Dr. Brian Hayes
Fellow, Academy of Feline Medicine
1705 First Avenue Mini-mall
(across from Eastdale Plaza)
(319) 351-2252
Fleas and You!
Fleas are not a sign of an unclean house and any animal is at risk for fleas -- even strictly indoor cats. They can be exposed to them inadvertently by humans bringing flea eggs into the home, or by animals in your yard. Rarely, fleas can be living in your home for many months without your knowledge, as they are usually not a pest for humans, but for pets only.
Fleas can cause mild to severe medical problems for your cat including: Flea bite dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), pruritus (intense itching), anemia (blood loss), and tapeworms.
Because knowledge of the enemy is the best tool we have, we will first start with the basic biology of the flea.
Biology of the Cat Flea
There are more than 2,200 flea species, fewer than 12 are household pests
and only a few are of medical or veterinary importance. The cat flea (Ctenocephalides
felis) is the flea species most frequently encountered on cats in
North America, Europe and Africa. The adult flea is dark brown, flat-looking
and wingless. It has very strong hind legs for jumping and mouth parts
for feeding on blood.
The cat flea has 4 life stages, much like a butterfly: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Depending on temperature and humidity: Eggs hatch in 1.5 to 6 days, are larvae from day 6 thru 36 days, and become pupae within the next 7 days. The adult flea can remain in the pupal cocoon for 20 weeks! Almost 5 months!!! Think of the cocoon stage as an armor stage. Virtually NOTHING can affect a flea in its cocoon, not even flea sprays.
The adult flea will spend its whole life on one host, taking blood meals,
and laying eggs. A single female flea may produce between 100 and 1745
eggs in her lifetime! The eggs are about the size of a grain of sand and
are not easy to see. The eggs are also not sticky and roll off the host
into the environment. So, the highest concentration of flea eggs and larvae
is found in the environment where your cat spends most of it’s time,
but can be found anywhere your pet has access to. The egg, larva and pupa
stage all take place in the environment. Only the adult flea lives on
your cat. This means that EVERYWHERE YOUR CAT GOES, MUST BE TREATED AT
THE SAME TIME! Even if this means outside.
Getting Rid of the Flea
Treating the Environment (Yes, you MUST clean first!)
1. Vacuum everywhere. Even in areas your pet does not have access to.
Vacuum carpets, under and on furniture, bottoms of drapes, beds etc. Vacuuming
picks up adult fleas that have recently hatched, some eggs, larva and
pupa. Once through vacuuming, immediately dispose of the vacuum bag in
a plastic bag and remove it from your house so that the adults do not
crawl out of the bag and re-infect your environment. If you clean your
carpets, you must be sure that the carpet has dried for 2-3 days before
applying any house treatments.
2. Wash bedding and rugs in hot soapy water. Wash linoleum or hardwood
floors.
We recommend using an “insect growth regulator” (or IGR) flea
spray. If you elect not to use these products, keep in mind the life cycle
of the flea and you will have to repeat steps 1 and 2 multiple times to
achieve control. You most likely will never achieve eradication without
chemical assistance. But nor will you eliminate the fleas without thorough
cleaning.
3. Remove pets, people, fish, birds and cover exposed foods, dishes, utensils or brass items from the house. Put out all open flames. Use products that have Insect Growth Regulator or IGR on the label. Follow the directions on the products carefully. Spray a LIGHT mist over each area of your house, remembering to spray along baseboards, under and on top of all furniture and in between cushions.
4. Because the pupa stage is virtually indestructible, you may see adult fleas even after all this hard work. Don’t get discouraged! Use long lasting IGR products and be aggressive with vacuuming. (Remember to remove the bag from the house immediately!) Repeat the vacuuming and the IGR spray once 120 to 210 days after the first spray (depending on the length of action for the spray). For heavy infestations, retreat the house with the IGR spray 3 weeks after the first spray, then a third time 120 to 210 days after the second treatment (depending on the length of action for the spray).
5. To treat the outside, visit your local green house and look for products specifically designed for flea control. Always read and follow labeled directions.
Treating Your Cat
1. You must treat all furry pets in your house.
2. You must use any product for AT LEAST 9 consecutive weeks.
3. Follow product instructions carefully.
There are 3 main products that we use to prevent and treat flea infestations.
Revolution, Frontline, and Advantage. Do not be fooled by look-alikes
at pet and department stores! Many of the over the counter products do
not work as well as those that you get from us, and some may even contain
products that are harmful to your cat and can cause severe skin irritation,
vomiting, seizures and even death.
Revolution
Applied once monthly for prevention or once every 3 weeks for treatment.
Revolution is applied to the skin on the back of the neck, where it is
absorbed through the skin into the blood stream where the fleas are exposed
to it when they take a blood meal. Revolution also covers your pet for
some mites, heartworm and intestinal parasites. It dries within 2 hours
and bathing after that time will not decrease its effectiveness.
Frontline
Applied once monthly for prevention or once every 3 weeks for treatment.
Frontline is applied to the skin on the back of the neck, and is absorbed
into the oil glands and hair follicles throughout the entire body where
the fleas are exposed to it when they crawl through the hairs. Frontline
also covers your pet against ticks. It absorbs into the skin within 24-48
hours and bathing after 48 hours will not significantly decrease effectiveness.
Advantage
Applied once monthly to the skin on the back of the neck, Advantage is
absorbed into the oil glands and hair follicles throughout the entire
body where the fleas are exposed to it when they crawl through the hairs.
Advantage only kills fleas. It absorbs into the skin and begins killing
fleas within 12 hours. Bathing does significantly reduce its effectiveness.