, carbon dioxide and other stimuli to allow
the ticks to locate the presence of an animal food
source. Once found, they crawl on and embed their mouth
parts into the animals skin and proceed to suck up its
blood.
You should inspect your pets regularly
for ticks, especially if they have been outside in
areas where there are woods or tall grasses. A thorough
combing within 4 to 6 hours of exposure to such
evironments can help prevent ticks from attaching
themselves to feast on your pet. Should you find a tick,
it should be removed immediately, as the longer it is
attached to its host, the greater the chance for
disease. Do not touch the tick. Wear gloves and use
tweezers to carefully grasp the exposed section of the
ticks body near your pets skin. Gently pull until the
tick lets go. To dispose of the tick, wrap it in several
tissues and flush it down the
toilet |
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Facts about
fleas
- Worldwide, there are about 3,000
different types of fleas, but the cat flea
(Ctenocephalides felis) is the most common to be found
on dogs and cats.
- Adult fleas can jump 600 times an
hour, each jump, in terms of the fleas size, is the
equivalent of a person clearing a 50 story
building.
- The record jump for a flea ( usually
2-8mm long) is 33cm.
- In just 30 days, 25 adult female flea
can multiply to 250,000
fleas.
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Tips about
ticks
- A female tick can lay up to 3,000
eggs.
- Except for eggs, ticks need a blood
meal to progress to the next stage of their life
cycle.
- Some ticks can live for more than a
year without a meal.
- In very rare cases, toxins secreted
by ticks can cause pet
paralysis.
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Information
Courtesy Of:
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HEALTH |
