A flea infestation can be a bothersome and expensive problem to deal with. Fleas have lived for millions of years, and they suck the blood of animals and humans. They can invade a home and lay their eggs in the carpet, sofas and upholstered furniture and in other household goods. If a dog or cat becomes infested with fleas, they can spread throughout the house to the draperies and almost anywhere that they can hide.
It is important to regularly check dogs for fleas. Fleas especially like dogs because their fur is a good hiding place for them, and they are near a supply of blood. Dogs with serious cases of fleas can become anemic from blood loss. If the animal bites or scratches their skin because of the flea bites, infections can set in from open sores on the skin. These pets can also pick up typhus from an infected rodent when a flea jumps from the rat to the dog or cat. It is possible that this disease could spread to the humans who pet the dog. Fleas can also pass tapeworms to humans when they bite them. If a pet has a serious case of fleas, the owner’s home will probably have a flea infestation as well. Fleas may not be seen on a pet unless the animal has a severe case, but it is possible to see black spots in the animal’s fur along the skin. These spots are feces that the fleas have left behind, and they are a sure sign that the animal has fleas. The actual fleas are only one-eighth of an inch long, so they are very small.
Dogs can get fleas from a mouse, rat, raccoon, or other wild animal that wanders into your yard. If the animal gets within a close range to your dog or cat, a flea can possibly jump onto your pet. From there, fleas can begin to spread rapidly since one female can lay 50 eggs per day. When the flea bites your animal and sucks his or her blood, your pet can possibly get any diseases from another animal that was a host to the flea.
If a dog has fleas, bathing daily will eliminate the fleas for the most part. This is because fleas cannot live in water. Flea shampoo should not be used daily on a pet, however. If the dog or cat has a severe case of fleas, it is best to take the animal to the veterinarian for professional help. Some dips or solutions that are put on animals can be very dangerous, and this can be done at the veterinary hospital if necessary.
The reason why a flea infestation can happen so quickly is because of the life cycle and behavior of the flea. Fleas can jump as high as four feet, even though they are so small. Jumping is important to their survival because after the female lays eggs, they turn into larvae and then into pupae. They make a cocoon and wait for a person or animal to walk by. At this point, they jump onto the host and begin to suck blood. Fleas can live without blood for up to 100 days, so they are very hearty.
Fleas can jump into human hair, and they like to go under clothing for protection. When the flea bites, a person will feel the bite and perhaps itching. Some people and animals are allergic to fleas, so the bites affect them more than they affect other people. Each time an allergic human is bitten, the person may develop a hive that itches very badly. It would be impossible to not know that you had fleas in your home if the flea infestation was severe.