Of all the joys spring offers, one of the most troublesome things about this time of year is the increase of insects on our furry friends.
Of all these creepy pests, adult fleas cause the most problems for our pets.
In order to become adults, fleas need warm weather, between 70 and 80 degrees, and around 70 to 80 percent relative humidity.
“Those ideal conditions are usually what we are experience during this time of the year, which is why we generally see more fleas coming out in the spring,” said Dr. Alison Diesel, lecturer in dermatology at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
Unlike many geographical areas where seasonal differences occur, fleas can be present year-round in Texas because of the warmer winters.
While many people think fleas are relatively harmless except for making our pets itch, fleas can cause numerous other health problems in our pets.
For example, some animals may react to an allergen found in fleas’ saliva, causing the animal to have an allergic reaction.
This causes the animal to itch and ultimately scratch, which can lead to a secondary skin infection.
If there is a massive amount of fleas, anemia could even become a potential problem, especially with small animals that do not have large amounts of blood.