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No fleas in Korea?

 
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Son Deureo!



Joined: 30 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:51 am    Post subject: No fleas in Korea? Reply with quote

I've recently adopted a kitten, and I took the little guy to my neighborhood vet for a checkup and shots. It's the first time I've been to this vet. I asked the vet to check him for fleas, and he laughed and said that there have been virtually no fleas in Korea for 30-40 years.

After I insisted, he picked up my cat and took a quick look at his stomach, not bothering to sift through his fur, and said his skin looks fine and I have nothing to worry about.

Could any other pet owners here tell me if there's anything to him saying that fleas are a rarity here, or is my vet a quack?
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duke of new york



Joined: 23 Jan 2011

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That sounds like some "Korea is the greatest country in the world, and fleas are a third-world problem suffered by inferior countries like America" BS. Sure, there are no homosexuals in Iran, and there are no fleas in Korea.
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Troglodyte



Joined: 06 Dec 2009

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ask the vet why you can buy flea collars at the bet stores.
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YTMND



Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is that really the normal procedure for a cat owner?

I have never heard about a cat owner specifically taking a cat to see "if" it has fleas.

Usually, there are signs/symptoms.

Is this one of those Mad snappy answers to stupid questions tricks?
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schwa



Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your question made me curious so I googled "fleas in korea."

It was the Americans! Old propaganda video, but who knows:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmii3v_america-sprays-plague-infected-fleas-on-korea-1952_news

Wild animal flea study found an average of 1.01 fleas per animal:
http://synapse.koreamed.org/Synapse/Data/PDFData/0066KJP/kjp-14-17.pdf

How to dispel fleas from pet houses:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/06/11/2010061100865.html

Personal experience, 10 years, 2 cats, I havent seen a flea yet. Your vet may be right, they seem pretty rare here.
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Nismo



Joined: 31 Aug 2005

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 4:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kimchi cures fleas.
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fermentation



Joined: 22 Jun 2009

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 6:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Vets and doctors in general shouldn't be taken seriously. I bet if you go to a bigger hospital with better vets, you'll get a different opinion. I've seen a vet here tell me I should only feed cats dry food (never canned food or meat) when every cat expert and vet in the US has told me canned food is better and actual meat is even better.

Quote:
Kimchi cures fleas.


Duh. You're supposed to feed your cat kimchi.
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Julius



Joined: 27 Jul 2006

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 7:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

schwa wrote:

Personal experience, 10 years, 2 cats, I havent seen a flea yet. Your vet may be right, they seem pretty rare here.


Yep.

Its because there is no grass in Korea. Fleas need areas of damp grass at various stages in their lifecycle.
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The Cosmic Hum



Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

schwa wrote:
Personal experience, 10 years, 2 cats, I havent seen a flea yet. Your vet may be right, they seem pretty rare here.


Indoor cats...or outdoor cats?

I take my dog out for walks everyday...morning and night.
She loves to run in the grassy areas around the complex..
I have to give her flea kill medicine(recommended by her vet) every so often just to keep the little bastards away.
Korea has fleas.

It is easily done though and it works...so no biggie.
But at least she doesn't have vultures or rhinos.Wink
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nb9I5dL628
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warmachinenkorea



Joined: 12 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 7:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, there are fleas here. Ask my dog.
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luckylady



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Location: u.s. of occupied territories

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

fleas need hosts and pesticide-free places to live.

a lot of the country-side - most in fact - is sprayed regularly limiting the ability of insects such as fleas to breed; while there is some wildlife, that is also limited as well as other possible hosts, such as domestic animals (dogs, cats)

keeping dogs and cats as pets is a relatively recent event for many Koreans. give it time, the fleas will certainly catch up.
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Son Deureo!



Joined: 30 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

YTMND wrote:
Is that really the normal procedure for a cat owner?

I have never heard about a cat owner specifically taking a cat to see "if" it has fleas.



You're right, that probably wouldn't be normal. It was one question I asked the vet during my newly adopted kitten's first general checkup and shots.

Thanks for the replies, I had a hunch someone out there had to have seen fleas on their pets here. After checking him myself I didn't see any sign of fleas. I may not be a vet, but I was definitely more thorough than my vet was in checking him. Still, he has been scratching himself. He was originally rescued from the streets and went through 2 homes in less than 3 months before I took him in, so I'm trying to err on the side of caution. I'll put him on Advantage just to be on the safe side.
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warmachinenkorea



Joined: 12 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Son Deureo! wrote:
YTMND wrote:
Is that really the normal procedure for a cat owner?

I have never heard about a cat owner specifically taking a cat to see "if" it has fleas.



You're right, that probably wouldn't be normal. It was one question I asked the vet during my newly adopted kitten's first general checkup and shots.

Thanks for the replies, I had a hunch someone out there had to have seen fleas on their pets here. After checking him myself I didn't see any sign of fleas. I may not be a vet, but I was definitely more thorough than my vet was in checking him. Still, he has been scratching himself. He was originally rescued from the streets and went through 2 homes in less than 3 months before I took him in, so I'm trying to err on the side of caution. I'll put him on Advantage just to be on the safe side.


If the kitten is still scratching it might have a skin problem. Most of the animals in the shelter in Daegu that are off the street have some kind of skin problem. Most of the time a little medicine does the trick. If it's real bad them it can be tough to clear up but can be done with patience. Good luck.
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Dazed and Confused



Joined: 10 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My grandparents lived in New Mexico and every time we visited the fleas on the dog would mysteriuosly disssapear. We always assumed it was the pine trees which are unheard of in my hometown. Korea is covered with pine trees.
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luckylady



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Location: u.s. of occupied territories

PostPosted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

so is the southern U.S. and the fleas are numerous...as are ticks.
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