FLEA FACTS & FICTION

Did you know?

Worldwide, there are about 3,000 different types of fleas, but the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is the most common to be found on cats and dogs.

Adult fleas can jump 600 times an hour. Each jump, in terms of the flea’s size, is the equivalent of a person clearing a 50-story building.

The record jump for a flea is 13 inches.

In just 30 days, 25 adult female fleas can multiply to 250,000 fleas.
(Source: Medi-vet)

I love trivia. Even flea facts are fun but having fleas is a serious downer so it’s good for your humans to know that there are different methods for getting rid of fleas.

First, there is an ingenious product called Capstar that gets rid of adult flees within hours. Most dogs take monthly pills to prevent the infestation of more fleas by ingesting a pill that kills their eggs but Capstar kills grown fleas so both types are good products to know about especially in the summer. Note the lifecycle of a flea below:

About 90% of all fleas on a dog are dead and gone within 4 hours (and 6 on cats) after taking a Capstar pill. In fact, fleas start falling off within 30 minutes. If you rescue critters, this is great to know because one pill can get rid of the fleas before you take the dog or cat home.

So, here’s my lesson of the day… There’s no need for your dog or cat to suffer with fleas when a combination of a one-time Capstar type treatment and monthly meds can get rid of them quickly and forever.

Okay, here’s the question of the day from Mimi who asked: I am a new mommy just rescued by a nice human. I also just gave birth to lots of little babies. Is it safe to take a Capstar to get rid of the fleas?

Oh Mimi:

Congrats on the birth of your little ones. Yes you can take a Capstar. Your vet will help. It is safe for you even if you are nursing.

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