Tapeworm egg cases are passed with an animals feces or directly from the anus. They dry out and release tapeworm eggs into the environment. The larval stage of the flea ingests the eggs and an intermediate stage of the tapeworm develops in the growing flea. When your pet is itchy it chews at itself and ingests the flea, along with its baby tapeworm. The tapeworm then completes its lifecycle in your pet's intestine.
Fleas live on blood and in severe infestations can consume enough blood to cause anaemia .
Animals that are very young, old or debilitated are at greater risk for debilitating blood loss. Fleas are the vector for Bubonic plague . F leas can be found on the pet and in its environment. As a result an effective flea control program must address both the pet and its premise. The key to understanding effective control, or treatment, is knowledge of the flea lifecycle .