Fleas

Health & Well Being
Fleas

Fleas are the most common external parasite of dogs. Even the best-kept dogs can be infested with fleas, especially if they regularly leave their property.

Left untreated the infestation quickly becomes a much bigger problem and can lead to other things such as tapeworm infection, anaemia (low red cells in the blood) and skin conditions such as flea allergy dermatitis.

But I bathed the dog...

Many dog owners think that simply bathing their dog will solve the problem, but this is not the case.  To understand how to truly keep on top of fleas, you first need to understand their lifecycle.

Fleas are a little bit like a mosquito in that they feed on blood.  Without a feed of blood, they are unable to mature and lay their eggs.  So to the flea, your greyhound is simply a moving restaurant – they jump on, have a feed, leave and then lay their eggs and die.  The majority of the flea lifecycle takes place away from the dog – in the bedding, kennels, or even in the carpet of your house if your dogs come inside.  So what you see on the dog is only the tip of the iceberg.

How does the dog get fleas in the first place?

Even if your property is completely flea-free, your dogs can become infested if fleas are brought onto the property.  This can be via a new dog, through straw-type bedding (often infested from rabbits that live in hay sheds), or from yours or the neighbour’s cat that has been off wandering and has picked up a few fleas on their travels.  Dogs, cats and rabbits all share the same fleas.  Your dog may also pick up fleas when off your property.

The flea simply jumps onto the dog as it goes past.  Once on the dog, the flea will usually head towards the rear, often spending most of the time in the hair above the base of the tail.  This is why the best place to look for fleas is in this area, or in the less hairy parts of the dog such as the belly area or inside the thighs.  Seeing fleas with the naked eye can be hard as they don’t like light, so if you part the dog’s hair the fleas will scramble into the dark areas.

Sometimes the only thing you will see is ‘flea-dirt’.  This is simply the waste matter the flea passes out after digesting its meal.  Flea dirt looks like normal grains of dark dirt in the coat, but if you wet it, it dissolves and turns a reddish colour.  Similarly, if you are bathing the dog, and the water hits the flea dirt, it will turn into a reddish stain.  If there is flea dirt, there are fleas, whether you can see them or not.

What happens once the flea is on the dog?

Once on the dog, they start feeding.  The flea will suck blood from the dog, injecting saliva as they do it.  This flea saliva can cause allergic reactions in some dogs, and they will quickly start to bite and scratch at themselves – similar to a person who is allergic to mosquito bites.  This can lead to severe coat problems, dermatitis, and damage to the skin from biting and scratching.

Once the flea has had its meal of blood, it will start to lay eggs which simply drop off the dog.  Each flea can lay hundreds of eggs, and these eggs can survive in the environment for quite a long time (even years) and are quite hard to kill.  Because the eggs drop off the dog, common places for egg infestation are bedding, resting areas, and kennels – all places where dogs spend a lot of time.

Hatching of the eggs occurs when the temperature and humidity is right.  The hatching can also be triggered by vibration.  This explains why people who move into an empty house that has previously had pets often end up with flea bites – their movement triggers the eggs to hatch and the fleas have no pets to jump onto, and end up biting the people instead!

Flea eggs hatch into larva, which look similar to a microscopic maggot.  They are not as tough as the eggs, and need warm, humid conditions to mature.  The larvae then spin a little cocoon for themselves and turn into the next lifecycle stage – the pupae.  The pupae can survive for months before hatching into adult fleas, so even if you think you have got rid of all the adult fleas, you will still have pupae waiting to hatch when the conditions are right.

How long does it take?

The whole lifecycle of the flea – from adult to eggs to adult can take as little as 2 weeks in the warm, humid months, meaning one flea can turn into hundreds which can turn into thousands in under a month!  That is why flea problems tend to be worst in the spring and summer months when the weather is just right.

What should I do to keep my dogs flea-free?

Only 5% of the flea problem is adult fleas on the dog, so the only way to be successful in controlling fleas is to address the environmental infestation as well.  In the past, people used flea combs to remove the adult fleas from the dog’s coats, but when the dog goes back to its kennel it gets re-infested.

Similarly, bathing the dog with a flea shampoo, or using a flea rinse will certainly kill the fleas on the dog at the time of the bath and rinse them from the coat, but it will do nothing to stop the dog becoming re-infested.  Add to this, many of the ‘old-fashioned’ flea rinses are quite toxic, and there is little point to using them if you want to truly solve the problem.

These days there are many ‘spot-on’ products that not only kill the fleas on the dog when applied, but go on working to kill the fleas for up to a month.  This can work quite well as you are basically using the dog to clean the environment – the eggs hatch, the fleas jump on and die, no new eggs are laid.  The environmental store of eggs gradually all hatch and you end up with reduced environmental contamination.  There are also products that have an added ingredient that stops the eggs from hatching.  The product crystallizes and small crystals fall off into the dog’s bedding and elsewhere, causing any eggs there to become sterile.

Finally, addressing the environmental contamination can also reduce the burden. Regularly vacuuming carpets will remove eggs, but remember to empty the vacuum bag into the bin as the eggs will still be alive in the bag.  Regularly washing dog blankets and bedding in hot (>60Oc) water for more than 10 minutes, or completely replacing carpet used in the kennels will also keep the environment cleaner. Avoid giving your dogs access to areas such as under the house, where the humidity and temperature are right for a fast flea lifecycle and where cleaning is almost impossible.

Finally, make sure that any new dogs coming onto your property are treated for fleas. Treating the arriving dogs yourself with a good quality flea product will ensure you keep the fleas away.  Ask your veterinarian for advice on which products would best suit your greyhound.

Meet our dogs ready for adoption

All greyhounds adopted from GAP are de-sexed, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and health checked.

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Bobby

3 years old

Bobby is a lovely young man, just look at his beautiful light-coloured eyes, they seem to stare into your soul. Bobby is a social, friendly and affectionate boy who is keen to move into his furever home. He may suit living with or without a canine pal of similar size and children aged 10years and older.

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Bort

5 years old

Bort is one of our not so brave soldiers here at GAP. He is still finding his feet and things are a bit scary at the moment. Dont let that fool you though, he loves people and will come and lean on you for pats and cuddles and really wants to be the bravest boy he can be. We think a nice quite home that has the patience to let him explore the world at his pace will be the perfect match for him and one without children as loud noises are a bit overwhelming. We also think he may suit living with another dog of any size that can show him that the world isnt so scary! Will you be Bort's home in shining armour? We know the best is yet to come with his handsome man.
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Rocco

2 years old

This boy is such a smoochy, loving, happy and playful dog that he will have you laughing everyday at his silly antics and feeling loved when he is leaning on you looking for more pats. Rocco may suit a family with children 10+, a backyard to run around in and possibly another canine play mate of any size as long as they are not frail or old as Rocco is a bouncy boy! Rocco may also suit living with full time workers. He has a condition in both his eyes, which over time may cause vision reduction. There are no current treatments for this condition and won't impact his loveable nature in the home.
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Wolf

3 years old

Meet Wolf! He is a young boy who can be a bit unsure of new environments and situations. Once he is comfortable, he allows his true colours to shine through and is puppyish, playful and affectionate. Wolf appears to have some issues with his vision, so he will need a special home who can manage this over the course of his life. Wolf may suit living with or without a canine pal of similar size and older children aged in their teens. Wolf has low vision, which isn't expected to get any worse. He doesn't require medication for this. He will be adopted out with a approval for a follow up appointment with an eye specialist, paid for by GAP.
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Cliff ARP

5 years old

Cliff is the friendliest boy you could ever hope to meet – his tail just never stops wagging! He adores everyone and has such a soft coat, you’ll never want to stop patting him. Cliff adores being told he is a Good Boy. This lovely dog would likely suit a home with full-time workers and children aged 10 or older.
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Meeko

2 years old

Meet Meeko, the charming and playful greyhound gentleman who's ready to capture your heart! This friendly boy has a delightful puppyish streak, loving nothing more than seeking attention and playtime from his favourite humans. Meeko's unique trait is his love of seeking eye contact, often gazing adoringly at his people to connect and show affection. Meeko is perfect for families with kids aged 5+, who will adore his energetic and loving personality. With his outgoing and affectionate nature, Meeko promises to bring joy and companionship to his new family. If you're looking for a loving and playful buddy, Meeko is ready to be your new best friend! Meeko has an old hock fracture which has healed well, without any hardware present. Meeko needs a home with another dog for company, and can also be a bit anxious in new situations.
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Lettuce

3 years old

Meet Lettuce! Her name doesn't really suit her, as she is far from bland as the taste of Lettuce. Not only is she pretty, but she is also so sweet like sugar! She can be excitable initially but will calm down quickly with a calm scratch behind the ears. She can be active at times, but she is still quite easy to handle and walks well on the lead. Lettuce may suit living with or without a canine brother of similar size and children aged 10 years and older. THIS LOVELY GREYHOUND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION AT OUR UPCOMING ADOPTION DAY ON SUNDAY 27TH JULY! CHECK GAP WEBSITE FOR REGISTRATION DETAILS.
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Gerry

2 years old

Look at the gorgeous Gerry with is sleek shiny coat. He has lovely light-coloured eyes that stare straight into your soul. He is a playful boy who is very affectionate to his people and jumps up on you for cuddles. He may suit living with or without a canine friend of any size and children aged 10 years and older. He is yet to be tested with cats. THIS LOVELY GREYHOUND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION AT OUR UPCOMING ADOPTION DAY ON SUNDAY 27TH JULY! CHECK GAP WEBSITE FOR REGISTRATION DETAILS.
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Rosie ARP

3 years old

Rosie Posie is a super friendly and outgoing girl whose tail just never stops wagging. She adores pats and is very people orientated. She can be a bit strong on the lead at times, but this is easily fixed with some basic training. Rosie would likely suit a home with children aged 10 or older and would be happiest in a home with a medium to large sized canine buddy. THIS LOVELY GREYHOUND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION AT OUR UPCOMING ADOPTION DAY ON SUNDAY 27TH JULY! CHECK GAP WEBSITE FOR REGISTRATION DETAILS.
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Bo Bo

3 years old

Are you looking for a quiet, affectionate pretty boy to join your family? Bo Bo may be the dog for you! Not only do we think he may be happy to live with school aged children (10 years and older), we think he may suit an older owner, or even suit apartment living! Bo Bo has mastered the art of stair climbing - good boy Bo Bo! THIS LOVELY GREYHOUND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION AT OUR UPCOMING ADOPTION DAY ON SUNDAY 27TH JULY! CHECK GAP WEBSITE FOR REGISTRATION DETAILS.
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