My Pet World: Dry air, not altitude, makes fleas more sparse at high elevations
Q: I live in the Sierra Mountains of California because there are no fleas. I wonder if this is a phenomenon nationwide. I haven't seen a flea or tick above 3,000 feet. Does altitude make that much difference? -- J.M., via cyberspace
A: "It's not as much about the altitude as it is about the dry air," says veterinary parasitologist Dr. Michael Dryden, distinguished professor in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Manhattan. "As far as I know, there's no magical altitude cut-off, where fleas don't live. Of course, the higher you go, the more sparse they become. While fleas that live on dogs aren't found where you live, there may be fleas on rodents that carry plague."
So, if you moved to the mountains to avoid all fleas, you might have to relocate at an even higher altitude.
----
Q: I've been told that flea eggs can exist for 10 years if they're not destroyed, which is why I've had my yard sprayed. Also, killing fleas on the pet is not sufficient, either. Instead of toxic treatments, however, my veterinarian suggests I use Head and Shoulders shampoo (on my pet)! -- E.S., Las Vegas, NV
A: First, I find it hard to believe that your veterinarian seriously suggested a human shampoo product to deter fleas on pets. And I'm not alone. Veterinary parasitologist Dr. Michael Dryden, distinguished professor in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Manhattan, says, "I thought I'd heard them all, but that's even a new one for me. No, there are no properties to deter or kill fleas in Head and Shoulders."
Flea eggs can survive for up to 10 days tops.
"If they don't hatch in 10 days, they won't," Dryden says. The other life-stages are the larvae, which can survive for up to three weeks, and the pupae, which can subsist for about six months to a year. It is true that if you see fleas on your pet, there are many more adult live fleas in your house and/or yard, as well as in the various other life stages that go unseen.
Modern topical flea treatments and oral products are safe "and can be used for the lifetime of the pet," say Dryden. "See your veterinarian to learn what's best." If you veterinarian is sticking with Head and Shoulders, though, I'd consider another veterinarian.
----
...continued
(c) 2015 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
