I can't seem to get rid of
them, HELP!
Adult Flea
Fleas: are an external parasite
that can carry disease to both you and your cocker spaniel. Do whatever you
possibly can to not allow fleas to become a member of your family.
Fleas
are very easy to get and very, very difficult to get rid of. Fleas are much
easier to deal with when you have an active plan to maintain there population.
Zero
fleas is the true goal of any pet lover.
One of
the diseases you can get from fleas is the:
BUBONIC PLAGUE
I am
certain that you have heard of this disease. It has killed millions of people
in history. It is estimated that the plague killed roughly 100 million people
out of 450 million people during the 1400s.
Worldwide,
there are about 2000 cases each year with about 20 of them from
the United States. 1 in 7 people die from the disease.
This
is simply one of many diseases and parasites that fleas can carry.
Fleas
crawl underneath your dogs coat and
bites and sucks your dogs blood. This causes very severe itching
and your dog is going to respond by scratching. Scratching in turn, causes
eczema.
Life
Cycle of the Flea
In
order to control the flea problems in your environment, you must understand
the fleas' life cycle.
The
life cycle of a flea is from egg to larva to pupa to adult, then we start all
over again.
Fleas
have been around for a very long time and have managed to adapt to
many different host animals. A flea is capable of going through a complete
cycle of life in less than a month or extend their lives to nearly two years.
They do not need any food for up to 20 months. They do this by remaining in the
pupa stage.
To get
rid of the fleas in your home or the dogs environment, you must break
this cycle. This usually means that you will have to repeat your initial
efforts, up to almost two years.
Fortunately, flea control has come a long way over the years.
Keep
in mind that there are regional differences in flea control. Most flea issues
in North America are from the Cat flea, but there are several different fleas
by region. Seek the advice of your local veterinarian or groomer to see what is
effective in your area.
There
are several methods you can use to get rid of or discourage fleas and
maintain the environment. These include
flea collars, powders, shampoos, dips, room and yard sprays , foggers, powders,
and electronic devices.
To
complicate matters even more, different flea products have a wide variety
of effects. Some products kill on contact, while others contain insect growth
regulators (IGRs) that prevent the flea eggs from hatching and the larva from
growing into adults. Some of the flea products have residual effects, which
means they last a very long time, while others break down quickly after they
have done their job.
Some
products contain both the fast acting chemicals and the long lasting
ones, or any combination thereof.
Some of the chemicals used are:
Fipronil:
Fipronil attaches itself to the oils in your dogs skin and coat. It is
not water soluable, but can be removed with alcohol or shampoo. It is
selectively toxic to insects so it is non-toxic to humans or animals and it
kills on contact. It is applied to the skin in a liquid form. Fipronil can be
used on both pups and dogs. It is much more effective when used a few days
after bathing your dog.
Imadacloprid:
Imadacloprod is much like fipronil except it washes off if your dog
gets wet.
Pyrethrins:
These chemicals are extracted from flowers. They directly act on the
nervous system of the adult flea, killing them rapidly. These chemicals are
relatively safe due to their low toxicity and they have no residual properties.
Permethrin:
This is a synthetic form of pyrethrin but it does not act in the same
manner. It is absorbed into the skin and spreads throught your dogs layer of
fat.Some dogs are very sensitive to this effect.Permethrin has residual
properties and is not fast acting, so you will usually find it used in
combination with pyrethrin in order to get the best of both worlds. This chemical
is effective on both fleas and ticks.
Pyripoxyfen:
This chemical is similar to previously mentioned fipronil. It is
usually found in combination with permethrin to give residual effects against
fleas and ticks.
Organophosphates: This
is the WMD(weapon of mass destruction) of flea control. This chemical is toxic
to both humans and dogs and should only be used as the last resort. It is a
heavy duty insecticide and much care should be taken if considering its usage.
Please be aware of all necessary precautions when handling and using this
chemical.
Methoprene:
This is not a poison, but an insect hormone that interrupts the flea
cycle by preventing fleas from reproducing. It takes several weeks for the
hormone to actually break the cycle because it does not kill the adult fleas.
This is more of a preventative control when flea infestation is minimal.
Lufenuron:
An IGR that stops fleas from producing chitin in various stages of
their life. Chitin is the major component in a flea's exoskeleton. The pupas in
the eggs can not eat their way out of the egg since their teeth are made of
chitin. Also, when the larvae molt, they are unable to produce an exoskeleton,
so they soon perish. This product can only be purchased through your
veterinarian and is administered by adding to your pets food. It is absorbed in
the intestinal tract of your dog and transferred to the outer skin through the
dog's circulatory system. Like methoprene, this is more of a preventative
control when flea infestation is minimal.
Now you can determine what each product actually does by its chemical makeup.
Regarless of the commercialization, each flea control product has what
chemicals are in it on the label.
It is
much easier to maintain your home and dog's environment from fleas
than to try and get rid of them, but if you are infested with fleas, utilize
these tips:
1. Bleach
kills fleas on contact, so clean your pets environment with bleach.
Be careful of the vapors inherit with the usage of bleach and never ever
combine bleach with a pine sol type cleaner because they will chemically react
to form a toxic gas that can harm both you and your pets.
2.
Before applying a flea chemical or powder to your carpets, vacuum first.
This may seem backwards, but vacuuming causes the pupa to hatch and the larvae
to become active. This activity allows the flea control process you use to be
more effective.
3. If
you are applying a topical, wait until after two or three days from bathing
your dog before applying. This will allow the natural oils in your dog's skin
and coat to rejuvinate after bathing.
4. Dip
your pet to eliminate the majority of adult fleas on the dog(s), while cleaning
and treating your carpets. Launder all washable items that your pet uses and/or
can harbor fleas. Use a residual chemical or IGR to prevent recurrence of the
problem.
Keep
in mind that you may have to do all of these things again in a couple
of weeks to break the flea cycle. It is much easier to prevent flea infestation
than to break the cycle of the flea.
We
truly hope that this article has been helpful to your understanding of the
control of fleas. We repeat the underlining idea of prevention rather than to
fight the infestation since there is absolutely no reason to allow your dog(s)
or your family to suffer through the agonizing war you have to declare once
infested with fleas. It can be a very draining process to eliminate them, let
alone, the agony they cause on everyone that gets in contact with them. They
create irritating soars on all in contact with them, let alone, the diseases or
parasites you can get from them.
This
article is also available as a free eBook.
Treat
your pet as a child.