The Life Cycle of Fleas and Ticks

Due to the increasing number of pets in our homes and yards, we are experiencing an increasing need to control the pests that torment them. Fleas and ticks are not only annoying, they can also carry diseases. They can transmit tapeworms, bacteria and other microbes to both pets and humans. Pets’ skin can also become irritated and inflamed from excessive scratching as the pets try to rid themselves of these itchy parasites.

Getting rid of these common pests can be frustrating. After eliminating fleas from the pet, re-infestation often occurs once the eggs that had been lying dormant in the pet’s environment hatch and mature. Since fleas spend most of their life cycle off of the pet, successful elimination requires effective treatment of both the pet and the environment. By helping our customers understand the life cycle of these insects, we will be better able to control and/or prevent infestation in their homes with the wide variety of products that are available in today’s market.

Fleas pass through four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Female fleas need a blood meal to lay their eggs. In order to feed, they must find a host among dogs, cats, humans, or any other warm-blooded animal. The female can lay anywhere from 200 to 1200 eggs, beginning a few days after the blood meal and continuing up to several weeks.

Eggs may be laid anywhere in the home or on the animal. Because the eggs are white and approximately the size of the point of a pencil, they are difficult to see. Eggs laid on upholstery or carpets will stay put until they hatch. If laid on the animal they will fall off onto bedding, carpets and anywhere the pet frequents. Hatching occurs within a few days to two weeks. Frequent vacuuming can remove up to 50% of the eggs in carpets and upholstery before they hatch.

After vacuuming, make sure the vacuum bag is disposed of immediately. Pet’s bedding should also be washed weekly to remove any eggs clinging to its surfaces. Treat the environment using products containing Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) to stop re-infestation by preventing the eggs from developing. IGRs will last from about 200 days to a full year, depending on which one you use. Products with insecticides such as permethrin will control existing populations by killing the adult fleas. Foggers such as Zodiac’s Fleatrol Fogger are good for reaching surface areas and sprays such as Zodiac’s Fleatrol Carpet Spray are effective in reaching fleas hidden in carpets, under tables, behind drapes and in upholstery. Remember to treat any other areas the pet frequents such as cars, pet carriers, and garages.

The flea larva that hatches is very small, about 1/16" long, and looks like a tiny worm, grayish-white and legless. Their natural habitat is cracks, crevices and corners. They eat organic debris, which can be anything from food crumbs to animal hair or flea feces. How long it takes them to develop depends on environmental conditions. If favorable, this can happen in as little as two weeks, but it may take as long as several months. Environmental treatments, both indoors and outdoors, will help eliminate fleas in the larval stage.

Once fully grown, the larva spins a cocoon in which it becomes a pupa. The pupa can lie dormant in the cocoon anywhere from a week to a year, but most will hatch as adults in 12-14 days. The mature adults will begin the cycle all over again. While in the pupa stage, it is impervious to insecticides. This is why, when instituting a flea control program, it is imperative to repeat the process in 14 days to kill the newly hatched fleas that were not overcome with the first treatment. Continued treatment of both pet and premises will ensure you eliminate both immature and adult stages of each generation. The adult flea has a lifespan that, like every other stage, is variable depending on conditions. A flea population needs warm, moist environments to thrive. With temperature in the seventies and high humidity, a flea can survive up to a year. It can also go for several weeks without food. However, hot, dry weather will shorten its life to as little as a month. The reason for this is that fleas do not actually drink, they absorb moisture from their surroundings.

A successful flea control program also depends on eliminating the parasites from the animal. A wide variety of products are available for eliminating and controlling fleas on pets. Choices include shampoos, dips, sprays, powders, collars, and spot-on treatments. Spot-on treatments are quick and easy to apply and provide month-long flea protection. Grooming the pet with flea combs will also help remove both fleas and eggs hidden deep within the animal’s coat. Some oral treatments such as Program will only eliminate the juvenile forms while other such as Defend only kill adult fleas. Others that contain both IGRs and adulticides will do both such as Biospot and Frontline Plus. Reading ingredient labels will help you determine the product or combination of products to best suit your needs.

Ticks are parasites that can also plague pets. Like fleas they can transmit diseases such as Lyme Disease to pets as they feed off their blood. Ticks differ from fleas in that they do not completely metamorphosize through larva and pupa stages. The stages are egg, larva, nymph, and adult. The immature larva and nymph stages resemble smaller versions of the adult form except the larva has three pairs of legs while the adult has four pairs.

The male and female mate while on a host, and soon after the male will drop off and die. The female remains on the host, feeding for 4-10 days. When she is fully engorged with blood, she will drop off to lay her eggs. She will lay 4,000 to 6,500 eggs over a period of two to four weeks. The female dies soon after laying is complete. The eggs hatch into tiny seed ticks, or larvae within one to two months. Their hosts are small rodents, on which they feed for about a week. When fully engorged, they will drop off the host and find a protected place to develop into the nymph.

The nymph can be differentiated from the larva by counting the legs. The larva has only six, while the slightly larger nymph has a full complement of eight like the adult tick. The nymph will find a host and feed for about six days, then, under ideal conditions, drop off and molt one last time into the adult. However, many times, it will go through an entire winter as a nymph, continuing its development in spring.

Products formulated to quickly eliminate ticks from pets and/or the environment come in a variety of forms including dips, sprays, powders and shampoos. The Tick Arrest collar for dogs contains a compound that prevents ticks from penetrating the dog’s skin while helping to detach ticks already on the animal by paralyzing the tick’s mouth parts.

By paying attention to the flea and tick life cycles, we can make sure that our customers keep their pets as free of these irritating pests as possible. Remember the four-pronged attack: the pet, the environment, (both house and yard), break the life cycle, and prevent re-infestation. The key to effective flea control is prevention. By maintaining a regular prevention program, they will keep parasites from becoming a frustrating problem for them and their pets.

Older Dogs…..
I look forward to giving first trims to fat, wriggling puppies. The “big girl/boy” talk is always rewarded with many licks to my glasses. It is a happy fact that dogs are reaching advanced old age much more often than they did in the past. Beloved pets can now be expected to live long enough to need "geriatric care" at the veterinarian's office, and major pet food companies now offer special diets to meet the needs of aging pets. Sadly, older dogs are often plagued by many of the same infirmities that older humans experience, such as arthritis, impaired vision, and difficulty hearing. Because of this, these treasured older pets sometimes have special needs that we must consider. Many elderly dogs suffer from joint pain and arthritis. Those creaky bones will not tolerate the dog standing on our grooming tables for long periods.
Dogs also may develop cataracts and other vision problems as they age. Along with loss of vision, older dogs can become hard of hearing, no longer understanding the groomer's commands. A gentle hands-on approach to show the dog what is expected, rather than verbal commands is needed. Groomers find that pet's skin may become more delicate with age. The senior pet appreciates a very light brushing technique. Using mild shampoo and following with a soothing conditioner is best unless there is a specific skin problem that the veterinarian recommends a medicated treatment for. The coat often becomes thinner, as well. Older poodles that have had their feet shaved since puppy hood sometimes will no longer tolerate this procedure. The time they need to stand on three legs and the physical separation of the toes needed to achieve this trimming becomes painful for them. For these dogs, a scissored terrier style foot becomes the most practical answer. Being creative and using modified trims comes in handy when working on our special needs pets. It is important for groomers to communicate the pet's changing needs to the pet owner. A beautiful Lhasa Apso, was kept in a long, flowing coat from puppyhood until she was 12 years old. At that point she could no longer tolerate the time needed for me to keep her tresses in top shape. Her owner and I came up with a plan for me to put her in a longish puppy-type clip. Ginger's owner much preferred the look of the full coat, but when I explained to her that the grooming process was uncomfortable for her older pet, she understood and agreed to what I call a "comfort clip" As stylists, we need to reduce our expectations of the finished product as well. It is sometimes just not possible to make a geriatric pet look as perfectly finished as we do with a younger animal.

While senior pets are in our care, there are steps we can take to keep them safe and comfortable. A soft towel or blanket to lie on, a spot in a quieter corner of the shop, and a potty break outside all contribute to a pleasant stay. Because older dogs do not withstand temperature and stress as well as younger dogs it is important to use heat type drying methods with extreme caution, keep cool water accessible to senior pets.
With a few minor changes to our normal grooming routine, older pets can be happily accommodated. A caring pet owner will gladly agree once these adaptations are explained to them. In my opinion there is a special joy in seeing an older dog strut proudly towards its waiting owners, freshly groomed, tail wagging and a spring to their step. Puppies are a lot of fun, but give me a silver faced, wise eyed, older dog to work on, and let me make him shine!

How to Properly Care for Pets’ Skin

Understanding the normal skin process will help groomers treat the many different skin conditions they encounter on a daily basis. In the normal process of skin growth, it takes forty-four days for the hair to complete its life cycle. If the skin is injured, the cycle can be as short as thirty days. By using many of the medicated shampoos available to professional groomers or by employing a mechanical irritant such as rough scrubbing, you may be causing more problems than you are solving. You may create an abnormal reaction on the skin surface, and the skin will produce more cells than normal. This over-production of cells at the surface will provide the perfect host for abnormal growth of bacteria, fungus, yeast, and microorganisms. This can mean more problems!

If you are working with a veterinarian who wants the growth cycle stimulated in order to facilitate the action of antibiotics or other prescriptions, a tar shampoo or other medicated shampoo may be needed. Otherwise, you need to keep a healthy balance on the skin surface and maintain the normal skin cycle of every forty-four days. This balance is best accomplished by using a gentle shampoo, followed by a light conditioner to seal and protect the skin. The skin should return to normal within six to nine weeks. If the skin does not look any better in this time, it needs to be looked at again by a veterinarian to determine any internal or environmental causes. If the skin has improved in this time, do not continue to use, or have the owner continue to use, medicated shampoos.

As a general guideline, the suggestion is to always use gentle products, unless working with a veterinarian.