Shelties and Fleas

Unfortunately, as with any pet, shelties and fleas is a possible combination.

Fleas

There are several types of fleas, each type having it own preferred host, birds, pigs, rats and humans. Of course, they really aren't all that picky and most will settle for a dog, if that's what on the menu.

The most common flea found on dogs is, ironically called, the cat flea but it should be noted that they are also the most common on their namesakes. Fleas can transmit disease from other animals, remember the bubonic plague? Fleas carried this from rats to people but cat fleas do not carry plague but they can carry typhus.

Fleas do not live on people but they can bite people. Usually these bites show up as small red bites on the legs and ankles, they are very itchy too. On dogs a bite may not be noticeable or it may be very problematic, causing lesions and itching. Some dogs are allergic to flea bites causing a small number of bites to be a bug problem; this is called flea allergy dermatitis.

Infested?

Of course, itching and biting is a clue that your dog has fleas, not too mention you may have bites as well (I've had these and they REALLY itch, more so than mosquito bites in my opinion). You may actually see fleas on your pet. They are small, dark brown and are shaped like a small seed. It is easy to see a flea or evidence of a flea if your dog has white fur, of course on most shelties the underside of the chest is a good place to look. If you do not see fleas you may see feces from the fleas. This looks like a fine dark dirt, I think you are more likely to see this before you see an actual flea unless you have a major infestation that some how previously went unnoticed.

What to do?

If your dog has a major infestation, there is a product called Capstar which starts working to kill the adult fleas as quickly as 30 minutes. Now this does not kill immature fleas, there are other products for that. Lufenuron is an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) which is a product that interrupts the fleas life cycle but does not kill adult fleas so you may need to use these products together. Personally, if I were faced with a flea infestation like this, I would consult my dog's vetinarian for advice for the correct regimen to use.

Although you may have gotten rid of much of the fleas on your dog by using a method like the one described above, the "pupa flea" is in a cocoon and protected. Once it hatches it will be affected by the product to interrupt the life cycle, as it will render them unable to mature to adult so therefore, unable to lay eggs.

You will also want to treat your pets bedding by a thorough washing. If the house is infested you will want to treat it with an IGR to stop the cycle of development.

Although shelties and fleas is a possibility, there is hope and you can see good results in a short time!

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