Page 10 - Waves Magazine July 2019

P
E Fighting
T
T

Corner The Flea War

by: Richard Henderson, D.V.M

re fleas winning the battle at your home this year?
Are they driving your pets crazy? Skin disease and
itching are the most common problems we see
A every day in the veterinary hospital, with flea related
dermatitis at the top of the list. Other less common but still
important causes of itching include environmental allergies
and food sensitivities. All these skin diseases cause misery for
our pets and frustration for owners and veterinarians.
Attacking The Flea Army Involves Three Strategies:
Although we see an upsurge in flea activity in Galveston
between March and July, fleas can be a year-round problem First, remember that at any one time eighty percent of the
on our island. Fleas thrive in temperatures between 70 and fleas in an environment are not on the pet. They have recently
80 degrees, the same temperature we have in our homes. Our fed on the animal and are out there with full stomachs and
indoor spaces can become a virtual flea resort: perfect tem- reproducing. The home and yard should be treated to stop the
peratures, carpets to hide in and yummy pets on which to feed. infestation. Your local hardware store or professional extermi-
It is gross when you think about it. nator can help you decide the best products for your place.

When an itchy pet presents at our clinic, the owners may be Secondly, our dogs need regular baths and our cats routine flea
unaware that their baby may have fleas. They have not seen combing to provide comfort and cleanliness. During the sum-
any bugs nor had one jump on them. A flea’s preferred host or mer months bathing dogs every seven to ten days is appropri-
restaurant is a dog or cat, not humans, so fleas may be living in ate while cats can be brushed and combed daily.
your home and on your pets without you knowing. For a flea,
the dog is filet mignon while the human is bologna sandwich, Lastly, choosing an effective product for the pet can make the
the meal of last resort. I have seen cases where a family went difference between success and failure. Early in my career our
on vacation, left the dog in the kennel and closed up the house only choices for pet flea treatment were powders, sprays and
for a couple of weeks. When the homeowner returns he is chemical dips. They were smelly, messy and not very effective.
attacked by hundreds of hungry fleas. No dog to feed on, so They also exposed pets and people to insecticides that could
they settle for the human. potentially cause health problems. Thankfully, those days are
over. Today we have a wide array of oral or topical products
When I first examine a pet with skin problems I will pass a for our pets that are highly effective at killing fleas and much
flea comb through the coat. This comb will catch live fleas safer than the products of old. A few of these products in-
and pick up small black particles that look like pepper. These clude Advantage MultiTM, Revolution PlusTM, BravectoTM,
specks are called “flea dirt”, aka flea feces. Even if I find no SimparicaTM, ComfortisTM and CredellioTM. Your veterinar-
fleas, presence of flea dirt means the bugs have been visiting. ian can discuss these products and help you decide which one
is best for your pets.
I still remember my veterinary school dermatology professor,
Dr. Chester, giving us a stern lecture about fleas. A veterinar- Today the war over fleas can be won using good products, a
ian from Dallas sent his wife with his own dog down to the little effort and a multi-step strategy. Your pets will sleep bet-
Texas A&M vet school in College Station for “allergy testing”. ter and scratch less when the fleas disappear.
During the first minute of the exam we noticed the dog had
many fleas. Dr. Chester was not too happy having to tell the
nice lady that until her husband worked on the flea problem it
was a waste of time and money to look into any other diag- Richard D. Henderson, DVM
nosis. He proceeded to tell us, “When you hear hoof beats Galveston Veterinary Clinic
look for a horse before a zebra.” In other words, flea control 2108 61st Street
becomes the first order of business. Galveston, TX 77551
409.356.9000

10 | Waves Magazine | July 2019 Issue