Even the Cat in the Hat needs Flea Protection!

One flea, two fleas, a million fleas, GET OFF ME! Fleas are a critter that nobody wants to have.  Understanding how the flea life cycle works is important to protecting your pet.  Luckily, you can prevent your pet from getting fleas in the first place.

The Flea Life Cycle

Adult fleas will lay eggs while on top of an animal host. The eggs will typically fall off of the host and get burrowed into carpet fibers or furniture upholstery. Depending on temperature, the eggs can hatch within 2-12 days. The larvae lack legs and will crawl around the carpet eating debris. The larvae will spin a cocoon and turn into the pupal stage. They will remain in that stage for 5-14 days. Once ready, an adult flea will hatch out of the cocoon and search for a host – such as a dog or cat.

Break the Cycle

Knowing that fleas can survive in the carpet or upholstery can give anyone the creepy-crawlies. Breaking the cycle can help protect your pet (and you!) from flea bites. Vacuuming the carpet, upholstery, and pet beds is important to removing many of the eggs and larvae. Aside from vacuuming the home, providing your pet with a flea preventative is a good way to stop the cycle.  Flea preventative products kill adult fleas and larvae in the immediate surroundings of the pet, and if any adult fleas hop on the pet they will die before being able to lay more eggs.

Products We Trust  

At South Town Animal Hospital, there are 3 ‘flea & tick’ prevention products we recommend to our clients. They each have their individual qualities that owners pick to best fit their pet and their lifestyle. Two of these products, Frontline and Nexgard, are both dosed monthly but applied differently. If your pet willingly takes treats, Nexgard is a yummy beef flavored chewable. Frontline is a liquid topical application that is put in between the shoulder blades. This is a good option for the picky eater who doesn’t like treats or is allergic to beef. If you prefer to give things minimally, the third product is Bravecto. It is a chewable tablet except given once every 3 months.