The problems fleas cause.

Fleas are blood-sucking parasites that can make life miserable for pets and their owners.

They can cause:

  • intense itching and scratching which can result in hair loss
  • Flea Allergy Dermatitis– a very common and unpleasant skin condition caused by an allergy to flea saliva
  • tapeworm infestation
  • anaemiain puppies and kittens.

They're a common problem, with 1 in 5 cats and 1 in 10 dogs having fleas*. And fleas multiply fast. Just one female flea can lay 50 eggs a day; so it can take as little as 21 days for one flea to become 1,000.

*Bond et al. A survey of flea infestation in cats and dogs in the UK during 2005. Veterinary Record (2007) 160, pg 505-506.

Flea

How pets pick up fleas.

Fleas rarely jump from one pet to another, as is often thought. Instead cats and dogs pick them up from infested environments. This could be your garden, the local park, a friend's house – any place where an animal that has fleas, such as a rabbit, hedgehog, fox or another cat or dog, may be found. Infested animals leave flea eggs behind wherever they go. New fleas hatch from these infested environments once they sense the warmth, carbon dioxide and vibration an animal such as your pet creates, and jump onto them.

Wildlife

How a flea problem escalates.

Just one female flea can lay 50 eggs a day. New fleas develop from these eggs. Click the different stages of the flea life cycle to find out how.

Adult Flea Eggs Larvae Pupae

Because of the flea life cycle:

Environment Causes Fleas