About Fleas
There are over 2,000 flea species in the world. Thankfully, only the cat flea and dog flea (Ctenocephalides felis, Ctenocephalides canis) pose a common threat to dogs and cats. Despite the name, cat fleas infest dogs just as much as they infest cats.
The problem is that fleas breed in enormous numbers. Female fleas can lay from 20 to 50 eggs a day and up to 2,000 eggs during their lifetime. These eggs immediately fall off the animal and spread around your home.
This is why adulticides (products that kill adult fleas) are only part of the solution to a flea-free pet. You also need to practice Integrated Flea Control. This strategy combines an Insect Growth Regulator (a product which prevents adult fleas from developing), an adulticide and environmental cleaning (e.g. vacuuming) to tackle the problem from all sides.
The degree to which you need to control fleas will vary from household to household, and from pet to pet.
Where do fleas come from?
You may think that a pet kept entirely indoors would have no risk of being affected by fleas. It only takes a visit from one untreated animal to trigger an infestation in your home. So even housebound pets may require flea control.
Pets that routinely go outdoors are at risk of coming into contact with fleas from time to time and require regular flea control.
Finally, some pets are allergic to bites from a relatively small number of fleas, and may need more stringent flea control.
Your veterinarian and/or pet specialist can provide advice on the level of flea control that best suits your needs. Before having this discussion, it’s important to know the basics about fleas.
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The Flea Life Cycle