Comic # 14 - Fleabag Motel
Written by Cristina Byrne | Illustration by Sarah JL Mapes
Fleas can be a pest that is a pest for both you and your pet!
In 11 years, Shea has never gotten fleas until recently!
Fleas are to Pets as Lice is to Humans.
I am not sure why or how she got them, but I defiantly noticed the increasing amount of times she has been itching. I am no vet, but when your dog itches and itches and doesn't stop itching, it doesn't take a vet to know that maybe your dog has fleas!
In the past, I have used Frontline Plus (for medium dog has eight doses (1 per month) is $76.99, according to PetCo.com), and sometimes I went to the vet and got a prescription for fleas and ticks. I'll admit that I have not been consistent with what type of flea and tick medication I use for Shea (and maybe I should be).
On July 16th, I used PetAction Plus (for a medium dog has three doses (1 per month) for $22.24, according to Walmart.com) and the exact timeline of when I noticed her increase amount of itching is a little foggy. She had the fleas either sometime before and definitely around the time after I used PetAction Plus, which was supposed to instantly kill them and last for a month but didn't. So, did PetAction Plus not do its job?
PetAction Plus, according to their website, claim to have the same ingredients as Frontline Action for Pets. PetAction Plus is the generic form of Frontline Action but sells for a fraction of the cost.
I then went out to see if I could try an alternative and I got the Petarmor Plus Shampoo ($8.99 at Walmart.com) that "kills fleas and ticks for seven days and has an insect growth regular (IGR) that prevents reinfestation by killing flea eggs and flea larvae for 30 days." I bathed her a week after applying the PetAction Plus, and it seemed to work, she was itching less than the increasingly abnormal amount, but still, she was itching. Then days went by and bathed her again with the same shampoo; it seemed to have the same produced the same results, still itching but not as much as before!
Some time went by, and it was then time to take her to the vet. A few days before I took her to the vet, she got another PetAction Plus, which in retrospect, didn't make sense to do because I was taking her to the vet anyway to get her updated shots and solve this fleas issue.
I made an appointment with the vet, and I took her in. The vet confirmed that Shea has fleas, so they gave me a prescription of Vectra 3D, which costs $20 and I will need to give it to her 2 more times because the flea's life cycle is 3 months. I informed the vet that I did put PetAction Plus on her and why didn't it work. I was told that these over the counter flea and tick medications are "watered" down.
With so many flea and tick prevention products on the market to choose from its important that us pet parents do our due diligence in researching products to find the most consistent, safe, approved by veterinarians and approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).
Most flea and tick medications can be sold over the counter while others require a prescription from your canine's veterinarian. However, although buying these over the counter brands seems a great idea, you should seek a vet's advice before administering it to your furry baby.
Your veterinarian will prescribe the type of medicine that is right for your pet's personality and lifestyle.
Whether you live in the country or the city, things like dog parks, doggy daycare, or even a walk in the woods can provide these parasites the opportunity to hitch a ride on your dog and enter your home (and that is a nightmare)! If your pet has fleas its important to double up on the good ole house chores by vacuuming carpets, couches, and floors frequently and regularly washing your pet's bedding will help keep a flea infestation in check.
According to Dr. Judy Seltzer, a veterinary dermatologist at BluePearl Specialty Hospital in New York City, "once an adult flea attaches to your dog or cat and takes a bite, they will lay up to 50 eggs per day. Most eggs fall to the ground, where they hatch, producing larvae. The larvae can grow in carpeting, bedding, and dark corners of the room, feeding on debris for about a week and a half, until they go into a cocoon and eventually emerge an adult flea that is once again in need of a host."
According to Flea Science, "once fleas hatch from their cocoons, they're immediately attracted to light, warmth, and carbon dioxide for sources of food. Within their first week of life, fleas ransack their surroundings in search of a blood meal to prevent starvation and death."
Now since Shea is the only one that goes outside and Pan is mostly an indoor cat that sometimes gets curious about the outside…I will say that Pan has gone out in the backyard but to eat the grass. Pan doesn't seem to be itching as much as Shea, so I am not entirely concerned about Pan, but he will be heading to the vet next for his updated shots and to make sure he too doesn't have fleas. I feel like Pan is vicious, and he is more of an attacker if those little pests bother him.
But it is essential that if one of your pets has fleas, then there is a chance that your other pet too could have fleas.
Dr. Judy Seltzer says, "I get plenty of owners who don't want to treat cats because they don't go outside. But if you have a dog who goes outside, you need to make sure you're treating all in-contact animals, or you're still getting exposure."
Seltzer recommends that all dogs — no matter the season or where they live — should be on an excellent year-round flea control" so you or your pet don't have to check into the Fleabag Motel!
