Can you get fleas from a dog?

In Cyprus, you can find fleas and ticks on your dog or cat almost all year long. If your pet has fleas, you can get some fleas on you. However, human skin is not warm, dark or moist enough to provide an ideal environment for fleas.

As a result fleas prefer the nice fur of your dog or cat. In the worst case you will experience some fleas biting. You usually notice flea bites as a cluster of small red bumps. In some cases you could develop allergic reaction to these fleas bites.

However, fleas will not choose you as a host and when they find a chance they will jump back to your pet. So it is better to concentrate on eradicating the flea infestation from your pets but also from your house.

How to get fleas out of your house

When your pet brings fleas to your house, treating only your pet to get rid of the fleas sometimes is not enough. The problem starts with a few adult fleas jumping on to your pet, at the park, on a kennel/cattery or even in your own garden. From here the lifecycle of the flea begins and they can breed at an enormous rate.

Fleas have a life cycle, that takes 14 to 21 days to be complete, with four stages:

  • Adult fleas: They live on animals, so they can infest your pet, where they lay eggs.
  • Egg: After they are laid on your dog or cat, eggs can be spread all around your house or yard when your infected animal scratches or lies down. These eggs hatch into larvae, usually on your carpets, sofa or bed.
  • Larva and pupa: They form cocoons, where they hatch and become adults that infest your pet.

Actually, it could take only one flea to produce thousands of more fleas.

What you have to do is clean also your house from the flea infestation.

These are the things you can do to clean your house from fleas:

  • Vacuum your house often. Discard the vacuum bag into a bin outside your house.
  • Steam clean your carpets to kill all fleas on them (in case of heavy infestations).
  • Wash all your bedding with hot water and soap, especially these from your pet’s favorite resting area.
  • Clean thoroughly your yard as well, using products that are not toxic for your pets.
  • Pay special attention to have all your pets treated for fleas (including cats that frequent in your yard).
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