What can fleas do to my pet?

Flea bites cause irritation and in some cases dogs become allergic to their bites; they will then scratch themselves excessively, causing sores, scabs and hair loss.
Fleas also transmit tapeworms.

How can I treat and control fleas?

Most dogs are at risk of fleas. Jersey’s climate and the high concentration of pet cats and dogs in a relatively small area means that fleas are a big problem here. Most fleas on dogs are infact cat fleas, and quite often in households where there is a dog and a cat, the cat will show no signs at all, yet the dog suffers from flea bites from fleas from the cat.

Due to mild winters and most homes being centrally heated, it is important to maintain a flea control programme all year round.

There are two areas of flea control: your pet and its environment (that’s your home!):

Please use a vet recommended product such as Stronghold or Advocate on your pet, usually once a month. As with wormers, “over the counter” supermarket or petshop products, are often ineffective and occasionally cause problems with toxicity.

Environmental flea control is more important than treating your pet; 95% of a flea population is living in our homes deep in the pile of carpets and rugs, pet’s bedding, chairs, sofas, beds and microscopic cracks in the floor. As well as using sprays such as Indorex to treat this area, there is an excellent product called Program, which can be given as a medicine once a month. It effectively sterilises fleas, preventing flea eggs from hatching.

In summary:

1. Almost all cats and dogs pick up fleas.
2. Fleas are present all year round.
3. 95% of a flea population are in your house
4. Fleas are a serious health hazard.
5. Best control is achieved using a combination of products; one for your pet and one for the environment.