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Healthy Pets - Fleas and Ticks
 FLEAS
- Little Insect - Big Problems
Fleas make your pet very uncomfortable. Imagine them
running all over you, biting you and sucking your blood.
Apart from the constant scratching and chewing, fleas
can cause FLEA ALLERGY DERMATITIS (FAD)- the most common
skin allergy in dogs and cats as well as transmitting
tapeworm to dogs.
Pets can pick up the odd one or two fleas while out
walking or eggs introduced by visiting pets. Possums,
Bandicoots, Wallabies, humans, cats, foxes can all have
fleas and spread flea eggs into the environment.
Unless you and your pet live all alone in a high rise
building, never venturing outside and never having
visitors, it is likely your pet will pick up fleas.
Eggs, Pupae and Larvae account for 95% of the flea
population, the other 5% are the fleas you see on your
pet. Fleas produce up to 50 eggs per day and around 2000
in their lifetime of 100 days. The majority of eggs are
laid on the pet, not in the environment. Fleas are such
prolific breeders that 4 fleas can lead to a flea
"plague" in a matter of a few weeks.
Unless you break the life cycle, fleas will plague you
and your pets forever. Remembering that nothing can
effectively kill the flea in the pupae/cocoon stage
where they can remain dormant for up to 6 months.
Preventing Flea infestations
Cost free measures such as daily vacuuming carpets
especially beneath furniture and places which are
frequented by pets. Vacuum upholstered furniture, remove
and vacuum beneath cushions and in cracks and crevices
of furniture. Sweep or vacuum paved areas as fleas live
in dust and crevices.
Seal used vacuum cleaner bags in plastic bags and
dispose of promptly. Wash
throw rugs and pets bedding weekly. Don't shake bedding
over the lawn. Instead, shake over a bath and flush away
eggs etc. Keep kennels clean and dry. Remove debris like
leaf litter, hair, dust, organic debris from under and
around kennels, verandas, anywhere where pets frequent.
Use products like Programme or Sentinel that make the
female flea infertile, no eggs hatch and therefore no
infestation develops. Make sure that every pet in the
household is treated. Close off access to areas that are
hard to treat, like under the house.
Garlic has often been used to good effect with dogs that
have problem with fleas. Added to their food raw crushed
garlic or the fermented and aged "Kyolic" Garlic will
help reduce flea problems in dogs, the latter being less
likely to cause stomach upsets when fed in large
amounts.
Mild Infestation or "hitchhiker" fleas
If your pet has less than 5 fleas continue steps
outlined above and use a residual insecticide/adulticide
like Frontline or Advantage, or use a short acting
insecticide like shampoo, rinses for 6 weeks.
Moderate and Severe Infestations
The fleas are starting to get out of control, you
have 5 or more fleas on your pet but the family aren't
being bitten yet. I would recommend using a Capstar
Tablet to give your pet instant relief by killing all
adult fleas within 30 minutes. Bathing and grooming your
pet. Then use Frontline or Advantage for 6 months.
Very Severe Infestations
You are experiencing a flea plague. The family is
being bitten and there are possibly hundreds of fleas
around. I would recommend using a Capstar Tablet,
bathing and grooming your pet, applying Frontline or
Advantage and use for 9-12 months. Use insecticidal
sprays on yard or lawns especially for outdoor dogs.
Treat the house with a flea bomb or fogger and spot
treat affected areas with an environmental spray, being
sure to treat under furniture. Bombs or foggers don't
kill the pupae at the base of the carpet pile therefore
repeated control applications may be needed for 12
months.
 TICKS
The Central Coast is an area that Paralysis Ticks are
found. Paralysis Tick Kills Dogs. Paralysis ticks
normally feed on bandicoots and possums which become
immune to it's poison. It is capable of attaching to
dogs, cats and even humans and will cause symptoms of
poisoning in all three. Preventative measures for tick
control include ... keeping long-haired dogs trimmed
short, making it easier to do an essential daily search
for this killer parasite, especially checking around the
head and ears. Keeping dogs out of bush or long grass
areas where possible as tick climb to the top of the
grass and transfers on to the dog as it brushes through
foliage. Avoid encouraging possums or bandicoots around
your home. Frontline spray or spot-on, Preventic 2 month
Tick collar are all useful in preventing tick paralysis.
There is no one product that will guarantee complete
safety, depending on the environment two or more of
these measures are usually recommended.
Signs of paralysis will occur about 3-4 days after
attachment. An alteration in the quality/sound of their
bark, vomiting or regurgitation often occurs - sometimes
as the 1st sign, 1st consistent sign is slight
wobbliness of hindquarters, rapidly worsens until in a
few hours is unable to rise, forelegs paralysed - lies
on side, widely dilated pupils, respiration slow &
laboured - grunting common, eventually disrupting and
stopping breathing, the heart and eventually the brain
itself.
The earlier you seek treatment, the better the
prognosis, usually. Untreated dogs usually die within
24-48 hours of the onset of obvious clinical signs.
If you find a tick on your pet, please ring your vet
immediately, if you wish to remove the tick, it is best
to kill the tick first with a couple of sprays of
Frontline. Wait five - ten minutes until the tick
loosens it's hold then grasp it firmly around it's base
with tweezers, special tick hook or your fingernails and
remove the whole lot in one firm twisting pull, trying
to avoid squeezing the ticks body as you remove it. This
will also help to avoid the tick giving one last squirt
of poison and reduce the chance of leaving it's mouth
parts embedded in the skin.
Ticks are second only to mosquitoes as transmitters of
infectious agents. Ixodid ticks harbour viruses,
rickettsias, bacteria (Lyme Disease - transmissible to
man), parasitic protozoa and nematodes. The major
difference in appearance between the Brown Dog and
Paralysis Tick is the length of the mouth parts and the
Paralysis Tick has two blonde coloured legs.
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