Dog Fleas
While dog
fleas can simply seem like a nuisance to dog owners, especially if they get into
the carpets and furniture of the home, they can actually lead to allergies and
skin problems for the dog. Fleas are also spread very easily from animal to
animal, so can continue to cause a problem long after one dog has adopted
fleas.
With this
in mind, it is essential to try and prevent dog fleas before they attach
themselves to your pet. This can be an especially tough job if you live in a
warm weather climate where fleas will stay alive outdoors nearly all year round.
Remember that fleas need warm weather to survive, so owners may notice an
increase of fleas during the summertime or in warm weather conditions, but it is
best to use preventative treatment measures throughout the year.
If your
dog has already acquired fleas, there are also many successful methods and ways
to kill fleas on dogs. You can usually tell if your dog has acquired fleas
because they are constantly itching, scratching, and they might also have large
areas of red skin where the fleas are irritating them, especially if they are
allergic. Remember that dog fleas are black in color, so you should be able to see
the fleas, although they are quite difficult to find until they are large in
number.
Methods to
Preventing and Killing Fleas on Your Dog...
- Use a Monthly Flea
Control: For most dogs, flea prevention is as simple as using a
flea control that goes onto the neck and back of the dog once a month. The
best flea preventions, like Advantage, can be purchased only from your
veterinarian. Some pet stores will also offer these treatments, but most pet
stores will only offer a lower grade brand, like Hartz, that might not have as
much medicine to keep away fleas for an entire month. All good flea control
medications should also kill fleas that have already begun to infest your
dog’s coat.
- Spray the Yard: Many
dog owners do not even know that flea and tick prevention spray can be
purchased that can be spread on the lawn to kill fleas and ticks. This can
almost always be bought in unison with a mosquito killer so that you are
preventing all of these nuisances at once.
- Oral Medication:
Many medications, like Heartgard, now include a flea prevention that helps
to protect dogs from larvae and eggs. This works by actually putting
medication into the bloodstream that will break the cycle by killing the
larvae and eggs and can also help to kill the flea once it begins to bite the
dog. The medication can work both before and after a dog has become infested.
- Flea Collars:
Collars will usually only work as a preventative method of killing adult
fleas that try to leap onto a dog. It will be a waste of time and money to
purchase a flea collar for a dog that is already infested with fleas.
- Flea Shampoo: This
can be purchased from either your veterinarian or a local pet food store. The
flea shampoo will kill the adult flea that is currently alive. Flea shampoo
also helps to prevent the itching and scratching that goes along with flea
allergies.
- Flea Dip: Although
this will not be necessary for smaller dogs, larger dogs over 70 pounds might
see better results for preventing or killing fleas through a flea dip rather
than a monthly flea control or a flea collar. Since the area of their body is
so large, they have more room to cover and often the flea control just doesn’t
do the trick. It is best to take your large pet to the veterinarian at least
once a month during active flea season to let them deal with a flea dip to
help prevent dog fleas.
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