Fleas, Ticks...
External Parasites
At some point in their lives, many pets experience discomfort
caused by external parasites such as fleas, ticks, or mites on their
skin or in their ears. These parasites can be extremely irritating to
pets and can cause serious skin problems or even carry disease.
Although this webpage provides basic information about the most
common external parasites, your veterinarian is your best source
of advice regarding your pet’s needs. Modern medicines make
treatment, control, and prevention of many external parasites much
easier than in the past.
Fleas
Fleas thrive when the weather is warm and humid. Depending on
your climate, fleas may be a seasonal or year-round problem. Your
pet can pick up fleas wherever an infestation exists, often in areas
frequented by other cats and dogs. Adult fleas are dark brown, no
bigger than a sesame seed, and able to move rapidly over your pet’s
skin.
Adult fleas live their entire lives on your pet. Female fleas begin
laying eggs within 24 hours of selecting your pet as a host, producing
up to 50 eggs each day. These eggs fall from your pet onto the floor
or furniture, including your pet’s bed, or onto any other indoor or
outdoor area where your pet happens to go. Tiny, worm-like larvae
hatch from the eggs and burrow into carpets, under furniture, or
into soil before spinning a cocoon. The cocooned flea pupae can lie
dormant (inactive) for weeks before emerging as adults that are
ready to infest (or reinfest) your pet. The result is a flea life cycle
of anywhere from 12 days to 6 months.
Risks and Consequences
You may not know that your pet has fleas until their number
increases to the point that your pet is obviously uncomfortable.
Signs of flea problems range from mild redness to severe scratching
that can lead to open sores and skin infections. One of the first
things you may notice on a pet with fleas is “flea dirt” — the black
flea droppings left on your pet’s coat.
Fleas bite animals and suck their blood; young or small pets with
heavy flea infestations may become anemic. Some pets can develop
an allergy to flea saliva that may result in more severe irritation
and scratching. Also, pets can become infected with certain types
of tapeworms if they ingest fleas carrying tapeworm eggs. In areas
with moderate to severe flea infestations, people may also be bitten
by fleas. While fleas are capable of transmitting several other
infectious diseases to pets and people, this is rare.
Treatment and Control
Your veterinarian will recommend an appropriate flea control plan
for your pet based upon your needs and the severity of the flea
infestation.
Fleas spend a lot of their time off of your pet and in the environment.
In addition to treating your pet, reduce the flea population in your
house by thoroughly cleaning your pet’s sleeping quarters and
vacuuming floors and furniture that your pet comes in contact with
frequently. Careful and regular vacuuming/cleaning of the pet’s
living area helps to remove and kill flea eggs, larvae, and pupae.
You may also have to treat your house with insecticides to kill the
fleas; consult with your veterinarian about products safe for use
around pets and children.
With moderate and severe flea infestations, you may be advised
to treat your yard in addition to treating the inside of your home.
Your veterinarian can recommend an appropriate course of action
and suggest ways to prevent future flea infestations.
Ticks
Tick Basics
Hosting a tick is the price dogs or, less commonly, cats may pay
for investigating shrubbery, brush, or wild undergrowth. Ticks have
a four-stage life cycle, and immature ticks often feed on small,
wild animals found in forests, prairies, and brush. Adult ticks seek
larger hosts like dogs and cats who venture into these habitats.
Tick exposure may be seasonal, depending on geographic location.
Risks and Consequences
Ticks are most often found around your dog’s neck, in the ears, in
the folds between the legs and the body, and between the toes.
Cats may have ticks on their neck or face. Tick bites can cause skin
irritation and heavy infestations can cause anemia in pets. Ticks
are also capable of spreading serious infectious diseases (such as
Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and others) to the
pets and the people on which they feed. Disease risk varies by
geographic area and tick species.
Treatment and Control
Prompt removal of ticks is very important because it lessens the
chance of disease transmission from the tick to your pet. Remove
ticks by carefully using tweezers to firmly grip the tick as close to
the pet’s skin as possible and gently pulling the tick free without
twisting it. After removing the tick, crush it while avoiding contact
with tick fluids that can carry disease. Do not attempt to smother
the tick with alcohol or petroleum jelly, or apply a hot match to it,
as this may cause the tick to regurgitate saliva into the wound,
increasing the risk of disease.
Pets at risk for ticks should be treated during the tick season with
an appropriate tick preventative. Your veterinarian can recommend
a product best suited to your pet’s needs. Owners who take their
pets to tick-prone areas during camping, sporting, or hiking trips
should examine their pets for ticks immediately upon returning
home and remove them from their pets. If your pet picks up ticks
in your backyard, trimming bushes and removing brush may reduce
your pet’s exposure to tick habitats.
Ear Mites
Mite Basics
Ear mites are common in young cats and dogs, and generally
confine themselves to the ears and surrounding area. Mites are
tiny and individual mites may be seen only with the aid of a
microscope. Your pet can pick up ear mites by close contact with
an infested pet or its bedding.
Risks and Consequences
Ear mites can cause intense irritation of the ear canal. Signs of
ear mite infestation include excessive head shaking and scratching
of the ears. Your pet may scratch to the point that it creates bleeding
sores around its ears. A brown or black ear discharge is common
with ear mite infections.
Treatment and Control
Treatment of ear mites involves thorough ear cleaning and
medication. Your veterinarian can recommend an effective treatment
plan.
Sarcoptic Mange Mites
Mite Basics
Microscopic sarcoptic mange mites cause sarcoptic mange, also
known as scabies. Sarcoptic mange mites affect dogs of all ages,
during any time of the year. Sarcoptic mange mites are highly
contagious to other dogs and may be passed by close contact with
infested animals, bedding, or grooming tools.
Risks and Consequences
Sarcoptic mange mites burrow through the top layer of the dog’s
skin and cause intense itching. Clinical signs include generalized
hair loss, a skin rash, and crusting. Skin infections may develop
secondary to the intense irritation. People who come in close contact
with an affected dog may develop a skin rash and should see their
physician.
Treatment and Control
Dogs with sarcoptic mange require medication to kill the mites
and additional treatment to soothe the skin and resolve related
infections. Cleaning and treatment of the dog’s environment is also
necessary.
Demodectic Mange Mites
Mite Basics
Demodectic mange caused by demodectic mange mites is mainly
a problem in dogs. Demodectic mange mites are microscopic, cigarshaped,
and not highly contagious. A mother dog, however, may
pass the mites to her puppies.
Risks and Consequences
Localized demodectic mange tends to appear in young dogs as
patches of scaly skin and redness around the eyes and mouth and,
perhaps, the legs and trunk. Unlike other types of mange, demodectic
mange may signal an underlying medical condition, and your pet’s
overall health should be carefully evaluated. Less commonly, young
and old dogs experience a generalized form of demodectic mange
and can exhibit widespread patches of redness, hair loss, and
scaly, thickened skin.
Treatment and Control
Your veterinarian will discuss treatment options with you. Treatment
of dogs with localized demodectic mange generally results in
favorable outcomes. Generalized demodectic mange (demodecosis),
however, may be difficult to treat, and treatment may only control
the condition, rather than cure it.
IMPORTANT POINTS
- Look for fleas, ticks, and coat abnormalities any time you groom
your dog or cat or when you return home from areas that are likely
to have higher numbers of these parasites.
- See your veterinarian if your pet excessively scratches, chews, or
licks its haircoat, or persistently shakes its head. These clinical signs
may indicate the presence of external parasites or other conditions
requiring medical care.
- Prompt treatment of parasites lessens your pet’s discomfort,
decreases the chances of disease transmission from parasite to pet,
and may reduce the degree of home infestation.
- Discuss the health of all family pets with your veterinarian when
one pet becomes infested. Some parasites cycle among pets, making
control of infestations difficult unless other pets are considered.
Consult your veterinarian before beginning treatment.
- Tell your veterinarian if you have attempted any parasite remedies,
as this may impact your veterinarian’s recommendation.
- Be especially careful when applying insecticides to cats, as cats
are particularly sensitive to these products. Never use a product that
is not approved for cats, as the results could be lethal.
- Follow label directions carefully.
- Leave treatment to the experts. Your veterinarian offers technical
expertise and can assist you in identifying products that are most
likely to effectively and safely control your pet’s parasite problem.
* The above information was provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association. |
