Part 1 – Flea and Tick Trivia With Dr. Rod Van Horn
How knowledgeable are you about fleas and ticks and the diseases they can transmit to your dogs, cats, and people? While this is probably more than most fifth graders would know, (I am not smarter than a fifth grader, I will admit, based on the TV show), it will test you and, I hope, provide some insight (and fun) into these unwanted, gross, and disease-carrying pests.
When you answer at least two questions correctly in the blog comments below, you will be entered to win this awesome basket full of Sergeant’s pet products (click on photo to enlarge). The winner will be chosen at random Monday, July 22. This will be a two-part series with answers, comments and giveaways to come in the forthcoming weeks. Are you ready? Let the questions begin:
1. Tapeworms can occur in both dogs and cats. How is the most commonly diagnosed tapeworm transmitted to your dog or cat?
2. This tick-transmitted disease commonly affects bobcats and can be transmitted to domestic cats, resulting in a life-threatening disease. What is the more common name of this disease and, to really raise the bar, the scientific name of the disease?
3. Ticks can be very prolific. About how many eggs can a single tick produce?
4. Phobia means to to be fearful of something. Several years ago, a movie was produced, titled with the scientific classification of the class that ticks are a part of. What scientific class do ticks belong to?
5. Fleas not only create itching and skin irritations but can transmit a bacterial organism. What bacterial organism can dogs and cats obtain via flea bites?
6. Can you name a common disease that fleas can transmit to your cats?
7. Fleas can transmit what disease to cats, dogs, and people with symptoms of enlarged lymph nodes sometimes referred to as “buboes,” and/or pneumonia-like symptoms?
8. This disease can be transmitted by infected ticks and many times the person has had some kind of contact with rabbits. What is it?
9. Once a tick has had a blood meal, how long can they live without another feeding?
10. 50:50 chance on this one. Simple, yes or no answer. If a tick is killed or repelled before it has taken a blood meal, can it still transmit organisms that could cause disease?
Wow! A lot to consider! Dr. Google will be available for inquiring minds that want the challenge . Even if you don’t answer the questions or only a few, bottom line is: Don’t let your pets go unprotected. There are many simple, inexpensive, and effective preventative options available to protect your pets and your family members not only from fleas and ticks but the many potential diseases they can transmit. See you soon with the answers and some additional insightful and possibly scary information on these nasty parasites.
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Fleas and ticks, UGH! Gross. No one wants either of these parasites on their pets or themselves. We also DO NOT want any of the many diseases these pests can transmit. In the above questions, we were testing how insightful and how much you may or may not know about fleas and ticks. I would like to say thank you to everyone who read the post and commented below. We really appreciate the participation. How do you think you did with the questions? Are you a flea and tick genius? Let’s see. Here are the answers.
1. One of the most commonly diagnosed tapeworms in the cat and dog is Dipylidium caninum, sometimes referred to as the double-pored dog tapeworm. This tapeworm is transmitted to your dog or cat by them ingesting/swallowing an infected flea. You may initially see tapeworms as what appears to be little, off white-colored grains of rice that are moving around your pet’s anal area.
2. This tick-transmitted disease is commonly called Bobcat fever or the scientific name is Cytauxzoonosis. The organism infects the red blood cells and causes high fevers, lethargy, anorexia, and anemia. Typically, this disease was diagnosed in the southeastern states but now is being found in more widespread areas, moving both west and north due to tick species adapting, and becoming more prevalent in other parts of the country.
3. Some species of ticks can produce as many as 22,000 eggs in her lifetime. Wow, that is a lot of offspring! Can you imagine keeping track of all their names?
4. Do you have a fear of spiders, scorpions, mites and ticks? If so, you have Arachniphobia. Do you remember the movie? Ticks are in the Arachnida class of invertebrate arthropods.
5. Commonly, the disease is called Cat Scratch disease or Cat Scratch Fever. It is caused by a bacterial organism called Bartonella henselae and it usually occurs from a person being scratched by an infected cat. Usually, one would experience only a mild infection. However, fever, severe headaches, swollen lymph nodes and, rarely, even more severe diseases such as meningitis can occur. If you get scratched, simply clean the area well. In most cases this will be adequate to prevent serious disease.
6. The common bacterial organism that flea bites can transmit to cats and dogs is Bartonella henselae. This typically will not create any illness in your pets but can create problems in people if we are infected as read in the previous question (Cat Scratch Fever).
7. Commonly called the “Plague” or Bubonic Plague or Pneumonic Plague, is caused by carrier fleas biting people. Typically seen in people who are exposed to wildlife that have fleas such as squirrels and rabbits. This disease can cause enlarged lymph nodes (buboes), flu-like symptoms, rapid pneumonia, respiratory failure, toxemia, and death. Not a good disease to acquire.
8. The disease is called Tularemia. It is caused by a bacteria called Franciella tularensis. This disease not only infects people but sometimes cats, as well. People, if infected, can experience flu-like symptoms, exhaustion, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, chest pain, respiratory distress, pneumonia, toxemia and death. This is a bad disease if not diagnosed and treated early.
9. Some species of ticks can live/survive for up to two years after a blood meal. Wow!
10. The answer is NO. Hooray! This is why it is so important to prevent ticks on our pets.
And the winner is…Sara Cox! Congratulations! Again, thank you to everyone who participated. We will be doing another trivia post very soon, so keep checking back. Sara, please email Nichole at [email protected] to claim your free basket!!!
Tags: 01133, 01143, 01163, 03043, cat, dog, dualaction, Fiproguard, fleaandtick
1) Tapeworms are picked up in the dirt as eggs. The dog or cat swallows the eggs and so the cycle starts.
10) yes
1. Flea bites
3. 2000-18,000
6. Cat scratch disease 7. bubonic plague 9. 2-3 years
Thank you for joining in the trivia fun, Susan. It’s nice to see that you participated. Say hello to Lilly for me. Thanks again. And sorry your name wasn’t drawn to win. Maybe next time. 🙂 ~Nichole
1.) Infected tapeworm eggs are released into the environment, are swallowed by flea larvae, dogs/cats ingest flea which has the tapeworm developing inside, and the tapeworm ends up in the intestinal tract of the dog/cat.
2.) Bobcat Fever aka Cytauxzoonosis which caused by Cytauxzoon felis
3.) Between 2,000 and 18,000 eggs can be laid.
A single tick can lay up to 3,000 eggs. Ticks belong to the suborder Metastigmata in the order Acari, class Arachnida, phylum Arthropoda.
1. From fleas.
2. Cytauxzoonosis felis elongs to the order Piroplasmida and the family Theileriidae. More common name – bobcat fever.
3.3,000
4. Ticks belong to the small arachnids family in the order Ixodida
5. bacterium Yersinia pestis – the bubonic plague
6. cat scratch disease – Bartonella henselae
1. By eating infected fleas 4. Ixodes sp. 6. Cat scratch fever?/ 8. Lyme disease? 10. Yes?
1.Swallowing when grooming 2. Cytauxzoon Felis 3. Up to 50 per day 4. Arachnophobia 5. Bartonella 6. Cat scratch disease 7. Bubonic plague 8. Tularemia 9. 540 days 10. yes
1.) By digesting fleas
2.) Bobcat fever / Cytauxzoonosis felix
3.) 1,000 – 3,000
7.) Bubonic Plague
8.) Tularemia
10.) Yes
Love this trivia and chance to win this great gift basket!
3. On average 3,00 eggs BUT can lay as many as 18,000
4. Ticks are part of the Arachnid family.
6. Bartonella henselae infection
7. My guess is either Lyme disease or Bubonic plague. Pretty sure its the latter of the two.
8. Tularaemia (Rabbit Fever, Francisella tularensis) is endemic to North America and northern Eurasia, but not found in the UK. It is spread by infected ticks, contaminated water and aerosol (sneezes, coughs). Cats are also susceptible to the disease themselves. In humans it can cause fever, swollen glands and septicaemia
9. Each developmental stage of a tick’s life requires a
blood meal in order to reach the next stage. Ticks are notoriously long-lived, and can live
as long as 3-5 months in each stage without feeding.
10. I say yes it can. I have read before that ticks and fleas can be born with diseases since the females can ingest a disease and pass it on to the larvae.
that should say 3,000
1.Scratching and eating the fleas. 6. Cat scratch fever. 8. Lyme disease.
1. by fleas
2. yes
1) Contaminated food. Swallowing an infected flea.
2) Bobcat Fever aka Cytauxzoonosis
3) up to 3,000, some species more, as high as 18,000 to 22,000.
4) Arachnid
5) Yersinia pestis
6) Lyme disease, Bubonic plaque, (most deadly). Also, Cat Scratch Fever
7) Bubonic plaque
8) Tularemia, (Rabbit fever)
9) From months, up to a year.
10) Yes
Have a Great Weekend!
1. Tapeworms
2. Bobcat Fever/Disease – Cytauxzoonosis
3. Ticks can lay about 1,000-3,000 eggs.
5.Bartonella
6. Cat scratch fever
7. Plague
9. 100 days
10. no
2 Bobcat Fever/Cytauxzoonosis. 6Cat Scratch Fever. 3 1000 – 3000 eggs. 7 Bubonic Plague
Hi Sharon! Good to see you here, also! I am so excited that everyone loved this trivia/prize idea. We should do more like this in the future! Hope all is well with the cats, dog and hubby! Talk to you soon. ~Nichole
Mar, You are always so active on our social sites! We really appreciate seeing you here. Thanks again. I hope the Wyatt and Maddi are doing well. ~Nichole
🙂
1.)
Tapeworms are caused by the pet eating/swallowing fleas carrying the tapeworm eggs.
3.) 3000 eggs
Awesome contest
Answer to #4 Arachnid
Answer to #2
Bobcat fever AKA Cytauxzoonosis felix
2.) Bobcat fever or also called Cytauxzoonosis felix.6) Cat scratch disease or also called Bartonella henselae.
Thank you for such a great Trivia game and Prize! So excited to have won this! My dogs will be so happy when it comes! I emailed Nichole. Thank you again!
Congrats and you are very welcome. Thank you so much for participating. I hope you contacted Nichole about getting your basket. And please keep reading our blog. I’ll be posting another trivia blog very soon. Have a great week.
Thanks again to everyone who participated. We had a nice response to this basket giveaway/trivia. Please keep checking back for another post like this one. And, as always, let me know if you have any questions or ideas.
I have been very impressed with the high level of knowledge about fleas and ticks. Some of these questions would make trivia gurus envious. Well done and hope you challenged.
I want to win!!!!
1.) ingesting/swallowing
2.)Bobcat fever
3.)more then 20,000
4.)Arachniphobia
5.)bacteria organism
6.)worms
7.) dont know
8.) dont know
9.) quessing ,a few years
10.) no