1m owners wash pet bedding four times a year or less
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One million households, that’s almost one in ten (9%) pet owners, admit to washing their beloved furry family member’s bedding four times a year or less, increasing the risk to both pet and animal residents potentially catching fleas.
Fleas can live within pet bedding as well as soft furnishings used by the whole family, posing a risk to the entire household’s health if blankets and bedding aren’t regularly washed. Worryingly, 37 per cent of the pet owners share a bed with their pet on a nightly basis, increasing the risk of fleas spreading.
While many of us believe that fleas are a summer specific pet problem, they do in fact live throughout the winter quite easily, thanks to milder British weather conditions and the toasty home environments created thanks to modern central heating systems.
Fleas rapidly multiply when left untreated, with a single adult female being able to lay around 40 eggs every day. As well as living on a pet, the fleas can live in household furnishings while continuing to breed and may bite humans in the most serious of cases. That’s why taking regular preventative medication is the best way to keep the risk of a pet being infected by fleas to a minimum.
The research was conducted by Pets at Home’s Subscribe and Save Flea service, a new subscription service, which sends perfectly timed flea treatments conveniently in the post.
Each delivery is tailored to target the specific needs of the individual pet, making the treatment as effective as possible. The treatment starts from £4 per month, depending on the size of the pet, and is sent directly to the pet owner free of charge. Not only does the service eliminate the need to remember to purchase the treatment, it also provides a saving of up to £19.50 each year for subscribers.
Dr. Maeve Moorcroft, Veterinary Advisor for Pets at Home, said: “Fleas can be a very nasty – and quick to expand – problem for pets, particularly if left untreated. Long term flea infestation is very irritating to the pet due to repeated bites and could cause the animal to scratch themselves, resulting in hair loss or even a secondary skin infection which can be traumatic.
“A severe infestation in a puppy or kitten could cause anaemia due to blood loss, a very serious situation indeed. Therefore it’s imperative that pet owners keep preventative treatments and soft furnishing-hygiene front of mind.
“While the risk to a pet varies from animal to animal, it is possible for a pet to become infested after missing just one preventative treatment. We often associate fleas with the summer months, but in actual fact, the increasingly mild British winter coupled with the humid atmospheres created by modern central heating, means that fleas can be a year round problem. That’s why seeking regular treatment, even during cold seasons, is a sensible precaution for all pet owners.”
The Subscribe and Save Flea service is available exclusively to members of Pets at Home’s VIP club which is free to join and now has over 4.5 million members.
Pets at Home’s Subscribe and Save Flea service costs from as little as £4 a month and the subscription can be set up online by visiting www.petsathome.com/subscribeandsaveflea.
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