Pet owners beware, flea season is heating up, June 29

Summer has officially arrived and the Oregon Department of Agriculture is offering advice to pet owners who can take several steps themselves in providing relief from fleas. An array of pesticide products on the market are among the tools that can be used to effectively control fleas, but they come with the usual caution of needing to be handled properly. If occasional high temperatures this spring are any indication, summer might be blazing hot, which often exacerbates the skin irritation of pets that comes with flea bites. If that happens, pet owners will need to be ready for action. The first order of business is to verify the issue. “Make sure your pet has a flea problem,” says Rose Kachadoorian, entomologist with the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Pesticides Program. “They may be scratching themselves, but it could be a food allergy or pollen. Work with your veterinarian to establish whether the problem is caused by fleas.” If the answer is yes, pet owners can improve the conditions that lead to flea infestations. Prevention tactics are usually best started in the spring. However, there is still plenty that pet owners can do now. A thorough cleaning and vacuuming of the house– especially where pets sleep– is a good start. “I would vacuum my house at least every other day, if not every day, to suck up fleas and their eggs,” says Kachadoorian. “Also wash the pet’s bedding once a week with hot, soapy water.” The most fastidious cleaning job in the world might not be enough if your pet already has fleas. Persistence in cleaning and early treatment is the key. There are a number of adult flea control products available on the market, including spot-on topical products that are usually applied monthly. Some of the spot-on products also contain growth regulators that inhibit the development of immature flea life stages. Pets can also be given tablets orally containing these insect growth regulators. Flea collars and ultrasonic devices have had limited success, according to Kachadoorian. Again, a conversation with your veterinarian is an important step to take. “Most of these products usually work very well,” says Kachadoorian. “They are so much more effective than the old days of putting a dust or spray on the animal or giving them a flea bath.” Remember– most of these products are considered to be pesticides. Care and caution is required to use these flea control products because, if used incorrectly, the pet could have a bad reaction. “You need to read that pesticide label very carefully and make sure you apply the product properly as instructed by the label,” says Kachadoorian. “The label instructions are not part of some marketing gimmick, but are there to protect animals and ensure that fleas are safely killed.” For example, a product’s label may say that it is to be used only on dogs. Some active ingredients in products are not toxic to dogs but may be lethal to cats; an example would be permethrin. Product labels also provide instructions on the appropriate age and weight of the animal being treated. “There have been instances of people trying to save money by purchasing a product meant for a Great Dane– a large animal– and then splitting that product up to treat smaller animals,” says Kachadoorian. “Often, the dosage isn’t right and pets can develop medical problems or worse.” Use flea combs to pick up fleas, flea eggs, and ticks on puppies and kittens that are too young for flea and tick products. Younger animals and smaller breeds can be particularly sensitive to insecticides. If your pet experiences a bad reaction from a spot-on product, immediately bathe the pet with mild soap, rinse with large amounts of water, and call your veterinarian. Ask your vet to report the reaction through the National Pesticide Information Center’s Veterinary Pesticide Incident Reporting Portal at <http://npic.orst.edu>, or call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378. The US Environmental Protection Agency, which has responsibility for pesticide label language, has changed several labels in recent years to make the instructions more clear to users. Specifically, some labels were not explicit in designating which products should be used on dogs and which ones should be used on cats. Now, for some products, there is actually a display of the appropriate animal and weight range right on the package. Pet owners always have the option of using the services of a pest control company to control a flea problem in the house or yard. A good number of them are very reputable, others are not. What should the pet owner look for in selecting a professional to do the job? “I would call up a company and find out what they are suggesting first,” says Kachadoorian. “If they say they will come in and just spray the inside of your house or your yard and that should take care of the problem, I would call somebody else, because it is far more complicated than that.” Kachadoorian says homeowners should be told by the pest company to vacuum, wash the bedding, and treat the animal before the company ever comes out. Those companies that recommend an outdoor treatment as the ultimate solution may be offering services you don’t need or that won’t be most effective. “Check with ODA to see if the company is properly licensed,” says Kachadoorian. “I would also find out how long they have been in the business. Do some reading on flea control before you even call them. Then start asking them questions. If you end up knowing more than they do, call somebody else.” For those who want to take flea matters into their own hands, Kachadoorian emphasizes the importance of taking a holistic approach. “Keep checking your pet, vacuum a lot, launder the bedding. If you need to use a flea control product, use it in conjunction with all of these other practices. And definitely work with your veterinarian on product selection. Vets are great resources for the treatment of fleas.” Good judgment and measured action will bode well for both you and your pet the rest of the summer. For more information, contact Rose Kachadoorian at (503) 986-4651. For an audio recap of this story, please go to http://wp.me/p52oQB-cM and scroll down.