Understanding the Hidden Dangers of Fleas for Your Pets
Featured in Houston Pet Talk, June 2023 issue
By Dr. Noaker
Have you ever thought about how fleas can really affect your pet? We've all heard that they live outside, are bothersome, and can cause itching and even allergic skin disease.
Sometimes, they even bite us and are difficult to eliminate from the environment. If we could just have several days of sustained freezing temperatures during winter, we'd have fewer fleas! They are resilient little pests.
The Serious Risks of Fleas
Fleas are blood-sucking parasites and, with a large infestation on your pet, can cause anemia. Sometimes, this anemia is so severe that your pet needs a blood transfusion, and in some cases, your pet may die!
A misconception about this is that it only occurs in puppies or kittens. While they are the majority affected because of their small size and decreased iron storage, adult dogs and cats can also suffer from this often-overlooked cause of anemia.
Anemia is simply defined as having a total decrease in red blood cells (RBC), which is important because they carry oxygen to all of the tissues. The anemia can be so severe that the blood literally looks like clear red water.
Recognizing the Signs of Severe Anemia
Clinical signs of severe anemia include an increased heart rate with bounding pulses, the development of a heart murmur, increased respiratory rate, very pale mucus membranes, weakness, lethargy, collapse, and even temporary fainting (syncope).
Pets are often iron deficient, which is a double whammy because iron is needed to synthesize hemoglobin and plays a role in RBC maturation.
When a pet is in this condition, they are very fragile to treat because just the act of putting in an IV catheter and drawing blood for baseline diagnostics can be enough stress on their body to cause them to arrest.
Treatment and Prevention
Treatment begins by addressing the fleas still present. An oral flea adulticide like Capstar (Nitenpyram) is usually given, followed by monthly topical adulticides.
The fleas in the environment must be addressed as well. In the acute setting, a STAT blood transfusion is necessary. This is the most needed and most costly of treatments, but it is also life-saving.
Pets are usually hospitalized for a few days on IV fluids and monitoring. Diagnostic blood work is assessed for any major organ damage. The heart murmur that developed will usually resolve once the RBCs are back to normal.
If the bone marrow is normal and can respond to signals from the body, it will replace the RBCs in a few weeks. Our goal is to give enough blood to sustain life and then let the body do the rest.
Fleas are not just a nuisance; they can be deadly. Please, as always, consult with your family veterinarian for the correct flea prevention for your pet. There are many options, and your veterinarian can provide you with the best product for your pet.
