For whether ‘tis is nobler in the mind to suffer
The bites and irritation of outrageous parasites
Or to get treatment against the many troubles
And by applying, end them..
Dogs and cats get fleas, it’s a simple fact of life.
I saw two cases today, a dog, who lived alongside a cat, and an indoor cat, who didn't have any other cats or dogs living with her.
This inspired me to write about fleas, as if one of your pets has fleas, then all other pets will have them too! ...and it goes to show that indoor cats can get fleas too - usually by you bringing them into your home!
You often won’t see the little critters crawling around because:
- They are fast
- They hide out under the coat, right against the skin
- They also hide in your carpets, floors and furniture
You will see fleas when:
- Your pet and your home are heavily infested
- You have applied flea treatment and the fleas slow down as they start to die
You may not know you have a flea problem as
cats often eat any fleas in or on their coat when they are grooming, and some cats just don’t seem to be bothered by them, they don’t cause them to scratch.
The usual signs of fleas are:
- Your dog or cat scratching and itching it’s skin
- Humans getting flea bites, usually on your ankles
- Black specs in your pets’ coat
- Tiny scabs on your pets’ skin
If you don’t use a flea treatment from your vet (pet shop products are less effective*) then your pet and home are at a much higher risk of flea infestation.
...and remember that fleas can transmit tapeworms to your pet, you, to your children, and to any other pets you have at home too.
Have you noticed any black specs in your pets coat?
If yes, here's a great way to investigate...
What you will need:
Flea comb, piece of white A4 paper, piece of wet cotton wool or white toilet paper
Using the flea comb:
Carefully and slowly comb as close to the skin as you can, through the coat along the back, towards the tail
Take the hair and any bits from the comb and spread carefully on the white A4 paper
If you see any black bits, put these onto the damp cotton wool
If you disturb the black specks and they produce a red/brown area on the wet cotton wool, then that is flea poo!
Call me to book an appointment; I can help to sort the whole flea problem out, and help protect all your pets, and your human family too!
💕👩🏼⚕️🐾
01932 98 93 93 (New Haw)
01932 565 082 (Chertsey)
...hmmm, come to think of it, my cat Tilly is due for her monthly flea treatment... and she always seems know - and hides under the sofa 🤨
Wish me luck! 💕👩🏼⚕️🐾
*pet shop products often use much older drugs, to which fleas have developed resistance, so don’t work well anymore. You must take care using supermarket/Petshop products, especially with cats, as a dog flea product given to a cat, could kill them