Fleas and funerals
Dear Dr. Abbie: We just went to a cabin in Tahoe for a nice little vacation and got eaten alive by fleas! We got our money back, but now we are afraid our dog will infest our house. Help! – Creeped out
Dear Creeped out: Parasites have it all figured out. They will be here long after the world’s oil reserves have been depleted and we will no longer be able to drive our SUVs to the nearest Starbucks. You need flea birth control!
Like most insects, fleas go through metamorphosis. But, the adult fleas we see are only about 5 percent of the population. The other 95 percent are “flea children,” just lurking around waiting for you or your dog to breathe. Adult fleas are killed with monthly topicals. Topicals are often enough for animals with low flea exposure, so if you are using a product like Frontline, and don’t see fleas, then topicals are enough. But to control an infestation you need insect growth regulators (IGRs). Insect growth regulators prevent the eggs from developing into larvae, but nothing short of a hand grenade kills the pupae. Pupae are hard, sticky shells (hard to vacuum up) containing a small, hungry adult flea ready to jump out and get a blood meal. They can actually detect the small amounts of carbon dioxide in mammals’ breath. They hatch and jump, in the blink of an eye, onto whoever just exhaled. An insect growth regulator (IGR) is the birth control you need to prevent a flea infestation in your house. Your vet will be able to advise you which one is appropriate. Your pet may need an oral insect growth regulator.
Next time you go to a nice cabin in Tahoe, just hold your breath the whole time and the fleas won’t be able to find you! – Dr. Abbie
Dear Dr. Abbie: Our dog Harley is getting old, and we would like to prepare for his end of life. We will be heartbroken when he goes. My mom had hospice, is there hospice for pets? – Harley lover
Dear Harley lover: Your concern about Harley’s end of life planning shows just how much he means to you. We all wish for a peaceful passing in the arms of our loved ones.
People working through a pet’s dying process need 24 hour a day support from veterinary staff and grief counselors trained in hospice for pets. It is important to realize that the natural dying process can take over a week once an animal stops eating, and not feeding a pet for that long is antithetic to the way we think about caring for our pets. This is not an endeavor to attempt alone. It is very important that the pet’s need for comfort be held at the forefront, and for the family to be in agreement with this choice. This route must be well planned out with a veterinarian knowledgeable about pet hospice.
Pet hospice is a movement that is beginning to take hold, and more veterinarians are starting to provide hospice services. The Nikki Hospice Foundation was founded to help pet parents and veterinarians find ways to support end of life care for animals that reflects, at the end of their days here, the magnitude of love they have given us. The website is pethospice.org. – Dr. Abbie
