Fleas and your Pet

While the approach of the end of the monsoon season bears the promise of catnaps in the sun. It also brings the ugly reality of flea season. Temperatures between 20 and 35c with humidity between 55 and 99 percent provide ideal conditions for the hatching of thousands of flea eggs laid during the previous season in your pet's fur, your yard or carpet. A flea egg can lie dormant for 200 days, waiting for the right conditions.

Some pets have an allergic reaction to flea saliva. Flea allergies cause severe itching that pets will try to relieve by scratching and chewing, causing hair loss, erythema and sores.

"Pets that are allergic to fleas may be so sensitive that a single fleabite can cause the horrible itching to begin" says a veterinarian.

Because of this, many pet owners never see fleas on their pet, but when it comes to allergic dermatitis, one flea hiding on your pet is one too many.

Fleas can cause problems even for pets that don't suffer from allergies. A large infestation can cause anemia, a deficiency of red blood cells. Fleas not only suck your pet's blood, they can transmit bacteria called haemobartonella that destroys red blood cells. Symptoms of this potentially fatal infection, weakness, pale gums, weight loss, decreased appetite, occur in cycles.

Veterinarians can identify the disease with a relative simple blood test, but sometimes a positive diagnosis requires several tests. Affected pets usually benefit from treatment with oxytetracycline antibiotics and cortiosteroids, although some may require blood transfusions. Most will remain chronic carries of the organism and might experience relapses.

Chronic carries can also be a source of infection for other pets in the household, and therefore, flea control is of utmost importance in those households that have had a cat with the disease.

Fleas can also serve as tiny tapeworm taxis. While grooming, a pet often will accidentally swallow a flea. If tapeworms have infected the flea, they've just gotten a free ride into your pet.