ticksandfleas

Artical by- Dr S.P.Singh and Dr Ravi

Flea and ticks , almost every pet owner is aware of these parasites living , hiding ,feeding on pets .They are attracted to a pet by the body heat , co2 the pet is exaling and the movement.

Fleas are black to brownish about one-twelfth to one sixteenth inch long , six legged with tiny bristles on body and legs , and having flattened body. They are most commonly found during warm and humid weather , readily attack and feed on pets blood and humens too .A female flea feed almost 15 times blood of its body wt. in blood daily and can also live one to two months with out feeding !

Flea can jump seven - eight inches vertically , and fourteen to sixteen inches horizontally and are difficult to catch. Fleas accelerate the equivalent of 50 times faster than a space shuttle does after lift off and can jump up to 150 times the length of their bodies - sideways or up - equivalent to a person jumping nearly a thousand feet.

A female lays around 25 eggs a day , and around 800 in lifetime. A life time of flea is more than 100days in which a pair flea and there descendents can produce million of offsprings.

Fleas and Ticks bring uncomfort ,to the pet as well as the pet owner and most of all brings / initiate serious health problems from Flea bite allergy to lyme disease . They feed on the blood of the host and so if present in large numbers causes anaemia .
Fleas are carrier of many disease and carry tapeworms from dogs and rodents ( and can transmit them to human ). Had you ever seen some cooked rice like moving worms in dogs faeces or around anus ? That pet is infested with tapeworms.
Epidemic typhus and bubonic plague are one of the numerous disease transmitted by the fleas.

Ticks are the blood sucking pest that attack not only dogs but humans ,wild animals and other pets.They can be grouped into hard and soft ticks depending upon thair morphology. Rhipecephalus sanguineus ,the brown dog tick is most widely distributed in world and occurs on number of host .The adults commonly attach to ear and toes and larva and nymph often found in hair along the back. when individual feeding stage of tick is fully engorged with blood they fall off from the host and immidiatly seek shelterin protective surroundings.So the tick stages can be found in furnitures, cervices,door mouldings window pulley openings etc. They can be noticed crawling on carpeting walls and furnitures.

Control
Preventing Ticks and fleas is easier ,less expensive comparable to the devastating effects of treating the serious problems as a outcome of there infestation and a must do for the pet owner .
1. Manual picking -
Fleas-Comb the pets with flea combs to catch the parasites. Some puts petroleum jelly on the comb to stick fleas to its tines. Catched fleas can be drowned in water. Do not forget to apply antiseptic if any bitten ares is detected over the skin. Check carefully behind the ears , between the toes ,under armpits, around a tail and the head.
You can dry comb your pet on a white paper ,if flea are present tiny black specks fall on the paper.

Tick - Remove the whole tick carefully from the site of its attachment, using tweezers or a tick scoop. Using a tweezers is the simplest way to remove , grasp the tick as close as possible near the head using the tweezers ; steadily pulls upward until it loosen tick loosens or releases its grip . Do not crush the tick as it can spread disease and also do not twist it or break its head leaving it over the skin. If somehow you don't have the tweezers even you can do the job of tweezers using your thumb and index finger, or with the thread loop,or placing a needle between the point of attachment of tick and skin and pulling the parasite upward. If the head breaks and remained attached to the skin don't worry remove it using sterile needle.
Apply an antiseptic over the inflamed skin and wash your hands with soap and water.

Do not drown ticks in water so wrap them in paper or drown them in alcohol .You can also take the wrapped tick to your vet as it may be a help if some disease transmition is suspected.

Never apply gasoline , kerosene, or burning cigarette .

2.Treatment of fleas and ticks using available applications.

Most of the available medical treatment available are meant for the treatment of both ticks and fleas at the same time .

Anti tick componds In India

Product	Kills adult flea	Kills adult tick	Administation	Active ingredient	Remarks
Butox	Yes	Yes	Topical @ 2ml / lit of water	Deltamethrin
Ridd 12.5% w/v	Yes	Yes	Topical @2ml/lit of water	Amitraz
Notix scrub 10%	Yes	Yes	Topical scrub	Carbaryl
Notix talc 5%	Yes	Yes	Topical sprinkle	Carbaryl
Neocidol 20 EC 20% w/v	Yes	Yes	Topical spray or wash 2-3 ml/lit of water	Diazenon
Petmosol soap 5%w/v	Yes	Yes	Soapwash	Monosulfiram
Ivomec1%w/v	Yes	Yes	Injection subcutis	Ivermectin	for some internal parasites too
Dectomax	Yes	Yes	Injection subcutis	Doramectin	Effective for some internal parasites too
Kiltix dog coller	Yes	Yes	Neck coller	Propoxur and flumethrin
Program	No	No	Oral pills	Lufenuron	Effective in control of fleas devlopment
Advantage	Yes	No	Topical	Imidacloprid	Control flea development
K9 advantix	Yes	Yes	Topical	Imidacloprid & permethrin	Control flea devlopment
Frontline	Yes	Yes	Topical	Fipronil	No control for flea devlopment
Frontline plus	Yes	Yes	Topical	Fipronil & methoprene IGR	Control flea devlopment
Biospot	Yes	Yes	Topical	Permethrin & nylar IGR	Repel and kills mosquitoes too
Caster	Yes	No	Oral	Nitenpyram	No control over flea devlopment

In cats few products are contraindicated so precautions regarding it is to be taken
And so veterinarian can be consulted . There are some brand products available for exclusive use in cats.

The strength of adult product may not be suitable for the young ,pregnant , weak pets there strength and type may differ ,caution is to be taken .

Insect growth inhibitors can be used simultaneously with the flea/tick control products they inhibit growth of the parasites and thair maturation and so helps to break the flea life cycle.

Natural anti tick/fleas products are also available they are also good and safe .
Still precaution are to be taken as some of the natural ingredients may not be safe.

Spray and tick baths are done in outdoor preferably. Important not to spray directly over the pets eye, ear, genitalia .

Generally the pet should not be bathed before or after anti tick bath. And licking is by the pet also be prevented .In case certain signs of toxicity like weakness, incordination and salivation are noted vet is to be contacted immediately.

Tick collers are removed before you take your pet for bathing or swimming as wet collars can irritate the skin and their active ingredidients may wash away to a larger extend .

Flea lays eggs and they fall off all around the house and premises so sometimes treatment of the house where the pet is staying is to be done. Some people hire professional pest controllers and some do it by themselves .life cycle of fleas are 4weaks long so it may take long time to get rid off them, they may require more than one treatment. Different products are available in market to kill eggs ,larva, adults sometimes one and sometimes all in combination are used. Pyrethrins and organophosphates are used primarily in premises.