09/17/2026
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📚Educational post of the week!📚
What do you need to know about fleas?
A flea is a small parasite that survives by feeding on the blood of animals. Not only do fleas feed off of our pets, but they can also live in our homes.
A flea lifecycle:
Egg - This is the beginning. Eggs can end up in pet fur, bedding, carpet, furniture, and even grass.
Larva - This is the stage after the egg hatches. Larva are incredibly hard to see. They feed on flea dirt until they are ready to spin a cocoon
Pupa - This is the stage of a flea's life that they spend inside of their cocoon.
Adult - After the Pupa emerges from the cocoon, it will find a host. While feeding on the host, the adult flea produces eggs that will repeat the life cycle over and over again
Why do some animals respond worse to fleas than others?
Some of our furry friends have an allergy to the flea saliva. This causes them to itch more and potentially causes skin infections.
How does my cat have fleas if I can't see them?
It is already apart of a cat's daily routine to groom their own coat. During this process, they typically ingest the adult fleas. Ingesting the adult fleas leads to tapeworms. Tapeworms are intestinal parasites.
What to do to prevent fleas?
There are many different flea preventative options available to us. A good prescription prevention is the best way to ensure your pet stays safe from fleas. Listed below are some options for flea prevention.
Oral pills and chewables. These options are available for cats and dogs. Different kinds have different timelines. Some work for one month, two months, or even three months!
Topical prevention. These options are also available to both dogs and cats. Similarly to the chewables, these also have different timelines. Typically 1-3 months as well.
Bravecto Quantum. This option is only for dogs 6 months or older. This is an injection that lasts for 12 months!
If your pet has fleas, it is recommended to give prevention for a minimum of 3 months. This is because 3 months is the length of a fleas life cycle. We do recommend year round prevention.
Feel free to discuss the best option for your pet during their appointment!
