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In our practice,
up to 90% of all skin problems in cats are associated with fleas,
although it is important to realise that cats (and other animals)
can have fleas without showing any signs of disease. Only the
adult flea lives on the animal; the rest of the life cycle (eggs,
larva, pupa) lives in the environment. The female adult flea
needs to feed from the animal in order to produce eggs. Once she
lays the eggs (up to 200 eggs per flea per day!), they fall off
the cat wherever the cat may be (eg into the floorboards or the
grass). If the conditions are warm and humid enough, these eggs
will hatch, and in approximately 3 weeks they will become adults
themselves, ready to jump onto the nearest animal.
A few important
points to bear in mind: in Sydney, although fleas are more common
in the warmer months, we often see fleas all the year around;
eggs can remain viable for months waiting for the right
conditions before hatching; indoor cats can still get
fleas (via people or other animals carrying any part of the
flea life cycle into the proximity of the cat); and fleas prefer
animals to humans, so if a person in the household is getting
bitten, it usually means there are already a lot of fleas around.
There are a number
of options for flea control, depending on the circumstances. Most
people find the spot on applications very convenient, safe
and effective. The newer ones tend to be more effective, as fleas
can develop resistance to any given product over time. Some of
these products (eg Revolution® and Advocate®) also cover for other
parasites, such as heartworm (spread by mosquitoes) and most
intestinal worms, meaning fewer medications are needed for their
cat (and this is usually a good thing!).
Sometimes we recommend other
products (usually Capstar® tablets which kills fleas very quickly,
within 30 minutes, but only lasts for a few days), to help get rid
of a large infestation of fleas, or to help with ongoing flea
control in a particularly allergic cat. These will be used in
conjunction with the spot on formula, and work very well
together.
Totally indoor cats can be
controlled effectively with a product that stops fleas from
breeding, and this can be given as injection by the vet every 6
months or as a paste in the food every month. It is important to
realise that the adult fleas won’t be killed, and that other
parasites are not covered.
Fleabites can cause anything from
minor irritation to severe itchiness from allergy that can
result in skin inflammation and infections due to self-trauma. If
this happens, the cat will require veterinary attention to treat
the allergy and its consequences, but the underlying fleas must
also be controlled. It is important to remember that once a cat
has shown signs of being allergic to fleabites, they will always
be predisposed to having skin problems. It is especially
important that these cats have very thorough and diligent flea
control.
Once the fleas on your cat have
been treated, there’s still the problem of all those flea eggs and
larvae in your cat’s immediate environment. Generally a
thorough vacuuming through the premises, including on and
behind furniture is enough to get rid of the majority of the flea
life cycle.
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Paddington Cat Hospital
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