The good news is that modern veterinary flea products really do a job to zap fleas; so the days of using dips can be relics of a flea fighting history. "The bad news is that fleas and ticks are enjoying a perfect storm of concurrent events, so pet owners must be vigilant," says veterinary parasitologist, Dr. Michael Dryden, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
He says the recent overall increase in temperatures has made it possible for fleas and ticks to survive months longer in places where they normally wouldn't. As sprawling suburbia increasingly intersects with wildlife, our backyards have become a drop-off place for fleas and ticks. Favorable conditions have made it possible for many animals, such as deer and raccoon, to increase in population which can lead to more fleas and ticks.
Dryden says it doesn't take long for fleas to settle into your home sweet home. A couple of fleas could hitch a ride on your shoes, or for sure, your unprotected pet. Laying 40 to 50 eggs daily, it doesn't take long before you can find your home overrun. Dryden adds if those fleas do take up residence, you may have to pay for an expensive exterminator - an expense which may have been avoided with the right protection.
Fleas are not fun house guests. Many pets are allergic to their bites; they do bite people if they're hungry and they spread disease. As nasty as fleas are, arguably, ticks are even more of a concern when it comes to disease transmission, often gifting dogs with a cocktail of infectious agents causing several diseases simultaneously, including any combination of Lyme, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. If ticks occur where you live, your veterinarian will likely recommend a product to help protect your pets against both fleas and ticks.
by Steve Dale
