Fleas are most often met ectoparasites in cats and dogs. Animals catch them through flea excrements - small black and brown grains. One may find it if put a cat onto white surface (sheet of paper, tablecloth) and brush the animal intensively. If there are excrements they will fall down. To be absolutely sure, drop some water over it - the water will get a blood-red tint. The one who has faced the problem with these little vampires - fleas - knows well how difficult is to fight them. There are many powders, aerosols, collars and applicators, but many of these highly efficient facilities often have side effects and those that faintly affect health are poor in respect to absolute recovery.
When choosing the way to combat fleas one should pay heed to the fact that medicals should be tested on side effects. He is insane, who dares to test them on his own pet or on himself. Soft, easily taken powders and aerosols are usually used to treat animals. But even long and hard therapy may not bring a desired result. A regular preventive measures is needed, especially if to consider that fleas are potential transmitters of tapeworms and fungous viruses. Tried remedies, such as garlic added to food, lavender, fern or oil of cloves to grease the skin may play their positive role too. But, unfortunately, they are not panacea, because if only one female flea with slow olfactory nerve will not percept all these odors and will not leave your pet alone, be sure in the next few weeks, in spite of all expensive precautionary measures, there will be a massive attack of fleas.
A female flea during its' four-week life lays 20 eggs daily, and after several days larvae will hatch. Larvae pupate after 2 moultings in cocoon, where they may stay for some months waiting for an opportunity. At this stage larvae are safe: inside cocoon they are protected from any aerosols, powders, etc. Today veterinary pharmaceutics can offer us, teased by fleas, something new. Preparations based on hormone Lufenuron have no side effects, even accompanied by an outer application of traditional insecticides. The hormone destroys chitin - the substance that is essential in development of flea eggs. The remedy is of no danger for people and animals because chitinous external firm cover of body is only an insects' characteristic. Chitin plays a very important role in life cycle of flea. Chitin is part of shell and preserves it from many bad effects. Destruction of chitin dries the eggs up and damages them. Thus, life cycle of flea will be interrupted in the very beginning and reproduction will be impossible.
But only consistent treatment of all animals in the house will guarantee the success.
We should note that the preparation is safe for pregnant and nursing cats and even kittens born recently. Of cause, one can solve the problem entirely with this preparation only little by little, during several months; therefore the preventive treatment plays a general role. So, if you haven't faced with such trouble like fleas yet, don't delay and take preventive measures straight today and save your pets and yourself from really unpleasant problems.
Translated by Tatiana Karpova (Moscow)
(MSU, Biology faculture, Dep. zoology and ecology).