Anyone who owns a pet at home has probably encountered the creature called fleas, right? So, today let's explore with Green Grocery to find out where fleas come from and how to treat them at the root!
Fleas are a type of small parasitic insect that not only affects the health of your pet but also poses many dangerous risks to the owner, especially the elderly and young children. Therefore, this article will summarize the causes of fleas and the methods to treat them at the root to eliminate this harmful parasite.
1. What are fleas? Where do fleas come from?
What are fleas?
Fleas are small parasitic insects that live parasitically on the skin of pets. They often chew the skin and suck blood to sustain their lives and development, making your dogs or cats feel itchy and extremely uncomfortable.
Fleas grow and develop very quickly in a short period. Therefore, if fleas are found parasitizing your pet's body without being exterminated in time, they will proliferate strongly, damaging the pet's body and even leading to death.
Where do fleas come from?
Most types of fleas originate from nature and are often found in warm and humid areas, dense vegetation, shaded areas without sunlight, etc., rather than being present on the pet's body by default.
Fleas are most common around March to April, when the hot and humid weather is favorable for their proliferation. In favorable environments, flea eggs will develop into larvae, pupae, then form fleas and jump onto the pet's body to parasitize and suck blood.
Adult fleas, after sucking up all the nutrients from the pet's body, will leave the host after about 3 weeks to find another environment and start laying eggs, continuing to produce more flea offspring.
In addition, your pet may be infected with fleas by contact with other dogs around the house when playing, and the eggs inadvertently stick and develop.
2. Signs of fleas on your pet's body
If your pet has the following signs, they may have fleas parasitizing on their body:
- Pets show signs of itching. They often rub against hard objects, scratch a lot, or bite their skin.
- Irritation and appearance of red rashes or scaly patches on the skin in certain areas of the body.
- Begin to have hair loss, usually in areas such as the neck, ears, back, and hips.
- Pets are anemic, their hair is dry and tangled.
- Pets lose their appetite, lose weight quickly. The body becomes thin, weak, and does not develop properly compared to normal species.
3. Common types of fleas appearing nowadays
There are many different types of fleas, ticks, mites, etc., around the world. Each type has different names, shapes, and structures, but they all share the characteristic of parasitic living and causing damage to the host's health. Here is a list of the most common types of fleas nowadays:
- Deer Tick - Ixodes scapularis (= Ixodes dammini)
- Dog Tick - Dermacentor variabilis
- Lone Star Tick - Amblyomma americanum
- Brown Dog Tick - Rhipicephalus sanguineus
- Wood Tick - Dermacentor andersoni
- Western Blacklegged Tick - Ixodes pacificus
- European Wood Tick - Ixodes ricinus
- Gulf Coast Tick - Amblyomma maculatum
- Winter Tick - Dermacentor albipictus
- Woodchuck Tick - Ixodes cookie
4. The life cycle of fleas
The life cycle of this creature is not too long; typically, they can only live for about 4 weeks on the host's body until they mature and reproduce. They will then find a place to lay eggs and die after laying eggs. Their life cycle begins from flea eggs to larvae => pupae => fleas => jumping onto the host's body and parasitizing to suck blood.
5. Can fleas spread to humans? Is it harmful to be bitten?
The question "Can fleas suck human blood?" is always the most frequently asked question at Sia Nguyen when it comes to this type of flea. And the answer is Yes.
Research shows that fleas have a parasitic tendency on the host's body and suck blood to grow and develop. Therefore, the skin is the first area where fleas attach. They will bite and suck blood on the human body. You will feel pain, the skin becomes red, irritated, and may cause severe fever.
When bitten by fleas without detection, timely treatment can cause symptoms that are difficult to articulate, difficulty breathing, sore throat, and even death.
Therefore, when detecting signs of fleas on your pet, owners need to immediately isolate, wear masks, etc., when in contact. To prevent fleas from attaching to humans and causing unwanted consequences.
How to handle when bitten by fleas:
According to the recommendations of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to handle flea bites, you need to:
When you see symptoms of rash and fever, or both when bitten by fleas, you need to see a doctor immediately.
6. Safe, root treatment for fleas
Today, there are many ways to treat fleas at their root, such as using flea shampoo, sprays, oral medications, or you can go to veterinary clinics in the area for flea prevention. Some flea treatment products currently available on the market that you can refer to and use include:
Flea shampoo: Common flea shampoos include Hantox, Bio, SOS,...
Step 1: First, wet your pet with water.
Step 2: Apply a necessary amount of shampoo, gently massage for the shampoo to fully penetrate the skin and hair follicles of the pet.
Step 3: Wait for the shampoo to soak for about 5 minutes then rinse with clean water several times, then dry. After bathing, the Pyrethroid active ingredient will penetrate into the fur and epidermis, so this is an effective, long-term approach to killing or preventing flea reinfection.
Note: It is recommended to bathe your pet every 15 days to prevent re-infection of parasites.
Flea spray: Hantox 300ml, Frontline, Vime – frondog,...
Step 1: Remember to wear gloves when using the medicine to ensure safety for yourself.
Step 2: Hold the spray bottle upright, stroke against the pet's fur and spray onto the fur, onto the flea-infested area. Spray about 10 – 15cm away from the fur and use your hand to gently rub and evenly apply the medicine on the pet's body.
Note: For sensitive areas such as the head, face, and eyes, you should spray the medicine carefully to avoid harming the pet.
Injectable medicine: Pharmectin, Bio Bivermectin 0.25%, BiVermectin 0.1%,...
How to use: You need to inject 3 injections, each injection spaced 5-7 days apart. Each injection is about 1 ml of medicine for pets weighing from 3 -5 kg, for effective prevention and treatment of fleas.
However, self-administering medication at home is also very dangerous, it can cause vomiting, discomfort, or even drug shock, and may even affect life if administered incorrectly, in the wrong dosage, or technique. Therefore, you should take your pet to medical stations or ask a veterinarian how to use it most appropriately.
Additionally, we can treat fleas at the root with natural ingredients:
Treating fleas with orange peel, lemon: You can use orange peel, lemon, grapefruit to make a bathing solution for your beloved pet. Owners can also soak these peels in boiling water overnight, then strain into a small bottle and use to spray on the pet's fur daily.
Treating fleas with garlic: The method is very simple and easy to do. You just need to soak the garlic in water, wait for it to dissolve completely, then pour it into a bottle and spray directly on your pet, then bathe your dog again with clean water.
Treating fleas with essential oils: Using essential oils is an effective way to treat fleas. You can directly spray these oils on the dog's body, spray around the sleeping and living areas of the pet, or use small essential oil pouches attached to the dog's collar, which is also a very effective method.
Note: Summer is the time when fleas proliferate and develop very strongly, so pet owners need to carry out vaccinations and hygiene for their pets regularly with bathing solutions, cleaning the living environment to help pets live in a clean environment, preventing the proliferation of flea species.
In conclusion, fleas are harmful parasites that not only affect the health of pets but also pose risks to humans. Therefore, it is important to take preventive measures and promptly treat fleas at the root to protect the health and well-being of both pets and their owners.