More practical & effective flea protection
As soon as the last winter frost has disappeared, the annoying season begins for many four-legged friends and dog owners: ectoparasites, which infect pets through their skin and fur and then feed on the blood of our pets, are booming between March/April and October/November.
You also feel comfortable in the living room
Although fleas are not winter hardy, they can survive cold season: They then like to nest in interiors one, for example in the carpet or the sofa cushions of a well-heated living room.
One of the most well-known and widespread pests are Fleas: Dogs are mainly… dog- and even more often from Cat flea affected. They are excellent at hiding, jump to their host at lightning speed and lay their eggs there.
Fleas: Not just an annoying pest
If the infestation is severe, fleas quickly cause one severe itching in dogs. This is not just due to their movements: when they bite their victim, they simultaneously numb them with their saliva. This in turn causes a allergic reaction, which is often – but not always – limited to skin irritations.
If your four-legged friend keeps scratching himself a lot, you should definitely pick up a flea comb and check the fur: It is quite possible that he is infected with the parasites.
Intermediate hosts for many diseases
However, fleas rarely do mischief alone: they are too intermediate hosts, So they themselves harbor parasites and other pathogens. They wear this very often Tapeworm eggs with them, which enter the bloodstream when bitten and hatch.
Also bacteria such as staphylococci are transmitted by fleas. In the past, the parasites were also one of the main vectors of Epidemics such as plague and typhus.
Often affects active & social Hunde
Fleas are particularly treacherous because they have the property of being very… to quickly change the host animal. For example, they jump from one dog to the other in a fraction of a second – social animals with a lot of contact with other animals are therefore particularly often affected by an infestation.
Also Dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors belong to the risk group. Fleas often wait for their next victims on blades of grass or other plants. A trip off the paved path quickly ends up unpleasant.
Risk groups for flea infestation
The specialist organization ESCCAP names the following Risk groups for flea infestation:
- Low risk: Dogs that rarely go outdoors and hardly have any contact with other dogs
- Average risk: Dogs that are occasionally outdoors and occasionally communicate with other animals
- High risk: Dogs that come from animal shelters, spend time in kennels, breeding animals, households with several four-legged friends, hunting dogs.
Source: ESSCAP.
Risk of infection in the house
Once fleas are introduced, they often become one long-term plague. The pests are true survivors who, after drinking enough blood, can survive for a long time away from host animals.
In Apartments This makes it easy for them: they hide in cracks, on furniture and in carpets, for example. They continue to multiply rapidly and largely unnoticed.
Only 5 percent of fleas are visible and noticeable
The Federal Association for Animal Health notes that only 5 percent of a flea infestation comes from adult animals consists. The rest are eggs, pupae and larvae, which often reside in hidden places in the home.
This means: Even though the dog was flea-free again and was rarely outside, unfortunately he was often Weeks or months later itching again because he is being attacked by the offspring. Only a systematic approach can interrupt this constant infestation.
Many flea species are not picky about their host: if So you also suffer from itching If you are, it may well be that the parasites have also affected you.
How works a flea collar?
For many dog owners, a flea collar is an important part of the important and lengthy fight against parasites. Although there are many models from different manufacturers, the… How it works very similar for most products.
Addition to the conventional collar or harness
So a flea collar is not intended to be permanent. It is one Addition that is continually renewed.
The dog keeps its conventional collar or harness, to which the leash and tag are also attached.
Multiplication of fleas
A female flea can lay up to 40 eggs per day, which then multiply once they hatch – so if you don't fight back, you'll soon have an uncontrolled plague in your house.
Nevertheless, it is important that the dog wears the flea collar regularly – even in the apartment, to avoid the lurking pests having the chance to infest the animal and develop.
Becomes firmly attached to the neck, without constricting
However, compared to the “main collar”, a model for fleas can a little looser lay. Since they are usually made of a rather loose material, tangling is much easier. By avoiding too close physical contact, the four-legged friend's skin is also protected.
However, it should not be attached too loosely: if you attach the collar stably without untying the dog (in practice this has been the case). Tolerance margin of around 2 to 4 centimeters proven), you prevent your four-legged friend from getting rid of the flea protection unnoticed.
Delayed delivery of the active ingredient
Flea collars achieve the protective effect with their Active ingredients. These are either chemical or herbal insecticides or repellent substances that overcome the typical smell of the four-legged friend and are intended to drive away the fleas.
Insecticides are dosed in such a way that they… fatal for the parasites are, but the dog – as long as it belongs to the target group of a collar – should basically not matter.
The active ingredients are delivered with a time delay. So only a small amount of the poison flows out of the collar every day. Unlike sprays, fleas are controlled continuously; good models are effective for several months.