schwee asked 6 years ago
An article by a vet on a pet health site claims that “A healthy dog will naturally repel parasites and fleas will seek weaker animals who are easier targets.” as well as “Fleas don’t spend all their time on your dog, but will hop on when they need a meal” Is it really just a matter of having a pet with a strong immune system to keep them free from fleas? Thanks!
Adam Retzer Staff answered 5 years ago
Schwee,
That article contains half-truths mixed with untruths.
Healthier animals will be able to ward of infestations easier. This is primarily due to them being more efficient self-groomers. They will be able to remove their own flea burdens easier.
That said, healthy animals get fleas all the time. Flea infestations are extremely common. And infestations are unlikely to go away without some intervention. If fleas get on a pet, they will mate and begin laying eggs in around 2 days. The eggs fall off of the animal and into the environment within a couple of hours. There, they will mature into larvae, pupae, and eventually new adults. Then they will re-infest the animal and the cycle will continue.
Adult fleas only make up 1-5% of infestations. Immature stages make up the other 95-99%. Since the immature stages live off of the host, the animal’s health has little affect impact on their survival. So, once fleas get inside a home, they probably won’t go away without a control regimen of some kind.
The part about “Fleas don’t spend all their time on your dog, but will hop on when they need a meal” is completely false. Adult fleas are permanent ectoparasites. They live on the host animal, and rarely if ever leave of their own volition.
Related to the immune system, the immune response to flea bites decreases with exposure. So dogs that are continually exposed to fleas won’t be as affected by their bites. This is called sensitization.
Let me know if you need citations for the information and I can dig them up.
I hope this helps!
Warm regards,
Adam
