External parasites
Fleas
From a very young age, dogs can be infested with external parasites. Most commonly these belong to the insect family such as fleas, ticks or the mite family, which includes mange mites and ear mites. Infestation with external parasites can cause far more than just skin irritation. Some external parasites can transmit diseases to your pet. Thankfully, there are now effective, safe, anti-parasitic treatments which can be used regularly on a long-term basis to protect your puppy from external parasites.
WHAT IS A FLEA?
A flea is a small wingless insect that is known for its exceptional jumping ability; it can jump up to 1,000 times its own height. The 'cat' flea,
Ctenocephalides felis, is the most common flea species, not only on cats, but also on dogs in most areas of the world. Adult fleas live permanently on the skin and feed on the blood of dogs and cats. Heavy infestations can cause severe anaemia in young puppies. Flea bites can cause skin irritation followed by biting, scratching and rubbing by your pet that may result in skin disease or dermatitis.
WHY TREAT FOR FLEAS?
In addition to the irritation and the loss of blood caused by flea bites, they may cause a serious skin allergy in sensitive dogs, Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) and tapeworm infections.
The main features of FAD in dogs are severe itching, hair loss and skin ulceration affecting the skin of the back towards the tail, the rump, thighs and perianal area. The severity of FAD is not proportional to the number of fleas seen because only a very few bites may be enough to trigger this skin disease in a sensitive animal.
Not only do fleas cause serious skin disease in pets, they also transmit the tapeworm,
Dipylidium caninum.
HOW DO FLEAS DEVELOP?
Adult fleas stay on the same animal for extended periods. Once off the animal, they can survive only 1 – 4 days in the environment before they must return to feed. Only a small number of adult fleas ever move from one animal to another and so the risk of fleas transferring directly from an infested animal to another animal is low.
Adult fleas reproduce very quickly and each female may lay up to 50 eggs per day for several weeks. These white, oval eggs (0.5 mm long) are laid in the dog's coat, after which they fall off into the environment, particularly when the dog is resting. In warm and humid conditions, the eggs hatch in a few days to produce microscopic larvae. These larvae feed on organic debris in the environment, especially faeces produced by adult fleas, 'flea dirt'. Larvae actively look for humidity and move away from light.
Within a few days to one month, each larva spins a cocoon, inside which it pupates to a new adult flea in about 10 days. When environmental conditions are optimal, including the availability of host cats or dogs, the emergence of adults from their cocoons is almost instantaneous. The whole development cycle may be completed in 2 weeks, but fully formed adult fleas can survive in the cocoon for up to 6 months. These pre-emerged adults constitute a large reserve of parasites in the environment that can immediately hatch and seek a passing host. The fleas seen on a pet represent only 5% of the problem. The other 95% of the problem exists in the environment as eggs, larvae and pupae.
HOW TO PROTECT AGAINST FLEAS?
Because fleas can survive in heated houses in winter, pets may be subjected to infestation all year round, with a peak in both spring and summer. Routine treatment all year will protect your puppy against infestations.
In order to effectively protect a dog, fleas on the animal and in its environment must be controlled.
INTEGRATED FLEA CONTROL
Integrated Flea Control (IFC) is the use of a combination of methods to combat a flea problem, and is currently recommended by experts as the best solution to flea problems. IFC involves the use of a product to kill adult fleas, in conjunction with an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) to prevent the development of the immature stages of the flea life cycle. To provide complete IFC, mechanical control methods (vacuuming, steam-cleaning, washing bedding) also have to be implemented.
FRONTLINE PLUS ® provides two components of IFC in one spot-on pipette.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT FLEAS
- The majority of the flea life cycle (95%) does not occur on your pet, but in the environment
where your pet lives and sleeps.
- Pets pick up fleas where other animals have been. This could be the backyard, your home or
the park. Rarely do fleas jump from pet to pet.
- One female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day that fall off into the environment to develop
into adult fleas 14 days to 6 months later, depending upon temperature. After developing, adult
fleas emerge to re-infest your pet.
- Adult fleas cannot survive or lay eggs without a blood meal, but the life cycle stages may
remain in the environment for up to 6 months before emerging.
- Young adult fleas jumping onto your pets are unavoidable. However, once on your pet,
FRONTLINE PLUS kills them quickly (within 18-24 hours of contact).
WHY IS MONTHLY TREATMENT RECOMMENDED FOR EFFECTIVE FLEA CONTROL?
Research has shown that the best way to
kill fleas is to break their life cycle. Because the adult fleas you see on your pet represent only 5% of the total flea population, the other 95% are the eggs, larvae and pupae waiting to hatch and jump onto your pets. By applying FRONTLINE PLUS
every month, any fleas which jump on to your treated pet will be dead within 18-24 hours. This way, by treating your pet with FRONTLINE PLUS, you will deplete the flea population over time and protect your home environment.
ACHIEVE BETTER FLEA CONTROL 24 HOURS A DAY
- Treat all dogs and cats in your household.
- Ensure FRONTLINE PLUS is applied every month throughout the year.
- Regular vacuuming will remove eggs and stimulate fleas to emerge.
- Regularly wash pet blankets and bedding in hot water (>60°C for 10 minutes).
- Avoid untreated animals entering your home environment.
FRONTLINE PLUS BREAKS THE FLEA LIFE CYCLE AT EVERY STAGE
