Fleas and ticks: They can be deadly to your pets

Fleas and ticks are never the tiny and harmless creatures that most people regard them to be, but they can be irritating and even deadly to pets.

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While pet owners would generally agree that fleas and ticks thrive in a pet’s favorite play area, such as the backyard teeming with tall grass with a moist environment, there are unsuspecting and unfamiliar places that can be equally suitable for fleas and ticks to thrive- even inside your home.

Fleas and ticks can be lurking anywhere.

 

These tiny creatures can be found almost anywhere, and in fact, they are present almost all 50 states in the US- from sunny Florida down to the chilly climate of Washington. It’s not surprising to find that your pet could get infected with a routine visit to a Virginia Beach veterinary hospital where it can easily jump from one animal to another without the host even noticing it.

Each time your pet leaves their sanctuaries, they are exposed to fleas and ticks such as quick walks around the neighborhood, playing at the local park, visiting a veterinary hospital, trip to the groomers, or simply getting inside your car.

Fleas are known to jump no less than a foot vertically to transfer to another host, and ticks can latch on to pets for up to five days. Worse, these parasites can multiply rapidly and could even infest your home in no time.

How can fleas and ticks be deadly?

 

Infestations can get out of control quickly. For instance, fleas lay eggs in large numbers and generate no less than 50 eggs per day and can produce as much as 2,000 eggs throughout their lifetime.

These pests are suitable carriers of serious diseases such as Lyme, anemia, and even paralysis. Some pets develop severe allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, which can be transmitted through flea saliva. They are also known to transmit a parasitic tapeworm called Dipylidium caninum that can affect dogs, cats, and humans alike.

Detecting symptoms and signs of flea and tick infestation

 

One of the first signs of an infestation is the unrelenting scratching of pets that result in bruises and fur loss. For pets with a light-colored or thin coat of fur, these parasites can be visible to the eye resembling brown flat flecks or small flat insects.

Try scraping a few of these brown flakes on a small piece of paper towel then add a few drops of water. If it causes smears on the towel or red dots, these are signs of fleas.

A severe case of an infestation is often characterized by rashes, skin bumps, moist and raw wet areas, hair loss at the tail base, an unpleasant smell coming from your pets.

When these signs and symptoms are present in your pets, immediately seek help from your nearest Virginia Beach veterinary hospital for treatment.