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Cat Fleas, Dog Fleas, Human Fleas
- What's the difference?
How to tell if
your pet has fleas
How to treat flea bites
Although there are many different species of
fleas, the most common ones are:
Cat Fleas Ctenocephalides felis
Dog Fleas Ctenocephalides canis
What is the
difference between Dog fleas and Cat Fleas?
Although one is called a dog flea and one is
called a cat flea you won't be able to tell the difference
without the aid of a microscope.
The most common flea found on
dogs and cats is the cat flea.
It is a misconception that dogs only
have dog fleas and cats only have cat fleas.
It has been reported that 95% of
fleas found on dogs and cats are cat fleas
Dog fleas are rarely found in the United
States.
What are Human Fleas?
Pulex irritans
Perhaps we should call Human
fleas Pig fleas as they are most often found on pigs.
People who work with pigs on a farm are much more likely to
pick up human fleas. Human fleas are not common these days. In
the usual domestic situation problems are usually caused by
cat fleas.
Fleas do not usually live on humans although they certainly
bite them!
What are Sand Fleas?
Sand fleas should not be confused with dog and cat fleas. They
do not live in our homes or on our pets.
Cat and dog fleas eggs can develop in sandy
situations and that is why they are sometimes mistakenly
referred to as sand fleas.
Read
this article about sand fleas
Which type of fleas bite
humans? It is usually
the cat flea that will attack humans. Most flea bites affect
the lower legs of humans. Some people are very sensitive to
flea bites and can have an allergic reaction to them.
Get
Rid of fleas in your house and on your Pets
is a detailed article on 'Do it Yourself' flea
control
What is the best treatment
for flea bites? Try
not to scratch the bites. Very hard not to I know.
Use Calamine lotion or anesthetic creams
Apply an ice pack.
Talk to your pharmacist about taking an antihistamine.
Wash the bites with antiseptic soap to reduce the risk of
infection.
See your doctor if the flea bites get infected.
How do I know if my cat or dog
has fleas?
 Suspect
fleas if you see your pet scratching. You can inspect your cat
or dog for fleas by examining near the base of the tail. You
may not see a flea but if your pet has fleas you will see
evidence of them by the presence of flea dirt.
Flea dirt is flea excrement. It
appears as black specks like grains of sand. If you blot these
grains with a wet tissue or cotton wool you will notice reddy
brown staining on the tissue.
Another way to detect flea dirt
is to stand your pet on a white fabric such as a pillow case
or on a white piece of paper and comb or brush your cat. If
your cat or dog has fleas then the tell tale black specks will be
found on the white fabric or paper.
How do I get rid of fleas in
my house and on my pets?
You can easily have flea control in your home and
on your pets forever.
Go to
How to get rid of fleas - House and Pets
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