Signs of Flea Anemia in Pets

Even though fleas spend most of their time off of animals, they can still cause problems and even though you may not even notice your dog or cat scratching does not mean that they do not have fleas. Who would ever have thought that something so tiny could be so dangerous? We all know that fleas make most pets itch and some pets owners are familiar with the skin inflammations that go along with a pet that is allergic to fleas, but most people are not even aware of the fact that fleas thrive on blood and drink blood from pets and fleas can drink a lot of blood. Flea anemia is caused from having an inadequate amount of red blood cells and if the case is severe enough, it is a life-threatening condition.

Flea anemia can often be fatal to pets at any age. Pale gums are a sure sign of possible flea anemia. Fleas can actually be very dangerous to your pets. Yes fleas cause our pets to itch a lot and cause skin inflammations as well, but if your pet is covered in fleas, this can cause anemia.When pets have a large flea infestation, they are suffering a lot because the fleas feed on blood and once the fleas drink too much of your pet's blood, this leads to flea anemia. Trying to determine if your pet is suffering from a flea infestation can be a hard thing to determine because animals with allergic reactions to fleas will itch and scrtach and chew at themselves a lot, but if your pet is not allergic to fleas, then a flea infestation would probably go unnoticed by the pet owner and so it is very important that you regularly inspect your pet for the presence of fleas. Look through your pet's fur and if you notice tiny black spots next to the skin that look like pepper flakes, this is a sign of fleas. The black dirt you see is flea poop and if you ever give your pet a bath and notice the water is red, this is actually your pet's blood that has been sucked out and pooped out by the fleas.

Fleas are also the cause of tapeworms in pets. The eye can see this one and they resemble grains of white rice, which is only one section of a tapeworm. They can also be longer in shape and look like a long flat white piece of ribbon. Animals contact these ingesting fleas. Topical flea and tick control play a vital role in the prevention of most of canine and feline parasitic diseases. After any outdoor activity, carefully inspect your pet for any sign of fleas. If you can prevent fleas from infesting your dog or cat then the threat of flea anemia will be gone. Flea collars are not very effective because they only work from the neck up, so using a once a month topical flea medication is the best treatment and prevention for your pet There are also oral flea treatments that are easily administered to dogs. There is an oral flea pill for cats but it only kills the fleas that are on the cat and has to be given once a week and is expensive. Just rememebr to be aware that there are some flea medications out there that can be of toxic and will actually make your pet ill. If you're unsure as to what type of flea medication to use on your pet, speak to your veterinarian.

For pets that have been diagnosed severe flea anemia, the first thing thing that needs to be done and focused on as treatment is to restore the levels of red blood cells and et them back to normal. At this stage of flea anemia, blood transfusions are usually the only course of action.

If your pet does have a lot of fleas and seems lethargic, be sure and look at their gums and if the gums are pale, take your pet to the vet immediately.

Sources:

I worked as a veterinary technician for 10 years & learned a lot of valuable information.

Disclaimer:

I am not a licensed vet but I did learn many useful tips and information during my years working for one. The above information is intended for educational purposes only and shall not take the place of seeking professional advice from a licensed veterinarian.