Getting Rid of Fleas

Getting Rid of Fleas
Fleas occur everywhere, and it is believed that every domestic cat or dog – our favourite pets of choice – will succumb to an infestation of these miniature parasites during its lifetime, and most of them more than once. While they cause itching and irritation, fleas on dogs and cats are actually more dangerous than that, as we shall see.
Fleas are blood sucking creatures that can occur on dogs, cats and humans as well as many other domestic and wild animals. Cats that tend to roam outdoors are prone to infestations more so than many, but it is a mistake to believe that they will only occur on animals that are let out of doors.
The speed at which fleas can spread is quite alarming; although not able to fly the flea is a creature that is able to perform some amazing feats of movement – it can leap up to 200 times its own body length thanks to specially formed rear legs, a performance that is simply unequalled elsewhere by any other creature.
One animal – or person – who comes into contact with an otherwise clean house can, therefore, be unwittingly responsible for a rapidly spreading infestation of fleas. Fortunately there are several different species of flea, many of which are unique to their chosen hosts. Cat and dog fleas are different species of the same creature and tend to infest there chose host – but cat fleas can live on dogs, and vice versa – but will not live on humans, whereas human fleas are not liable to infect animals. The widely famed hedgehog flea, for instance, is absolutely unique to those spiny nocturnal garden friends.
A flea infestation can have devastating effects on a cat or dog – particularly a young one – as its propensity for drinking blood can lead to instances of anaemia which can be very serious, or even fatal, in puppies and kittens. Likewise, allergies can develop which lead to further complications, making getting rid of fleas essential.
Getting rid of fleas is a case of choosing the right treatment, and supplementing it with routine vacuuming and cleaning of the infected house; insecticide treatments, and additionally a range of home and natural treatments, are widely available and the choice is up to the individual. Trying to catch fleas is futile as the incredibly small size of the creatures makes it nigh on impossible, so killing fleas is best done by one of the proven and tried methods – and must be done quickly, too.