The Ferocious Flea

Most pet owners have seen the occasional flea, but those who've had an infestation of these voracious creatures never want to see another one. The cycle of biting-itching- scratching-twitching that fleas inflict on a household is not one that they soon forget, or ever want repeated.

The flea seems built to bring about misery – and to survive.  Its thin flattened body enables it to navigate almost unseen among the hairs of its host, and to bite repeatedly as it feeds on the animal's blood. The flea's appetite is voracious: it can increase its body weight by 30% within 1 hour of its first blood meal and double it within two days.¹ Meanwhile, it excretes partially digested blood in its feces, on which larvae feed in turn. Sometimes, this red or black “flea dirt” is the only evidence a pet owner may have of the presence of fleas on a pet.

Fleas can transmit rickettsiosis and cat-scratch disease to people. They can also cause Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) in pets allergic to flea saliva. Finally, cats and dogs can become infected with tapeworms if they ingest an infective flea.