3:31am UK, Thursday May 08, 2008

Plagues of fleas will infest UK homes this summer, a leading vet charity has warned.

Beware: your cat may be full of fleas

Vet charity PDSA say that pet owners can expect up to 20,000 eggs and two million fleas to thrive in their homes if summer temperatures soar to 100F (35C) as predicted.

Pet lovers are being warned to be on guard against the bloodthirsty pests, which can cause skin diseases in dogs and life-threatening anaemia in kittens.

They say that the total UK dog population could lose as much of 17,600 pints - or 2,200 gallons - of blood every day to the mites.

The figures highlight the need for pet owners to rid homes - and pets - of the pests.

PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Elaine Pendlebury, said: "Flea eggs fall off your pet wherever it goes, in particular where they sleep. So if your pet snoozes with you at night, your bed could literally be infested with hundreds of fleas and eggs - not a comforting thought when you're trying to get to sleep at night."

She says owners can overcome the problem providing they follow a simple treatment programme - but says they must adhere to the exact instructions.

"It is vitally important to use the correct flea treatments and dosage for pets. Using a dog flea treatment on a cat can result in fatal poisoning, as can exceeding the recommended dosage, so always consult your vet for advice on the best flea treatment to use.

"Remember too that treating your pet is only part of the procedure as you will have to treat your home and all of the pets within your household too. Everything the dog or cat comes into contact with should be treated with a product recommended by your vet or it is inevitable that the fleas will come back."

Fleas thrive in a warm environment, which is why flea cases increase during the summer months and in the late autumn when central heating is switched on.

Fleas can jump 20cm high, 4ft long and will jump around 10,000 times when looking for a dog or cat host.

Populations can increase up to one hundred times within the space of six months as they reproduce.

For information on how to treat fleas, visit www.pdsa.org.uk or call0800 917 2509.