4 Facts about Fleas that Might Surprise You

Fleas are gross. We all know this. They get all over your dog (and sometimes you) and bite. And bite. And bite. They can also infest your house, which is also gross. All grossness aside, there are some facts about fleas that you may not know, but you should. This post is sponsored by Bayer / Seresto and the Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the Seresto product, but Sweep Tight only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Bayer / Seresto is not responsible for the content of this article.

4 Facts about Fleas that Might Surprise You

1: Fleas carry tapeworm eggs. Yep that’s right. All your dog has to do is eat a flea, and BOOM… tapeworm.

2: Flea eggs have a long shelf life. If a flea lays eggs in  your home, they can stay dormant for a very long time. Some experts say eggs can be viable for up to one year. So if the conditions aren’t just right for the flea eggs in your home to hatch, they can wait it out.

3: Flea bites can be more than itchy. For some dogs, flea bites are an itchy annoyance. For other dogs, it can be much worse. Some dogs are allergic to flea saliva. For an allergic dog, a flea bite can cause allergic dermatitis. This is an extremely itchy reaction causing skin irritation and swelling. If a dog that is allergic to flea saliva is infested with fleas, multiple bites can cause widespread itching, hives, thickening of the skin, and dry or oily flaky skin. It’s a horrible, uncomfortable thing.

4: Fleas can kill. This is only in severe cases. However a dog which is infested with fleas can suffer anemia and death from hundreds of bites.

If we haven’t freaked you out enough about fleas already, maybe that will do the trick. Fleas are nothing to mess with and it’s so important to protect your furry loved ones. Hilo is still wearing his Seresto Collar after a few months now. No one even realizes the collar is there, and he’s still never shown any signs of it bothering him whatsoever.

Our tiny slice of summer seems to be over, but that doesn’t mean to chill out on the flea protection. It’s important to keep up on heartworm and flea protection all year round. At least with the Seresto Collar you are good for 8 months. We are loving this option to fight against fleas for Hilo. Since he doesn’t mind a collar, it’s an ideal choice for him.

Did you know these facts about fleas? Do you make sure to protect your pets?