Flea infestations one of the commonest problems occurring in cats and dogs in Britain today. Almost every dog and cat will become infested at some time during their life.

Fleas feed on blood from either our pets or ourselves! In young puppies and kittens this can even be life threatening. In adults the main problem is irritation and skin allergy problems.

As fleas are very small they can be difficult to see, the best way to check is to look for flea dirt in the coat. Flea dirt appears as small black specks composed of dried blood. You can do this by combing through your pets' coat onto a wet piece of paper or cotton wool, if the specks turn red/brown your pet has fleas.

Successful flea treatment depends on all year round control.

Only about 5% of fleas live on your pet at any time, the rest are in your house!

Regular vacuuming and washing of your pet's bedding can remove a large part of the problem. The flea eggs tend to drop off in areas where a pet commonly visits, but since the larvae are mobile and tend to move away from the light, it is essential to remember to vacuum everywhere e.g. under rugs and furniture are favourite flea areas. It may be necessary to treat the entire house with an environmental spray (staykill, RIP spray, and others).

There are now a wide variety of treatments for your pet which can be discussed with your veterinary surgeon. The majority are ‘spot on’ treatments which involve squeezing a small vial of liquid onto the back of your pet’s neck. These are easy to use and there are many to choose from, some will act as wormers as well. Products available from Pool House Veterinary Group include Frontline, Advantage, Stronghold, Advantix and Advocate. There is also a pump action spray – Frontline.

Once the flea problem is under control there is a system called ‘Program’, (6 monthly injections for cats, monthly medication for dogs) which sterilises any rogue flea preventing the hatching of further eggs.

Companion Animal Services