Flea advice from The Liverpool Vets’ Danielle Greenberg

Petplan Vet of The Year 2019 and owner of the independent, city centre-based clinic, The Liverpool Vets, Danielle Greenberg, discusses a topical issue that’s not for the faint-hearted.

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The Liverpool Vets’ Danielle Greenberg

LIVERPOOL IS UNDER ATTACK… LITERALLY! In the last 10 years here in Liverpool, I have never encountered such a plague of fleas on our cats and dogs as I have seen over the past few months. They’re living in our houses and flats, and they’re happy to bite humans too.

When I first opened the clinic in the city centre, I was quite willing to accept that a cat who lived indoors, with no access to the world outside, did not need routine treatment to protect them from an infestation of fleas.

How wrong I was. With a wet and warm summer, perfect for flea development, I have been left genuinely shocked by the sheer number of super-strong fleas in Liverpool on dogs, especially on cats, and even on cats that have never left home.

The reason is that one flea can lay 1000’s of eggs that can lurk in your home unnoticed. Only 5% of the population of fleas are adults (the ones you can see running through your pet’s coat). 50% are eggs and these can be transported on shoes and clothing back home where they develop into larva, then pupa, then eventually, adults.

Each adult female can lay up to 8,000 eggs, so it’s vital that you treat your home, not just your cat or dog, and that that treatment is one which is up to the job. Liverpool is a big city, and its growing population of pets gives fleas ever more opportunity to spread and to flourish.

Most of the fleas I see in Liverpool on cats and dogs are actually cat fleas, and they are starting to flex some Scouse muscle, becoming more resistant to many pet shop and supermarket flea products. Fleas will also pass tapeworms to your pets when they feed, so it’s important to consider worming if you have seen fleas.

HOW TO CHECK IF YOUR PET HAS FLEAS

• Tiny black curled specks of dirt close to the skin. These are the flea faeces. If you’re not sure, comb them onto a piece of kitchen paper and add a little water. The black dots will become red as they are the by-product of a flea’s supper through biting your pet.
• You may see fleas. Small chestnut brown insects that will dash for cover if you part the hair along its back especially towards the tail, or sometimes the neck.
• More scratching than normal.
• Bald patches or sores along the back, especially towards the tail.

WHAT PROBLEMS CAN FLEAS CAUSE?

• Fleas feed by biting and sucking blood from your pet. This can cause sores on the skin from the bites themselves and from the irritation, causing your pet to scratch really hard.
• Lots of fleas can cause low blood levels, especially in very young or very old cats, they can actually kill kittens by literally taking so much blood.
• Fleas can pass tapeworms to your pets through their bites.
• Fleas will bite humans too, and although their bites can hurt, they can’t give us worms.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE FLEAS

• Don’t panic.
• Don’t buy everything you can carry from the nearest supermarket.
• Buy Indorex household flea spray, read the directions and spray the house, as this is where the fleas are. Only very few are actually on your pet at any one time.
• Take your pet to the vet. We offer free checks for fleas and worms. It allows us to a) Confirm that it is fleas, rather than lice or mites or another type of skin condition. b) Weigh your pet so we can recommend the safest products to do the job based upon your pet’s size. c) It also gives us a chance to talk to you about your pet’s lifestyle so we can make sure we pick a product that will cover as many possible risks such as ticks and lung worms, but similarly keep things really simple if you have an indoor cat and just need flea cover.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PET FROM FLEAS

• The answer is to use a reliable and safe product regularly on all your pets here in Liverpool even if they never leave your home.
• Speak to your vet. We are happy to see your pet for a free consultation. There are so many products on the market currently, we can help you pick the one that will suit them best and keep them safest.

Our experienced Head Nurse Brett Donnelley RVN runs
free of charge flea checks at The Liverpool Vets and will
help you pick the best products to protect your pets.

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