 One
adult female flea can lay as many as 50 eggs
a day. A tick lays 100 eggs at a time. There
are more than 200 species of fleas in the U.S.,
and about 200 species of ticks. What does this
mean to you? It means they're out there. They're
everywhere. And they're after YOUR pet! If your
pet brings them home, they just might be after
you and your family, too.
The presence of pests on
pets and in the home is more than a nuisance
- it can be a real danger to both animals and
people. Here's just a sampling of the dangers
posed by these pervasive pests…
Ferocious Fleas
- In one day, a single flea
can bite your cat or dog more than 400 times!
- Flea bites can cause itching,
rash and allergic dermatitis that can lead
to hair loss.
- Fleas can transmit tapeworms
to pets, and their bites may even cause anemia
in young, old or ill animals.
Terrible Ticks
- Ticks can transmit disease-causing
organisms not only to pets, but to humans
as well, infecting them with such debilitating
illnesses as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis,
babesiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
- The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention report that more than
16,000 Americans are infected with Lyme disease
carried by deer ticks each year, and often
those ticks are brought into the home by
pets.
- Lyme disease in humans
can cause fever, fatigue, muscle and joint
aches, headache and chronic joint problems.
- Animals infected with
Lyme disease may experience fever, loss of
appetite, lameness and joint swelling that
may develop into arthritis.
Menacing Mosquitoes
- Mosquitoes can transmit
heartworm to cats and dogs by depositing
larvae from one infected animal into another.
Larvae live and grow in the animal's skin
for several months, then migrate to the heart
where they can grow to more than 12 inches
long. They can eventually obstruct the function
of the heart and lungs and can be fatal.
- Mosquitoes also are carriers
of West Nile virus, a rare but sometimes
deadly infection that can lead to encephalitis
in humans. They can transmit other deadly
illnesses to humans as well, including malaria,
dengue and yellow fever.
Steps can be taken to prevent
infestation from dangerous pests, and to treat
pets and homes that already have been invaded. |
