Killing Dog Fleas

New Mexico Dog Tests Positive for Plague

Laboratory tests today confirmed Bubonic plague in a Rio Rancho, N.M. dog. State health officials are alerting residents to protect themselves and pets against the zoonotic disease most commonly transmitted by flea bites.

The bacterial disease caused by Yersinia pestis, a gram-negative bacterium, can spread to people through infected flea bites or when people come into contact with infected rodents, rabbits and other animals. The bacterium is endemic to most of the Western U.S.

“The infected dog presented to a local veterinarian in Rio Rancho, N.M. with a history of killing sick rabbits about a week before illness onset,” says Paul Ettestad, DVM, MS, New Mexico public health veterinarian. “It had clinical signs of fever, lethargy and anorexia. The veterinarian drew an acute serology that tested negative in the state health department laboratory for both plague and tularemia. A convalescent serology drawn three weeks later showed a greater than four-fold rise in the plague titer (from <4 to 256) which is confirmatory.” “You can see that there is the potential for plague activity in most of the western states though it is concentrated more in the Four Corners area of the southwest,” Dr. Ettestad says. “Most of New Mexico’s human plague cases occur around the person’s residence due to a rodent die off from plague. We have had human cases where the exposure was most likely due to hunting dogs bringing plague infected fleas back into the home where the case patient allowed the dog to sleep in bed with them.”

Ettestad wrote 2010 Plague Information for Veterinarians, an educational guide posted on the state’s public health website. The piece discusses how the bacteria is spread, how to test for it and how to treat an infected patient. Ettestad says cats tend to have more severe illness from plague than dogs.

“Every case of cat plague represents a potential risk for human exposure and illness,” Ettestad says. “Acquiring primary pneumonic plague from cats is a particular risk for veterinarians, their assistants and pet owners. In addition, bubonic plague or primary plague septicemia can result from contact with infectious tissues, exudates or fleas.”

Most people acquire plague by the bite of an infectious rodent flea but about one-fifth of all human cases result from direct contact with infected animals.

“Cats are particularly susceptible to plague and can play a role in transmission to humans by a variety of mechanisms including transporting infected fleas or rodent/rabbit carcasses into the residential environment,” Ettestad says. “Direct contact contamination with exudates or respiratory droplets and by bites or scratches can also transmit disease.

Killing Dog Fleas

Killing dog fleas is a difficult task but it is very critical in ensuring your dog’s good health.  Just like the kind of idea you have when it comes to its importance, it is also likewise that you might have little clue about it.  Countless of people put a lot of hard work in treating fleas in dogs.

These are those who have ideas on what to do with these parasites. If you are going to look at these pests directly, they look like tiny specks only but do not be deceived by their size because they can do more than you expect.    They are very tough and no matter how small they are, they are like miniature tanks.  It is not that easy to remove or even squish them.

The average size of fleas falls between a sixteenth (1/16) up to one eighth (1/8) of an inch but no matter how small they are, they are very destructive.  Fleas are able to do a lot of things which the body size doesn’t show.  Because of the weight and the structure of the fleas’ bodies, they are able to jump 200 times more than its body length.  Because of their ability to jump that long, they can invade new hosts such as other pets and even humans as they meet them. 

This new host we are talking about could be your family dog, your neighbor’s pet or it could be the cat just across your street. Once these fleas are able to sneak in to the fur of your pet, they can easily move from one place to another with ease.  They can even continuously move around without being detected until it finds the perfect spot.  Even if you get to find one, it is quite hard to catch it.  The body is very resilient and hard just like a tank.  If you need to crush it, you need to crush it completely because if you will not be able to do it completely, you get another invasion again.

Having knowledge on how resilient these parasites are is not enough.  To add more problems to an existing one, a female flea lays 50 eggs per day.  In one week, a female flea can lay up to 350 eggs.  This gives you a clearer picture on how difficult it can be treating your dog with those fleas.  This problem all started with just one adult flea that lays eggs up to hundreds in a week.  In a few months time, there could already be an army of it.

With all these flea talk, you might be thinking right now, what is the fuss all about?  Is it really necessary to eliminate all those fleas?  Come to think of it, one flea is capable of biting up to 400 times in just one day and it can even take in blood more than its equivalent body weight.  This is only coming from one flea.  If we are talking about an army, then you can just imagine what will happen to your pet in just one day.

LIFE

The Indian medical gazette

LIFE

The Complete Healthy Dog Handbook, The Definitive Guide to Keeping Your Pet Happy, Healthy & Active

The complete guide to caring for your dog