TICKS are small spider-like acarids and fleas are insects, but these two tiny creatures have at least one thing in common – they are both parasites that feed on your dogs or cats blood and can cause a lot of discomfort and more serious health problems.
Flea bites may go unnoticed on some pets, cause slight irritation in others and produce extensive itching, red lesions, hair loss and even skin ulcers in those animals with flea allergy dermatitis, which is the result of extreme sensitivity to flea saliva. Severe flea infestations can cause anaemia, especially in puppies and kittens. Fleas can transmit several diseases as well as tapeworm. Ticks are also vectors or carriers of a number of diseases.
More about fleas
Adult fleas are wingless insects, generally smaller than a sesame seed, who feed on the blood of animals. Their disproportionately enlarged back legs gives them extraordinary jumping ability. Hanging on to your pets’ fur with their claws, their needle-like mouth part bites through the skin to suck up blood in quantities of up to 15 times their body weight daily in the case of female cat fleas.
More about ticks
Ticks are wingless creatures that live exclusively on the blood of animals for three of the four stages of their life cycle. They are equipped with an apparatus called haller’s organ which senses heat, carbon dioxide and other stimuli to allow the ticks to locate the presence of an animal food source. Once found, they crawl on and embed their mouth parts into the animal’s skin and proceed to suck its blood. Cattle ticks attach themselves to dogs using their pointed mouthparts, engorging to look like brown cysts as they suck blood.
Controlling fleas and ticks
The best way to control flea problems is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Fortunately, developments in veterinary parasite control in recent years have made the two-fold goal of eliminating fleas on pets and preventing further infestations much easier to achieve. Available for both dogs and cats, new insecticides and insect growth regulators in easy to use topical or oral forms not only eliminate existing fleas, but also work long-term to prevent future infestations. This is accomplished either by killing the parasites before they reproduce or by preventing their eggs from developing into adult fleas. Consult your veterinarian for advice about the best product for your pet. Furthermore, thorough daily vacuuming of high-traffic areas and frequent washing of your pet’s bedding will also go a long way to reduce flea population in your home.
