A nationwide survey of pet owners conducted by Banfield Pet Hospital showed that three out of four pet owners say they are aware of the dangers of fleas, but only 11 percent feel it is worse to have fleas in the bed than bed bugs. According to Banfield Pet Hospital’s The Other Bug in the Bed survey, conducted by Directive Analytics, 67 percent of pet owners allow their pet to sleep in their bed, but only 16 percent are more worried about fleas than bed bugs. Fleas can transmit diseases to humans, unlike bed bugs, which pose no serious health risk, according to Banfield. “While Banfield Pet Hospital is certainly not discounting the issue of bed bugs, the survey brought to light the need to educate pet owners about the dangers of fleas and proper year-round flea prevention,” says Jeffrey Klausner, DVM, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Banfield Pet Hospital. “With nearly seven out of 10 pet owners sharing the bed with their pets, it is important that both the public and pet owners understand fleas not only bite, but also spread disease to humans and pets.” A recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cited fleas as a top concern when it comes to zoonotic diseases. Fleas can transmit cat scratch fever and tapeworm, as well as other diseases. In addition to transmitting diseases, fleas can also bite and leave sores on humans, similar to the types of marks caused by bed bugs. According to Banfield’s internal research team, Banfield Applied Research and Knowledge, the percentage of flea infestations in pets cared for in Banfield hospitals increased 16 percent in dogs and 12 percent in cats since 2006. Banfield created The Other Bug in the Bed awareness campaign to spread the word to pet owners about proper flea prevention for their pets. Visit Banfield.com for more information. <Home>
