Summary: This is the kind of growth Willow Park does NOT want from Fort Worth. "Flea problems rising in Fort Worth. Hot, humid summer to blame" Fort Worth Report
Latest Update: Wednesday, 23 August, 2023
Flea problems rising in Fort Worth. And what happens in Fort Worth does not stay in Fort Worth.
This is the kind of growth Willow Park does NOT want.
Flea problems rising in Fort Worth. Hot, humid summer to blame, Fort Worth Report, 20 July 2023
Donut has never had fleas – until this summer. The beagle puppy caught them at a dog park, twice.
“I got home, and she had fleas on her stomach,” said Kristi King, Donut’s owner and Fort Worth resident. “I was like, ‘Oh no.’”
Donut is not the only pet that has carried home a friend, or five, from outdoors. Many Fort Worth pet owners, veterinarians and pest experts are battling flea problems. The flea-friendly environment across North Texas is the culprit.
“The weather has been very opportunistic for them,” said Janet Hurley, a senior extension program specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife.
Fleas do not have a designated peak season, but enjoy weather that is neither too hot nor too cold, said Hurley, who specializes in pest management. In the extreme North Texas heat, shaded areas and moisture caused by humidity and occasional rain create the perfect environment for them.
We also have a soil type that is a mix of clay and sand, which allows for fleas to burrow in around ground nesting mammals,” Hurley said.
Fleas live on and move with wild fur-bearing animals and transfer to pets or humans when the opportunity arises. Animals that carry fleas are able to travel more because of Tarrant County’s open land areas, Hurley said.
“If there’s an area in your yard where rabbits have been bedding, you can see that depression in the soil,” she said. “Kick it up – fleas don’t survive if the soil has been messed with and disturbed because they need a compact, non-disturbed moist area.”
Other possible solutions include sprinkling diatomaceous earth in the yard, getting pest control treatment and disposing of leaf piles and other places in which animals and fleas burrow.
“You’re going to try to make things not happy,” Hurley said. “Happy for you, but not happy for them.”
Its Time Texas_728x90 website ad_8-21 thru 11-21-23.png A happy environment for fleas was where Donut had been playing when they latched onto her, her owner said.
Donut was near a pond in the center of the dog park, where the water and dirt meet – a moist soil ground that fleas love.
“She was scratching and itching, and my dog doesn’t itch,” King said. “So usually whenever they’re itching profusely, you’re like, something’s up,”
She flipped Donut over to see a couple of fleas on her lower stomach. She immediately caught the pests and killed them.
A week later, Donut played in the same area of the park and came home itching again.
Paying attention to a pet’s behavior is important for owners to do during the hot weather, said Dr. Shawn McCorkle, a veterinarian and owner of Summer Creek Animal Clinic in Fort Worth.
Every year, the animal clinic sees an increased number of pets with flea issues during the summer months.
“The most detrimental effect for the dogs is the quality of life issues that we see from particularly dogs with flea allergies, which is quite common,” McCorkle said.
Any animal bitten by a flea will experience some itching, but there is a significant difference in the effects when the animal is allergic to the saliva of the flea, he said. Even just a few flea bites can affect the dog’s immune system and stimulate inflammation and intense itching.
McCorkle advises owners to watch for flea allergy signs from their dog, like itching near the base of its tail or along its back, losing hair near the area or showing irritated skin. If symptoms are observed, owners should seek treatment from a veterinarian.
Disease transmission, particularly a tapeworm infection, is another potential consequence for dogs. If a dog ingests a tapeworm-harboring flea, the flea can then complete its life cycle in the dog’s body.
Owners may observe symptoms like their dog dragging its rear across the floor, or small granules around its rectum, McCorkle said.
“The most effective way to avoid these situations all together is to have your dog on really consistent, year-round, good flea prevention,” he said.
Medications are available over the counter and through prescription to treat and prevent dogs from having fleas.
King put Donut on a three-in-one flea, tick and heartworm prevention medicine – after giving her a nice long flea bath.
“She hasn’t had any fleas since,” she said.
Now, King says she will make sure Donut stays away from flea-friendly areas, pay attention to her behavior and keep her furry friend flea-free.
How to check your dog for fleas
Owners more commonly find signs that their dog had fleas rather than actually seeing the fleas, veterinarian Shawn McCorkle said. Here’s how to check and what to look for:
• Start at the base of the tail and slowly run fingers through the hair going up, all the way up to the base of the neck.
• Use thumbs to push the hair up and get a better look at the skin.
• Owners may occasionally find fleas, but are more likely to find small black specks near the base of the hair. This may be flea dirt, or feces.
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