• Servicing the Triangle Area: Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, Cary, and Hillsborough NC
New Client
Request Appointment
  • Home
  • blog
  • Fleas: What Every Pet Owner Should Know

Fleas: What Every Pet Owner Should Know

It is important to keep an eye out for fleas and other parasites to help keep you and your furry friends healthy. Fleas are the most common cause of itching and dermatologic skin conditions in cats and dogs and can cause anemia and spread disease, such as tapeworms and plague (yes it still exists, but is treatable).

Often with smaller infestations, you won’t even see the fleas themselves but you are typically able to find “flea dirt” or flea excrement. These are reddish-black flecks that can be found on your pet or places that they frequent, such as bedding.  If you aren’t sure if what you are seeing is flea dirt, collect a few specks on a damp paper towel and rub lightly.  Flea dirt will create reddish rings as it absorbs the moisture. 

The lifecycle of a flea is three months*, so it takes a minimum of 3 months to stop the lifecycle of a population, which is why regular prevention is so important.  Even with the best flea and tick preventives available today we still sometimes see breakthrough flea infestations. To help get to the root of your flea problem we recommend several steps. 

*Check out details on fleas and their lifecycle at the Companion Animal Parasite Council’s (CAPC).

Prevention:

Be sure that you are using a high quality protection and following appropriate instructions for your pet. 

  • Check the current weight of your pet and the weight range of the prevention you are using. We have seen situations where pets have passed the top end of their protection and need a dosage change.
  • Check the instructions and your calendar, are you giving the prevention at the recommended dosing interval.
  • If you are unhappy with the performance of your current product you can consider switching, but remember no product is instantaneous. With any of these products the flea has to get on the pet and often bite the pet to be affected by the prevention. It then takes time for the flea to die. These preventatives help stop the flea life cycle during this time by preventing reproduction.

    • For dogs we recommend:

  • Simparica Trio- oral flea/tick and heartworm treatment/preventative given once every month.
  • Nexgard- oral flea/tick treatment/preventative given once every month. (Don’t forget to give heartworm prevention too!)
  • Bravecto- oral flea/tick treatment/preventative given once every 12 weeks. Must be given with food for full efficacy. (Don’t forget to give heartworm prevention too!)

    • For cats we recommend:

  • Revolution Plus- topical heartworm, flea, tick, mite, and intestinal parasite medication- applied to skin once monthly.
  • Bravecto- topical flea/tick preventative applied to skin every 12 weeks. (Don’t forget to give heartworm prevention too!)

    • Treatment:

  • Don't forget your environment when fighting fleas. To decrease the flea population in your home and yard:
  • Regularly vacuum carpets and furniture (make sure to empty the canister so that the eggs don't hatch there and return to your home).
  • Wash any fabrics possible on the hot cycle.
  • Use an environmental treatment (such as Knockout Spray).
  • Have an exterminator treat the outside environment.
  • Flea baths, although soothing to the skin, do not provide any lasting flea treatment/prevention. They are only effective while the cat/dog is being bathed with the product. If your pet is itchy, however, some pets benefit from bathing 2-3 times weekly with a soothing shampoo until you can make a dent in the flea population.
  • Ultimately prevention on all the pets in the household is the most important and effective method of ridding a flea infestation.

    • If your pet is itchy and an existing patient of Local Mobile Vet, fill out the appointment request form, and we will reach out to get an appointment scheduled. You can also order your pet’s prevention at our online store right now.

    If we have never seen your pet before, fill out the New Client Form, and we will reach out to help you determine if we are the right fit for you and your pet.


      How do I get my pet scheduled?
      If your pet is an existing patient of Local Mobile Vet, simply fill out the appointment request form, and we will reach out to get an appointment scheduled.

      If we have never seen your pet before, fill out the New Client Form and we will reach out to help you determine if we are the right fit for you and your pet.