The Flea Life Cycle

There are four stages to the life cycle of the flea. Depending on environmental conditions, the entire flea life cycle can be completed in 14 - 28 days.

Eggs
Flea eggs are whitish and about 0.5mm in length. Eggs are laid by the adult flea initially on the dog or cat's skin but fall off into the environment to continue their life cycle. Eggs then hatch into larvae in as little as 14 - 28 days depending on environmental conditions.

Larvae
Flea larvae are about 2 - 5 mm in length. They feed on organic debris found in their environment and on adult flea feces. They dislike strong light and move deep into carpet fibers or under branches, grass, leaves, etc. Flea larvae prefer warm, dark and moist areas.

Pupae
Flea pupae produce a protective silk-like cocoon that is sticky. With warmth and humidity, pupae become adult fleas in 5 - 10 days. The adults do not emerge from the cocoon unless stimulated by physical pressure, carbon dioxide or heat.

Adult
Once emerged, the adult flea is attracted to light and emerges to the surface in order to encounter a passing host to feed upon. Two days after the first blood meal, female fleas begin egg production. In normal circumstances, the adult female will live up to 3 weeks, laying approximately 40 eggs per day!

Flea Fighting Products

In Southern Ohio and the tri-state area, it is advised you begin flea prevention in March. There are a number of products available to help you with your war on fleas. Talk to your veterinarian to determine which product is best for your pet.

Advantage - Topical Flea Product -
-Available for dogs and cats. Can be used on kittens as young as 8 weeks and on puppies as young as 7 weeks
- Kills 98 - 100% of adult fleas within 12 hours and kills flea larvae on contact
- Will last for 4 weeks and through swimming and bathing

Frontline Top Spot - Topical Flea and Tick Product
- Available for dogs and cats. Can be used on kittens as young as 12 weeks and on puppies as young as 9 weeks
- Kills adult fleas and ticks on contact
- Will last for 4 weeks and through swimming and bathing

Revolution For Cats - Topical Flea, Heartworm, Ear Mites and Intestinal Parasite Product
- Available for cats over 8 weeks of age
- Kills adult fleas within 36 hours and prevents flea eggs from hatching
- Protects your cat against heartworms
- Used to treat and prevent ear mites
- Used to treat and prevent hookworms and roundworms
- Will last for 4 weeks and through swimming and bathing

Revolution For Dogs - Topical Flea, Heartworm, Ear Mites, Sarcopitc Mites and Tick Product
- Available for dogs over 6 weeks of age
- Kills adult fleas within 36 hours and prevents flea eggs from hatching
- Protects your dog against heartworms
- Used to treat and prevent ear mites and sarcoptic mites
- Helps control American Dog Tick infestations
- Will last for 4 weeks and through swimming and bathing

Program - Injectable Flea Product
- Available for cats only
- Injection administered by your veterinarian every 6 months
- Prevents adults fleas from reproducing for 6 months
- Fleas present at the time of injection will naturally die off after a few weeks

Sentinel - Oral Flea, Heartworm and Intes. Parasite Product
- Available for dogs and puppies over 4 weeks of age
- Flavor Tab given once a month
- Prevents adults fleas from reproducing
- Protects against heartworms
- Protects against hookworms, roundworms and whipworms

Capstar - Oral Flea Product
- Available for dogs and cats. Can be used on puppies and kittens over 4 weeks of age and 2 pounds in weight
- Safe for pregnant and nursing dogs and cats
- Starts killing adult fleas within 30 minutes. 90% of fleas are gone on dogs in 4 hours and in 6 hours on cats
- Can be given as often as once a day

Fleas

With warmer weather starting to approach, fleas will once again become one of the biggest concerns for pet owners. Unfortunately, fleas can cause many problems beyond just itchy skin; serious health problems can arise from fleas. Below are a few examples of these concerns and some things you can do to stop fleas early in the game.

Flea Allergy Dermatitis:
Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is the leading cause of itchy skin in animals. As fleas feed, they inject a small amount of saliva into the skin. It is the saliva that some animals are sensitive to and that causes the dermatitis.

Clinical signs are the first clue that your pet may have FAD. Itching and hairloss on the middle of the back, the tail base and on the rear legs, is often associated with this condition. Sometimes blood and skin testing may be needed to detect flea allergy dermatitis.

Treatment must first consist of killing the fleas on the animal and in the environment. Steroids are also widely used to treat a very pruritic (itchy) patient. If this is not enough, allergy injections or desensitization therapy may also need to be done.

Anemia:
Adult fleas feed on blood. A single female flea can take up to 15x her body weight in blood over the few weeks of her adult life. When these fleas are present on young or debilitated animals, the loss of blood may be severe enough to cause anemia, or a low number of red blood cells in the blood. It is very important to keep a close watch on these groups of animals.

Tapeworms:
Tapeworms are an intestinal parasite. The flea acts as the intermediate host for the tapeworm. Tapeworm eggs, which are shed in dog and cat feces, are eaten by flea larvae which then develop into adult fleas that are infected with tapeworms. Animals become infested by eating these infected fleas during grooming. Tapeworms are most often diagnosed when owners see tiny segments of "white rice" around their pet's rectum or in the stool. Treatment often consists of a single tablet or injection that can be obtained from your veterinarian.