Fleas Parasites

There are many different types of parasites that can cause discomfort in your pet, including fleas. These parasites can cause irritation, skin infections, and disease, so it is important to control their infestations. Fortunately, modern medicines can make the process of controlling fleas much easier. Fleas are a common problem for both year-round and seasonal pets. Adult fleas are small, dark brown, and about the size of a sesame seed. They move quickly over the surface of your pet’s skin and can cause serious irritation or infection.

Fleas feed on their hosts through a tiny mouth part called a proboscis. Before feeding, they pump saliva onto the skin, which contains an anticoagulant. This saliva also contains a protein that can cause an allergic reaction in their host. Fleas can survive winters on animals and pets, so it’s important to protect your pets from fleas during the cold season.

Fleas have a simple life cycle, which includes an egg, larvae, and adult. Adult fleas spend most of their time feeding on a host. Usually, they lay around 50 eggs per day. Often, they fall to the floor or furniture or even the bed, where they can be infested. Once the larvae hatch, they feed on dead skin and dirt from their host, which they take up in the form of fecal matter.

Fleas are not only pests, but also important carriers of disease. They were even known to transmit the Black Death and the bubonic plague in the Middle Ages.