There are two ways to approach fleas; either do nothing in the hope that your pet does not come into contact with them, or ensure your pet is on an efficient flea control programme.

Flea infestation once established is both very difficult and expensive to treat - often dragging on for weeks or even months at a time.

• Basic facts about fleas
• Flea control and prevention

Some basic facts about fleas

• Your pet does not need to come into direct contact with another animal in order to become infested.
• Your pet can pick up fleas from rabbits, hedgehogs, dogs, cats etc or areas where an infested animal has been recently.
• Fleas will bite humans
• Fleas live on your pet but lay hundreds of eggs in your carpets and bedding. It therefore becomes necessary to treat all animals in the house as well as using an insecticide on the house itself in order to eliminate an infestation.
• Some animals have allergies to fleas resulting in a condition called flea allergic dermatitis. This disease causes intense pruritis (itching), hair loss and often secondary skin infection necessitating veterinary treatment.
• Fleas carry the intermediate life stage of certain tapeworms so if ingested during grooming your pet is also much more likely to develop a worm infestation.
• The underlying problem is not the occasional flea your pet picks up outside, but the hundreds of eggs this flea lays in your house which will hatch out resulting in a serious problem.

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