How Fleas Might Create More Health Problems in Felines
If you’ve seen your kitty itching a lot recently or have reason to believe you may be experiencing a flea problem make sure you’re aware of the secondary problems fleas can cause. Unfortunately fleas sometimes come with additional cat health problems.
Some cats are allergic to fleas and they may have an allergic reaction or suffer from allergic dermatitis. Fleas may also be a carrier feline worms — specifically feline tapeworm — so a flea infestation in addition to being very uncomfortable may also create a problem with tapeworm.
Once you find out you have fleas the first objective is getting rid of them. Once you’ve exterminated the fleas you can treat any other cat health problems the fleas might have produced.
Effective flea treatment involves treating your cat, your home and treating outdoor area where your cat spends time. Because it involves so many spheres you will need to weigh all the potential options. If you have kids, if your pets have problems with conventional flea treatments or if you dislike like using pesticides it might be a good idea to consider a natural flea control for your cat.
One of the main natural flea treatments is diaomaceous earth, a natural powder that dehydrates and kills fleas. Diatomaceous earth can even be used directly on your pets, plus you can sprinkle it into the carpet, around baseboards in your pet’s bedding etc.
If you’re looking for a more traditional method one of the easiest to use is the once a month topical, which is placed 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 immediately is to vacuum every day and discard the vacuum bag. Vacuum both the carpet and furniture and anywhere your cat may spend a lot of time in the home.
Always read and follow directions cautiously with all flea control methods because they often contain ingredients that can be harmful to people and pets when not practiced correctly.