FLEAS
- In just one day, a single flea can bite your dog more than 400 times.1
- Don’t be confused but the “cat flea” (Ctenocephalides felis felis) is the most commonly encountered flea species on cats and dogs in North America.2
- Female cat fleas consume an average amount of blood that exceeds 15 times their body weight.3
- Blood consumption by fleas can produce iron deficiency anemia and even death in heavy infestations.4
- Flea bites can cause flea allergy dermatitis, an allergic reaction to proteins in flea saliva.5
- Female cat fleas begin egg production within 24 to 36 hours of their first blood meal and lay up to 50 eggs per day.6
2Dryden M, Rust M. The cat flea: biology, ecology and control. Vet Parastiol 1994; 52:1-19 (also on Page 1173 of Biology, Treatment and Control Flea and Tick Infestations document)
3Dryden M., Gaafar S. Blood consumption by the cat flea. (also on Page 1176 of Biology, Treatment and Control Flea and Tick Infestations document)
4,5Dryden M, Rust M. The cat flea: biology, ecology and control. Vet Parastiol 1994; 52:1-19 (also on Page 1174 of Biology, Treatment and Control Flea and Tick Infestations document)
6Woods JE, Brewer MM, Hawley Jr, et al. (also on Page 1176 of Biology, Treatment and Control Flea and Tick Infestations document)
TICKS
- May consume 100 times their body weight in blood.1
- Spread Lyme Disease, which dogs are 50 percent more likely to contract than humans.2
- Studies show that topical products containing permethrin, which prevents ticks from biting and kills on contact, can prevent Lyme disease transmission to dogs.3
1 Companion Animal Parasite Council “Ticks may cause anemia as all stages feed on blood and lymph. An adult female ixodid tick can grow 100-fold in size as she feeds, and ingests more than 100 times her weight in blood (a great deal of these blood meals is defecated by the tick and water from the blood meal is secreted back into the host as tick saliva).” http://www.capcvet.org/capc-recommendations/ticks/
2CAPC Prevalence Maps at http://www.capcvet.org/parasite-prevalence-maps/
3Evaluation of permethrin and imidacloprid for prevention of Borrelia burgdrofen . . . see Tech Bulletin 3, Volume 1, Issue 3 – March 2014 for specific reference.
MOSQUITOES
- It only takes one mosquito to move a heartworm infection from one dog to the next.1
- Heartworm infection occurs in all 50 states.2
- The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round prevention, even in seasonal areas.3
- Heartworms may live for 5 to 7 years, and because of their longevity, each mosquito season can lead to an increasing number of worms in a dog.4
- There is no natural prevention for heartworms.5
- While rare, humans can get heartworm disease. However, heartworm disease is transmitted only by the bite of a mosquito that is carrying the infective stage of the parasite. Petting or being licked by your dog will not transmit the disease.6
- More than 70 species of mosquitoes are capable of transmitting the disease.7
1,2,3,4,5,6American Heartworm Society http://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/canine-heartworm.html
7Companion Animal Parasite Council http://www.capcvet.org/capc-recommendations/canine-heartworm/
The Why Wait for the Bite campaign content is sponsored by Ceva Animal Health, makers of Vectra 3D®.