Times Advocate, 1993-08-11, Page 24Page 24
Times -Advocate, August 11,1983 f " T
Scratching the surface of
potential flea problems
By Catherine O'Brien
T -A staff
EXETER- It's not just people that
suffer from seasonal discomforts,
but pets as well. And as many pct
owners already know, flea and tick
season has just hitits peak.
A lot more pets are being brought
into the Exeter Animal Hospital to
be treated for discomfort, said vete-
rinarian Dr. Ellen Shapiro.
Although the season begins in the
spring it's not until late summer that
it becomes an annoyance for the pct
and owner. "The season usually
lasts until we have frost," she said.
In that time fleas, the more com-
mon pct nuisance, are busy nesting
on the animal and in the home.
Rural areas area great breeding
ground for fleas because there are a
tot of hiding places in shaded areas
such as vegetation, hay and cracks
in floors. "If a pct is on concrete
there are not as many places for
fleas to hide."
If your pct has fleas you can usu-
ally see the tiny insects crawling
undcr the fur or at least see dark
specs of flea dirt.
A simplistic description of a flea
is that it is flat, jumps and generally
more mobile than a tick.
The tick moves slowly, gets im-
bedded in the animal's skin and is
about 2-5 mm in length.
Ticks are more common in wood-
ed areas farther south.
In optimum temperatures the life
cycle of a flea is about 12 days, but
they can lay dormant for up to 174
days.
They enjoy hot muggy weather
the most.
They can also multiple quickly
and adapt to new chemicals just as
fast.
That's why there are constantly
new sprays and shampoo being in-
troduced on the market.
It's important for pet owners to
try and combat the fleas, Dr. Shapi-
ro said, because it can be uncom-
fortable to the animal causing irrita-
tion that can lead to redness of the
skin or open sores and infection.
In severe cases the animal can
die.
It's also better to deal with it
quickly while it is a smell problem.
Dr. Shapiro said it's unclear.why
some pets are more bothered by
fleas and ticks than others.
"You can have pct of the same
breed with the same coat type in
the same house and only one seems
bothered by fleas."
Ridding your pct and home of
fleas can be done, but it takes per-
sistence, Dr. Shapiro said.
"You have to use a multiple ap-
proach."
That means treating your pet with
sprays or shampoo and spraying
around the house in order to kill
both the fleas and eggs.
But there is an adolescent stage
in which the fleas are invulnerable
to the products.
That's why some people seem to
have a problem combating the little
pests.
So it's important to do another
spray to get this group.
Flea collars can work early in the
season on smaller animals, but Dr.
Shapiro said, it doesn't deal with
the egg problem that's in the house.
When treating the home, Dr. Stt-
piro said* is important 10 vacuwn
first and throw the bag away imme-
diately. If the vacuum bag is not
thrown away the eggs can be redis-
tributed again through the house
the next tines it's used.
Animals can also be sensitive to
the products being used so it's im-
portant to follow the directions on
the packages carefully.
Peopl;, should also be careful if
they have birds or tropical fish
when spraying around the house.
The sprays can prove deadly to
them.
On the plus side' -r. Shapiro said
the weather hasn't been as ideal for
fleas as in past years.
So although you, may have a
problem with fleas - it could be
worse. The key is to treat your ani-
mal and home as soon as possible.
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Dr. Ellen Shapiro of the Exeter Animal Hospital said pets, like
the patient in her arms, need help from owners in battling the
discomforts of fleas and ticks.
A glass of Toilet water?
By Paula Hohner
EXETER - A sobering thought to
consider...water isn't simply used, it
is also reused. This means that the
water we use to flush the toilet, is
virtually the same water we use to
brush our teeth or drink. To ex-
plain, some communities are drink-
ing from the same body of water
that receives their treated sewage.
These thoughts should emphasize
the significance of water conserva-
tion.
There are two perspectives from
which to view water abuse: quality
and quantity. Quality is affected by
what items go into our water,
whether household waste, hazard-
ous products or pesticides. Turning
.to water quantity, society is wasting
'water. Each person uses 350 litres
,of water per day indoors. 40 per -
..cent of this is used to flush toilets,
35 percent is for showers/baths, 20
pert for laundry/dishes and only
.five percent is used for drinking
and cooking. Both of these abuses
can be controlled with a little corn-
mon sense.
There arc rules for water conser-
vation...lhc 3R's revisited; reduce
(don't use what you don't need), re-
pair (find those Teaks and stop
them), and retrofit (replace old fau-
cets, appliances, etc. with water
saving devices). There are many al-
ternatives to our wasteful ways.
Here is a list of helpful hints from
Environment Canada that will save
water and money:
• check for leaks;
• keep a jug of drinking water in
the fridge, this reduces the need to
run water to get it cold;
• clean fruits and veggies in a
sink partially filled with water and
use the leftover on plants when fin-
ished;
• fill a bathroom sink with water
when shaving rather than letting the
water run;
• turn off .the tap while brushing
your teeth;
• try one of -the many water sav-
ing devices that are available on the
market;
• take a quick five minute shower
rather than taking a bath in a full
tub;
• use a pail, sponge and hose with r.
a trigger nozzle to wash -vehicles,
this saves 300 litres of water; try
washing it on your lawn in order to
use the run off water;
• maintain your lawn at a height
of 6.5 cm (2.5'), taller grass holds
water better, therefore you worfl
have to water as often;
• cover your swimming pool
when not in use to cut down on
evaporation;
• wash only full laundry loads
and use cold water because it takes
less energy;
• compost rather than using gar-
, bage disposals....garbage disposals
waste water, electricity, and they
put stress on sewage treatment sys-
tems.
Using these tips will point you in
the direction of being a conserver.
A simple example can illustrate
how effective each of the aboveE
suggestionsscan be. A repaired fau-
cet can save 10,000 litres of water
per year per household.
Centralia news
By Mary Kooy
CENTRALIA - Sympathy of
the community is extended to
the family of the late Ellen
Broom who passed away on Sat-
urday at the Bluewater Rest
Home Zurich. Ellen was a for-
mer resident of Centralia.
Congratulations to Ruth Ann
Essery and Matthew Pickett who
were married on Saturday at
Centralia United Church with re-
ception at Kirkton Community
Centre.
Mary Walker and girls enter-
tained members of the Wallis
family on Sunday at a family
picnic.
Jack and Marg Patterson have
returned home following a
months holidays with Jack's son
and family in Alberta.
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