They're every pet owners fear—it’s that time of year again for fleas.

Barb Pfaff says as the temperatures get cooler, fleas everywhere search out warm bodies of cats and dogs and other creatures to nest.
But Pfaff says it's not quite an epidemic.

"I know a lot of people have been saying it's a lot more serious than other years and I tend to believe that just because we're caught up in the middle of it right now, but it's just a seasonal thing," she explains.

Pfaff says this year, people can't afford to get rid of their pet's fleas.
Also, Jackson County doesn't have a specialty pet store, so access to intense flea-killing products is not as easy as in other communities.

Sometimes, when owners don't have any options, the pets wind up in shelters.

"It's very expensive to find the products and to get those products and put it on, and if you have a number of animals in today's economy, between the flea treatment, and shots and vaccinations, and things and of course none of the animals were spayed or neutered, those things are all expensive for families these days," Pfaff says.

Veterinarians say the way to get rid of fleas hasn't changed, though. First, give the pet a flea bath. Then, as a follow-up, apply a flea prevention product, like Frontline, to stop eggs and larvae from hatching.

"Unfortunately, the Frontline, being a patented product runs anywhere from 10 up to 20 dollars per month per dose," says Dr. Jim Tripp of the Country Animal Clinic in Black River Falls.

That's for each animal. But both Tripp and Pfaff warn that medicines like Frontline are very concentrated, so one size doesn’t fit all. Doses are split by how much a dog weighs, and dog and cat formulas are completely different.

Once the fleas are gone, however, don't forget the rest of the house.
In extreme cases there are added costs of expensive exterminators.
Pfaff says if the pets are protected, they should be safe, but it's up to the humans to help.

"It's a lot of responsibility," reminds Pfaff.

Both Pfaff and Dr. Tripp say most flea problems can be treated at home, but remind pet owners that vets and shelters are always there to help out.