FRONTLINE
Fleas and ticks - the facts
The truth about fleas & ticks
Thought fleas and ticks were just a nuisance for pets?
Think again.
They can cause a host of more serious problems - from skin allergies to diseases that affect people as well as pets. But with simple precautions, you and your pet can enjoy life without worrying.
Regular treatment is the best way to ensure pets and home stay protected. So get advice from your health care professional on the most suitable treatment, and if you use our easy reminder service, you’ll always know when your pet’s next treatment is due.
Fleas and ticks - the facts
The truth about fleas & ticks
Thought fleas and ticks were just a nuisance for pets? Think again.
They can cause a host of more serious problems - from skin allergies to diseases that affect people as well as pets. But with simple precautions, you and your pet can enjoy life without worrying.
Regular treatment is the best way to ensure pets and home stay protected. So get advice from your health care professional on the most suitable treatment, and if you use our easy reminder service, you’ll always know when your pet’s next treatment is due.
Fleas and ticks - the facts
Will I know if my pets has fleas?
A recent survey showed that nearly 50% of owners whose dogs or cats had fleas were totally unaware of it.
Fleas are very common. It’s very likely that any cat or dog will get a flea infestation at some point in their life. In summer 2005, over 1 in 15 dogs and 1 in 5 cats showed signs of flea infestation or flea-related problems.
[Merial Flea Survey 2005 in conjunction with Royal Veterinary College, London – unpublished data]
Fleas and ticks - the facts
An irritating problem
Fleas cause irritation and skin problems - you’ll see this if your pet is itching, scratching or biting their coat. Newly hatched fleas often jump onto pet owners too causing discomfort.
Fleas can cause several diseases, including:
- Flea Allergy Dermatitis: many dogs and cats have an allergy to fleas causing nasty skin reactions which usually require a consultation from a vet.
- Fleas carry tapeworm, which infect cats and dogs so you may need to ask your health care professional about worming, especially if you’ve seen any fleas.
- Fleas can pass on bacteria like Bartonella henselae that may cause mild flu-like symptoms in people, and Rickettsia species that cause fever and a skin rash in humans.
Fleas and ticks - the facts
Checking for fleas
Don’t wait for the scratching to start; it just makes infestation harder to resolve. The first step in prevention is checking your pet regularly.
How will you know if your pet has fleas? You may see them by gently parting your pet’s fur, particularly around the base of the tail, but they’re often difficult to find. The best way is to look for ‘flea dirt’ - small black specks in the coat. This is dried blood excreted by the fleas.
Comb through your pet’s coat collecting any debris on to a wet piece of white paper or cotton wool.
If the specks dissolve on the wet surface creating red/brown swirls or patches, your pet has fleas.
If there’s no flea dirt but your pet is still scratching, talk to your health care professional.
Having tick trouble?
What are ticks?
If you own cats or dogs anywhere in the UK, ticks can be picked up in rural areas and public parks – even your own garden.
Ticks suck blood. They pierce a pet’s skin with their mouths and cement themselves into position to feed which prevents removal.
In the UK most are ‘hard ticks’ which means they have a hard outer protective shell.
The most common is Ixodes ricinus, better known as the sheep or deer tick, and it’s not just a risk to our pets. It can also infest other animals - and humans too.
Ticks are temporary parasites which spend 3-10 days feeding on a pet and they rely on their host for a blood meal. After they’ve finished feeding they fall to the ground and develop into their next life stage.
Having tick trouble?
What are ticks?
If you own cats or dogs anywhere in the UK, ticks can be picked up in rural areas and public parks – even your own garden.
Ticks suck blood. They pierce a pet’s skin with their mouths and cement themselves into position to feed which prevents removal.
In the UK most are ‘hard ticks’ which means they have a hard outer protective shell.
The most common is Ixodes ricinus, better known as the sheep or deer tick, and it’s not just a risk to our pets. It can also infest other animals - and humans too.
Ticks are temporary parasites which spend 3-10 days feeding on a pet and they rely on their host for a blood meal. After they’ve finished feeding they fall to the ground and develop into their next life stage.
Having tick trouble?
The life cycle of a tick
The life cycle of a tick can take 1-3 years.
Having tick trouble?
An irritating problem
Ticks cause lots of problems, some of them serious. At the very least, ticks are uncomfortable for pets and cause skin reactions or abscesses where the tick has attached - particularly if mouthparts are left behind when a tick is removed.
But the problems don’t end there. Ticks also carry diseases that can be transmitted to your pet.
Having tick trouble?
Diseases from ticks
In the UK, your pet may be at risk from the following diseases:
- Lyme disease. Caused by the parasite Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by Ixodes tick species, the most common in the UK.
- Lyme disease can affect humans as well as dogs, and on occasions cats too. Dogs may suffer from fever, lethargy, arthritis and occasionally skin disease.
- Anaplasmosis. Caused by the parasite Anaplasma phagocytophila and also transmitted by Ixodes ticks. Rarely diagnosed in the UK, it causes depression, fever, reluctance to move and general malaise.
Having tick trouble?
Checking for ticks
You must check your pet regularly for ticks, particularly when travelling abroad, since some European countries have ticks that are not commonly found in the UK. Check every part of your pet carefully, particularly around the head, ears, legs and paws.
Pets may have a tick attached without it being noticed, particularly long-haired breeds. So watch out for warning signs that could indicate a tick-borne disease.
If your pet shows any of these signs, contact your vet:
- Fever
- Lameness
- Loss of appetite
- Sudden onset of pain
- Arthritis or swelling in their joints
- Lethargy or depression
- Cough
Having tick trouble?
Taking control
Preventing tick-borne diseases means killing the tick before disease can be transmitted. At home or abroad, it’s important to treat your pet regularly to kill ticks, so make sure you have an effective tick control treatment.
- Kill ticks within 24-48 hours to minimise the risk of disease
- Use a product that kills the main UK and European tick species
- If your dog swims or is shampooed get waterproof tick control
- Apply regular preventive treatment to maintain control.
Talk to your health care professional for advice on the most suitable tick control product for your pet.
Fleas and ticks - the facts
Having tick trouble?
