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Cat Breed Jumble
ALYINHAMA _ _ _ _ (_) _ _ _ _ Hidden Answer Clue: This breed has a knack for total relaxation.
Here come the BUGS!!
The female flea is an egg producing "machine" and is capable of laying as many as 50 eggs a day; thousands during her lifetime. Her eggs are laid on the host, but they are not attached. They fall off as the animal moves around its environment. Several days later the egg hatches into a worm-like larva. The larva finds a dark place to hide, in carpeting, furniture, leaves, etc., and begins to feed. They feed on organic debris and on the flea feces that has also fallen from the animal. This is the stage where the tapeworm can become part of your pets' future, as the flea larvae will ingest tapeworm eggs that may be present in the environment. The larvae then spin a silken cocoon and go into a pupae stage. After about a week, they become fleas but may not immediately emerge from the cocoon. They can remain dormant in the cocoon for 4-5 months just waiting for the right time to assure their survival. When the environmental time (temperature, humidity, and other factors) is right, the fleas come out of the cocoon. When they emerge, they are ready to hop onto the next warm body that comes by and begin feeding. After feeding for 24-48 hours, they will mate and begin laying eggs. Catching and killing fleas can be very difficult. They are great at running and hiding, and when they are really in danger, they hop. They can literally hop up to three feet away. If you are lucky enough to catch one, don't open you fingers to take a look or they will be gone. Their compact bodies are difficult to squash. Immerse them in alcohol, flea spray, or water and hold them under for a while before you open your fingers. They can tread water pretty well and will hop away if you let go of them too soon. Be sure to wash your hands well when you are done. The adult fleas that you may see on your pet are only the very tip of the iceberg. Adult fleas comprise only 5% of the total infestation. The eggs are 50%, the larvae are 35%, and the pupae are 10%, making up the rest of the problem. Traditional treatments killed adult fleas on the pet only. You can see that re-infestation would occur quickly after treatment. Today's preventive products and treatments not only kill the adult but also break the cycle of new fleas by inhibiting development of eggs and larvae into adult fleas. Products used for flea treatment and prevention
Ticks generally are not found in mowed areas. They prefer brushy areas but will be found in yards with many small bushes and shrubs, places where they can be up away from ground level. As an animal brushes up against the plant, the tick climbs on. They do not jump like a flea onto their host. Once they are on their new host, they go deep into the fur to find a good place to attach themselves. They can be found anywhere on your pet's body, but the most common areas are all around the ears, between the toes, along the neck and back, under the arms, on the lips, and over the eyes. They bury their heads under the skin and begin sucking blood. While feeding, a female tick will be visited by a male. When she is fully engorged with blood and eggs, she will drop off the host and lay her eggs. The tick's life cycle involves 3 hosts, generally animals of varied sizes, although some species of ticks will complete their life cycle on only 1 host. In 2-7 weeks the eggs hatch into tick larvae. The larvae choose a host and feed for 3-12 days, then drop from the host for 6-90 days before molting to a nymph. The nymph tick climbs on its host and feeds for 3-10 days before an extended off-host rest of 17-100 days. The nymph grows to an adult, which seeks a host and begins feeding. They mate on the host and the life cycle begins again. Adult ticks live up to 19 months and the females lay 2000-8000 eggs. As you can see, the life cycle is complicated, but it is very effective. If the cycle is interrupted by changes in temperature or humidity levels or an inability to find a host, the tick can survive for long periods and can even hibernate through the winter. The entire life cycle (from egg to adult tick) generally lasts about 1 year, but may extend for 2-3 years if necessary. Regular grooming of your dog will aid in controlling ticks, but the best way to find them is to feel them. A brush can go right over the tick, but if you use your hands and feel "every inch" of your dog you will be more likely to find the ticks. Take special care removing ticks. It is very important that the tick not be squashed while on your pet or on yourself. Ticks carry serious diseases, transmission of which are through their body fluids. Squashing a tick will allow their body fluid to get into your pets' or your skin, thus allowing for disease transmission. There are a variety of tools sold in all the pet stores that help you to slide the tick backwards until its head comes out of the skin. A pair of tweezers works well also, but be careful not to squash the tick. Wash the area and watch it for a few days for signs of localized infection. Dispose of the tick by immersing it in alcohol or insecticide until dead. They, too, are survivors and can be very hard to kill. Products used for tick treatment and prevention
Goodbye and Good Luck
Protecting fragile brain tissue from oxidative damage by free radicals helps older dogs act younger. They remain more alert and interact more enthusiastically with their owners. If you are seeing signs of CDS in your pet, please see your veterinarian to discuss treatment options. Cat Breed Jumble Answers:
Himalayan Hidden Answer - Ragdoll
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As promised last month, we will start this month with the Cat Breed Jumble. Again, I hope it is not too easy. The answers are at the end of this newsletter. No peeking!
Fleas
Ticks
New diet for our senior dogs