The flea lifecycle and how it affects treatment efficacy

Here are some of the facts you need to know about the flea which will have a direct influence on whether you will see fleas on your dog despite treatment.

•  Each flea will produce 40-50 eggs per day while on your pet. These eggs will fall off wherever your pet spends time. So only about 5% of the total flea population will be adults and only some of these will be on your pets, the rest will be in the form of eggs (50%) larvae (35%) and pupae (10%). These will all be on your property. Obviously if most of the flea population at any time is not on the pet, targeting adult fleas on the pet by dipping or using insecticide powders would be of very limited value. 
• A flea will only start laying eggs 24 hours after first jumping on your pet. If you can consistently kill fleas on your pets within 24 hours, you can break the egg-laying cycle. To achieve this you have to use a product with residual action because newly emerged fleas from pupae will be jumping on your pets all the time. Dips and powders have virtually no residual action. 
• Any fleas found on pets will be 3-8 weeks ‘old’. In other words the eggs they came from were laid 3-8 weeks ago. This means that these fleas would not have been in contact with the products you have used on your pets for long enough to kill them. Any flea control product will take up to 24 hours to kill all the fleas on your pet. So you may very well see fleas on your pet after treatment. This obviously doesn’t mean the product is not working!
• None of the flea control products currently available has any significant repellent action despite claims to the contrary. So newly emerged fleas will be jumping on your pets all the time from the vast reservoir of eggs, larvae and pupae on your property in spite of regular treatment. 
• Pet owners are not aware that their dogs have fleas if there are less than 3-5 fleas on their pets. As a result people often stop treating their pets during the winter when the flea life cycle slows down. This enables the flea population to quietly explode during these months. Remember every flea lays 40 –50 eggs per day!

Given these facts, how on earth can you ever get rid of these pesky parasites?

With a lot of patience and perseverance, that’s how! As I described in my newsletter, it will take about 2 – 3 months (and sometimes even longer) to break the flea lifecycle sufficiently to get rid of fleas on your property and pets.

 Don’t expect miracles to happen with one treatment and don’t start using stuff like garlic, dips, powders and kakiebos because you think the products you’ve bought from the vet is not working because you still see fleas on your pet in spite of treatment.

Ask yourself the following questions:

 1. Am I dealing with a minor or major infestation?

If you don’t know what you’re dealing with, you’ll not be able to institute effective treatment…A major infestation is where you pull a flea comb through the hairs on your dog’s back and you see hundreds of fleas trapped in the comb. The members of your household are bitten by fleas quite frequently but especially if the house has remained empty for a while. You walk in and suddenly you’re wearing black socks as thousands of voraciously hungry fleas start attaching to your ankles!

 2. So how do I cope with a major infestation?

2.1 You need to treat both the pets and the environment. Because flea larvae don’t like direct sunlight, they prefer the inside of houses and especially enclosed spaces under the house. There are also far less natural predators inside the house. Use a spray containing an insecticide with a residual action that will also sterilise eggs and has a growth inhibitor that will prevent the larvae from reaching maturity. Your vet should have at least one of these products available. It is claimed that the sterilising action will last 6 months.

2.2 For immediate relief for your pets use a spray with a residual action (like Frontline) or Capstar tablets on all pets including cats.

2.3 Follow this up with a two-weekly application of a product on all pets in the household that will have a residual action, will sterilise eggs, and regulate growth of the larvae. (Frontline Plus, Advantage/Advantix, Ultrum Ultimate Spray, etc).

2.4 After two months continue with the  treatment every month throughout the year.

2.5 Don’t make the mistake of keeping your pets from going under the house or any other place where you suspect there may be flea eggs, larvae and pupae lurking. The idea is to allow your pets to pick up the fleas and if they are treated regularly, the fleas will die on them.

3. How about a minor infestation?

3.1     You will be able to see a minor infestation of fleas on your pets by using a flea comb on dogs, and the white paper test on cats. Cats are very efficient flea catchers, so often you’ll not see any fleas on the flea comb, but with the white paper test (see below) you can determine with 100% efficacy if your cat’s had any fleas on him in the last ten days or so.

3.2 In a minor infestation, all you need to do is to use the products mentioned in once a month throughout the year.

4. What is the white paper test?

Take a white blank piece of white A4 paper and wet it thoroughly. Use a flea comb or your fingers to vigorously shake debris from the pets’ skin onto the wet paper. After a few minutes, if you see small brown spots surrounded by a spreading reddish brown blot, it means that a flea or fleas have deposited faeces on your pet in the last ten days.

Sandy Severn
Merial SA (Pty) Ltd

Guinea pigs are much the same, although more sociable, they breed easily and are very sensitive little pets. Rabbits will fight unless together from a young age and can do extreme injury to each other when put together. Rabbits also like to produce multiple litters of young! Sterilisation is essential.

Most petshops I have dealt with like to “chuck ‘em all in”, probably to save shop floor space and for maximising profits on keeping large quantities.  After all, that is why people are in business ~ to make money! While some petshops take time and effort, maintaining clean cages and well cared for pets, others are a living hell for the animals housed there.

In my opinion, rabbits should not live in a cage but should be housed in an outdoor run which has shelter, drainage and open spaces.  All rabbits and guinea pigs can be sterilised and to allow them to repeatedly breed is cruel.

Guinea pigs are also used as live food for snake enthusiasts and rabbit meat sells for about R70 per kilo in butchers across South Africa. In Peru, guinea pig is a normal dish to have for supper, and in France you can order a plate of horsemeat.  So where does one draw the line?

What is the purpose of breeding these animals?

Most rabbits and guinea pigs suffer a lifetime of nervous fear and terror anyway – to add babies into the mix is irresponsible.  Sadly, it is known to welfare organisations that both rabbits and guinea pigs are used in dog fights as bait.

This is a personal decision, but I think that a typical human’s diet of cow, pig, sheep and sea food is more than enough without adding rabbit (and more)  into the equation as well.  Besides, eating pastas, fruits and greens is just better for you!

Get to know your SPCA Inspector!

If you don’t like what you see in a petshop, report them to the SPCA Inspectorate in your area. Do not buy a puppy or kitten from a pet shop. You will more than likely end up with problems. Do not support pet shops that crowd their animals into cages. Speak to the manager and make sure that standards are of the highest.

Adopt puppies and kittens from a reputable adoption organisation and be sure that it has been sterilized before you take it home.  Adoption from a welfare shelter ensures that you take home a happy, sterilised and healthy pet.

 If you are concerned about a petshop, go back every 2 months or so just to keep an eye on what is happening there – it’s a good idea to build a good relationship with the shops’ management so that they know the public are watching!

If you don’t like what you see in a petshop, report them to the SPCA Inspectorate in your area. Do not buy a puppy or kitten from a pet shop. You will more than likely end up with problems. Do not support pet shops that crowd their animals into cages. Speak to the manager and make sure that standards are of the highest.

 Adopt puppies and kittens from a reputable adoption organisation and be sure that it has been sterilized before you take it home.  Adoption from a welfare shelter ensures that you take home a happy, sterilised and healthy pet.

 If you are concerned about a petshop, go back every 2 months or so just to keep an eye on what is happening there – it’s a good idea to build a good relationship with the shops’ management so that they know the public are watching!

The novelty of it all

I know parents who went to the petshop to buy a toy for someone else’s new kitten, and end up taking home a selection of pets themselves.  This is not the way to do it!  Make sure that you actually WANT a pet, particularly a pet which lives in a cage, and then make a decision to view and choose carefully.

If the novelty wears off, and you are left with a caged pet that you don’t really want or need, call your local welfare organisation and make an arrangement. Don’t be ashamed to admit defeat ~ caged pets are difficult, time consuming and hard work 24/7 !

Overall, speak for those who cannot speak and take action where you know it is needed.  Petshop animals need your care as well – don’t be afraid to speak out.

Karen de Klerk
Animal Rescue Orginisation