Will dogs survive on cat fleas?

 

Fleas are never fun. Our pets feed off these parasitic species, causing them a great deal of discomfort and even harm. Fleas are not only synonymous with itchiness, they are also part of the lifecycle of the tapeworm. Ctenocephalides canis, the dog flea, and Ctenocephalides felis, the cat flea, are two main types of flea, but can cat fleas survive on dogs?

Insects that bite our animals in order to eat are fleas. Flea saliva is an irritant that causes your pet to scratch, rub and bite itself and causes an uncomfortable scratching sensation. Inflammation and hair loss is normal. It's important to know how fleas live and work for these reasons.

Forms of Flea

While two separate species are cat fleas and dog fleas, neither is unique to any one type of host, meaning cat fleas will infect dogs and vice versa. In fact, cat fleas are actually more flexible than dog fleas, and at least 50 other forms of animal species are known to be infected. Both kinds will infest humans, which is another excuse to ensure that when it comes to fleas, your cat or dog is well taken care of.

Although fleas sometimes lay their eggs on animals, while they are on your pet, they typically do not hatch. As many as 70 percent of flea eggs would have dropped off your pet within the first 8 hours though a female flea can lay up to 4000 eggs in only a few weeks.

With the proper temperature and moisture, these flea eggs hatch. The hatched eggs develop larvae that in the field, feed on debris. This is the same as the butterfly lifecycle caterpillar stage. If the larvae are large enough, just like a caterpillar becomes a chrysalis, they develop into a pupa. The larva turns itself into a legged-insect inside the pupa, the flea. The pupa hatches and sets out immediately to find a host to receive a blood meal.

What's to be done

You need to do two things if you suspect your pet has fleas; treat your pet to avoid the adult fleas from attacking them, and treat the environment to control the number of eggs, larvae, and pupa that produce more adult fleas.

By examining your dog's clothing, you can see the fleas on your pet's coat and check for mobile brown insects. You can see 'flea-dirt' that is digested blood as well. It looks like a grain of black sugar. Even if you don't see a true flea, flea dirt proof means the fleas are in your environment.

There is a wide range of products which claim to treat fleas, many of which, as opposed to parasiticides, are ineffective and act as mere repellents. Ask your vet to suggest a clean, easy, but effective product that not only kills any current fleas, but also protects your pet from further infestations.

Using an environmental spray, you will also need to kill the remaining 95% of the infestation. Many sprays last up to a year but some sprays only kill adults, while others kill the larvae and even stop pupal growth. Ask your vet once again to suggest which spray is most effective.

How to stop the

Of course, avoidance is the only way to deal with fleas. You should incorporate flea control into your daily pet care routine if you want to reduce your risk of a flea infestation in your home.

A hotbed for flea eggs is carpets and soft furnishings as they contain enough debris for them to thrive. As well as regularly washing the bedding of your dog, regularly vacuuming will help reduce the burden of eggs from growing and being a danger to your pet. Likewise take note of where your dog likes to rest outdoors, as the safest places for your dog would also be best for the fleas.

Have you got any ideas at home for coping with fleas? In the comments below, let us know.