Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Flea infestation on cats and dogs in Antalya winter months
By Coşkun, Gökçe & Çetin, Hüseyin·Published in Turkiye parazitolojii dergisi·2018·Akdeniz Ü·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A Research about Flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) Infestation on Domestic Cats and Dogs in Winter Months, from Antalya, Turkey.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that fleas can still be a problem for cats and dogs during the winter months. In a veterinary clinic in Turkey, 50 pets were examined, and a total of 152 fleas were found on them. Most of the fleas belonged to a common species called Ctenocephalides felis, which infested both cats and dogs. Some dogs also had a different species, Ctenocephalides canis. This shows that pet owners should continue to protect their pets from fleas even in colder weather.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Many pet owners are taking precautions to protect their cats and dogs from ectoparasites only during the spring and summer months. However, some studies have shown that fleas can also be found as parasites on pets during winter. In this research, we investigated the species composition of fleas infesting cats and dogs that were brought to a veterinary clinic in Muratpasa, Antalya during the 3-months survey period. METHODS: In total, 50 domestic animals were examined between December 1, 2017 and February 28, 2018. Species of fleas were identified after being collected from pets. RESULTS: Total 152 fleas, belonging to 2 different species, were recovered from pets. Of the domestic animals, 46% were cats (23) and 54% were dogs (27). Twenty two cats were infested with only Ctenocephalides felis. Nineteen dogs were infested with only Ct. felis, 5 dogs infested with only Ct. canis, and 3 dogs infested with both Ct. felis and Ct. canis. CONCLUSION: This research showed that infestation with fleas should be monitored and controlled in both cats and dogs during winter months as well.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30604689/