There's an old adage that “you can’t please ‘em all.” As a veterinarian, I encounter a wide range of people and personalities. From many clients I receive great praise and gratitude; however, I am not perfect, and on rare occasions, I do meet with negative vibes. Recently, I have been picking up on a trend –a handful of people seem to take offense when I run a flea comb through their pets’ fur. “Oh, he doesn’t have fleas” is a common comment that I get when I start examining some pets for an infestation. Occasionally, the people who deny the existence of a flea problem are correct –but sometimes they are not.
Some folks seem to think that it’s a personal insult to check a pet for such a relatively common parasite. I am often taken aback when I encounter such a negative reaction to a very routine, simple diagnostic procedure that I perform on nearly every patient that I see. I use flea combs on patients so often that it hardly seems to register with me that some clients might take it personally.
Don’t get me wrong - fleas are quite repulsive. They are nasty little guys that can spread disease and cause plenty of itching and hair loss in animals on a regular basis. And once fleas have set up shop in your home it’s very difficult and costly to get rid of them. The best way to deal with them is to prevent them effectively in the first place.
Thankfully, there are a wide range of flea products available from monthly topical products to oral medications. I often tell clients that purchasing flea control is similar to purchasing insurance policies. You certainly can find cheap coverage - but it’s not going to be very good coverage. You may be able to find flea collars or flea shampoo at a cheap price on the grocery store shelves but they are by far the least effective flea prevention coverage out there. Another old saying comes to mind: “you get what you pay for.” In fact, some of the very cheap flea control products available have been widely known to cause seizures or neurologic signs and even death in some pets. I recommend getting your flea products from your trusted veterinarian. Use these flea products according to the instructions –usually the products are meant to be used every 30 days.
The “every 30 days” bit tends to be the part where people get lax on using that coverage they have invested in. I am a veterinary professional and I have the “flea conversation” on average once an hour and I will confess that I myself have trouble remembering to use the flea control that I have for my dog. I have tried using the medications on the day that rent is due. I have tried putting a monthly alarm on my smart phone. The only thing that works for me is using the calendar stickers that come with the box of medicine. Every month when the sticker date arrives I apply my dog’s medicine, count out the next 30 days and place the new sticker as a reminder for the next month’s dose. Without these handy little stickers I’m sure my own dog would be a little flea bag, albeit a cute one.
Would you be upset with your mechanic for checking your tire pressures? Would you be offended if your doctor or nurse took your temperature? I think that a vast majority of the population would not be upset –surely most realize that these things are a part of the exam, part of a routine work up. In fact, as a consumer, I would be concerned if these procedures were not performed, after all I am paying for the services and knowledge of the professional at hand.
So try not to take offense if your veterinarian runs a flea comb through your pet’s fur. Rest assured that it is a very basic part of a routine veterinary check up. And if we do happen to find evidence of a flea problem, we will do whatever we can to resolve the problem and help avoid them in the future. To quote one final adage, "better safe than sorry!"
By Dr. Marisa Tong
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