Stoppestinfo warns about growing flea epidemic

Stoppestinfo.com web portal, which is a pest control expert, warns that this autumn there will be a significant hazard to pet animals coming from fleas, including fatal cases. It is not a matter of some isolated incidents, but rather a flea epidemic, which can be life threatening, both for humans and animals. Just for the record, one flea can bite an animal 400 times in a day causing skin disease, anemia, and even death.

Where are they most active? Fleas prefer warm and humid weather and temperatures between 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. As for the United States, the most common states where fleas are found are located in West Coast and Southeast, with Arkansas being the worst state for dogs, and Oregon being the worst one for cats. Excessive flea populations have been observed in Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, California, and Washington.

More recently, multiple media outlets have reported flea infestations. In July, Fox Illinois reported a flea epidemic in Sangamon County, with a reference to Dr. Brittany Hasselberg, White Oaks West Animal Hospital. He says that this year the number of flea cases has virtually twice exceeded the last year index. “Usually the summer and into the fall are those peak seasons where we see those flea infestations, but it’s been especially prevalent this year,” Dr. Hasselberg noted. According to him, this happens because the winter temperatures were not low enough to eliminate fleas, as well as their eggs.

Bites of fleas can cause anaphylactic shock or death to an animal or a human being. The latter has been the case recently in Santa Fe county, where two women were hospitalized in June with the plague. Not many people know that bites of infected fleas help to spread the bubonic or septicemic plague, the disease, which brought death to millions of people in the Middle Ages but still occurs nowadays. The thing is that fleas transmit the disease from dead rodents to humans through pet animals, which roam outside the house. Unless adequate precautionary measures are taken, an animal is put at risk in the peak seasons.

The geographical spread of the problem is alarming. As an illustration, in May, the Sun reported an 87 percent increase in calls to Rentokil, a firm engaged in pest control, from concerned residents of the UK. These insects have been found in bedding and furniture, but there is more to it. As the company’s director David Cross, put it: “Fleas found on the host typically only represent just five per cent of the total flea population nearby.”

In June, The Vet, Highams Park, reported a threefold surge in flea-infested animals treated at the clinic. Highams Park vet, Dr Hermann Heyl, states that there is a “flea epidemic,” blaming a mild winter and damp weather. According to him, currently, pets are becoming increasingly allergic to flea bites. A sharp rise in the number of fleas has been registered in south Essex. Amy Andrews, a vet at Cherrydown Vets, warns that the major portion of fleas live in the area surrounding the host, such as furniture and carpeting, in which cocoons like to hide avoiding vacuums. That is why it is crucial to use sprays for the home and treat the yard to kill these insects.

Amanda Friedeck, a vet at a clinic in Texas, says that it is impossible to fully get rid of fleas, however breaking the insect’s life cycle will really help. According to her, one should target several flea life cycle’s phases, not just a single one. The adult flea, which normally lives on the animal, is the easiest target, but it is also essential to deal with eggs living in the surrounding environment. The best choice is using a flea prevention on a monthly basis, which kills the insect and helps to avoid infestation.

To achieve the desired results, treat the back and neck of your pets; tall grass, wood piles and inside the doghouse in the yard, as well as under furniture, behind curtains in the house. There is a variety of control products containing insecticides, and in order to choose a better solution, one should take into consideration the existing conditions inside and outside the house. The best products should both kill an adult insect and function as a flea growth regulator to ensure a long-term effect. Apply insecticides thoroughly and cover all potentially infested areas, focusing on places, where your pet usually sleeps.

Conduct a simultaneous treatment of pet animals and the house. Stoppestinfo.com has carried out an analysis of the most effective products, for dogs and cats separately, and published the reviews online. 

A variety of products are marketed for pets’ protection. While a dog collar does not kill fleas, it prevents eggs from hatching over the course of several months. Use this option in spring, before the season starts. The same applies to tablets administered to pets orally. They target only eggs: a female flea ingests the active ingredient, making her eggs unable to hatch. Apart from that, you should regularly and frequently comb the dog.

Special drops based on insecticides such as permethrin break a breeding cycle and kill adult fleas, in addition, they are also good as a preventive measure. Insecticide shampoos for dogs paralyze and kill fleas, however, they don’t have a long-term effect. Shampoos should be repeatedly applied. Sprays for dogs are much more convenient, but have some obvious disadvantages: a pet owner must ensure that the liquid reaches the skin and is not licked by the animal.

Cat fleas are an extremely widespread species in the United States. It is particularly dangerous since it can easily transfer diseases through animals to humans. According to Pennsylvania State University scientists, oral products or topically applied drops represent the best option to protect your cat. Shampoos containing insecticides are good for treating the existing adult fleas on the pet, while dust provides longer residual effect. Sprays diminish a number of fleas and also repel these insects.

However, what should be done first when discovering a flea infestation is visiting a local vet for detailed consultation since any case has its peculiarities, which should be taken into account when choosing an adequate treatment.

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