How Fleas Might Elicit Other Health Matters in Felines
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 | Great Sites
If you’ve seen your cat scratching a lot recently or think you may have a flea problem make sure you’re mindful of the peripheral problems fleas can create. Unfortunately fleas can come with additional cat health problems.
Cats may be allergic to fleas and they may experience an allergic reaction. Fleas can also carry feline worms — specifically feline tapeworm — so a flea infestation can also cause a tapeworm infestation.
If you verify you have fleas the most important thing is getting rid of them. Once you’ve treated for fleas you cat begin treating any other cat health problems the fleas might have created.
Treating fleas effectively includes treating your cat, your home and treating outdoor area where your kitty spends time. Because it involves so many areas you will need to consider all the potential options. If you have kids, if your pets have reactions to traditional flea treatments or if you don’t like working with pesticides it might be a good idea to look for a natural flea control for your cat.
One of the most common and versatile natural flea treatments is diaomaceous earth, a natural powder that dehydrates and kills fleas. Diatomaceous earth is safe enough to use directly on your pets, plus you can dust it into the carpet, around baseboards in your pet’s bedding etc.
If you’re searching for a more conventional method one of the simplest to use is the once a month topical, which is put on your cat’s back between the shoulder blades where she can’t lick it. You’ll also need to treat your home with a flea treatment like a flea bomb or flea spray.
Another way to start eradicating fleas right away is to vacuum every day and discard the vacuum bag. Vacuum both the carpet and furniture and anywhere your cat spends a lot of time in the house.
Always be sure to read and follow directions cautiously with all flea control methods because they often contain ingredients that can be harmful to pets and people when not used appropriately.