For anyone with a cat or dog, fleas can be a problem – in fact any animal that goes outside at all is at risk of picking up the occasional flea.

Most are 2-3mm long, red or brown and feed on the animal by sucking its blood. They move around on the skin’s surface and are difficult to see, let alone remove.

When fleas infest your pet, they lay large numbers of eggs that fall to the floor and develop into larvae around your home. Once you start treating your pet, any fleas will hatch, leap aboard the pet and die without laying any more eggs.

You need to keep your pet permanently protected; depending on your pet and budget, there are lots of different types of treatment, so check with your vet about which one to use.