Summer Is Coming And So Are The Fleas. Fleas not only cause intense irritation to your dog, they can also transmit other nasty diseases such as tapeworm. Ensuring your dog is living in a clean environment is the most important aspect of keeping him flea-free this summer.
Understanding the life of the flea is important if you are to successfully keep them away from your pet and your home. An adult female can lay one egg per hour for every hour of her life (usually three months). Fleas thrive in heat and humidity and are most active in summer and autumn.
You can prevent fleas indoors by vacuuming your home thoroughly and frequently, paying close attention to corners, cracks and crevices. Dispose of vacuum cleaner bags conscientiously, as adult fleas can escape and relay. Keeping fleas away in the first place is far easier than trying to eradicate the presence of existing fleas. This is worth remembering.
If your dog has been infested with fleas already you should remove fleas by using a fine-toothed comb, and drop the fleas into soapy water to drown them.
Wash your dog’s pet bedding in hot, soapy water weekly; this is the most likely site for flea eggs and larvae to thrive.
Trim shrubbery and keep grass short to increase sunlight, as flea larvae cannot survive in hot, dry areas. Remove piles of debris in areas close to your home.
Bathe your dog weekly if possible. If bathing is not an option, speak to your vet about other means of cleaning your dog.
Watch your dog for the tell-tale signs of flea trouble which include:
excessive scratching and biting especially around the tail and lower back “flea debris†(black, granular dried blood)
fleas themselves on the skin possibly raw patches where the animal has been biting and scratching himself.
Talk to your veterinarian about various treatments for your flea-plagued pet: a flea repellent such as FRONTLINE, applied monthly to the skin is usually very effective; a monthly pill that prevents fleas from reproducing but doesn’t kill adult fleas; and multipurpose products that prevent flea reproduction and control heartworms, hookworms, whipworms and roundworms. Also consider flea collars and flea powders.
Look into chemical flea-treatment products to apply by hand around the environment in spray or powder form. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation on the best product and how to use it.
Advice:
Be diligent in your exterminating efforts. A flea pupa while in the cocoon is impervious to treatment and can live for eight months without feeding.
Veterinarians are skeptical of homemade flea remedies such as garlic, vinegar, vitamin C and kelp.
Call on a professional exterminator for severe indoor and outdoor infestations.
Warnings:
Be very careful with all insecticides to be used on pets or around your home. Read directions carefully.
Never apply a flea product to a cat or kitten unless it is labeled as safe for cats. Cats are very sensitive to insecticides.
FRONTLINE Spot On is the market leading treatment for both cats and dogs that provides long-lasting protection against fleas and ticks, and controls biting lice. The active ingredient in FRONTLINE Spot On is fipronil, which is an adulticide that kills the adult flea on the pet.
How does it work?
FRONTLINE Spot On acts by direct contact with parasites, not via your pet’s bloodstream. It is applied to your pet’s skin on the back of the neck where the active ingredient quickly dissolves into the natural oils (sebum) of your pet’s skin and coat. It then disperses over the entire body surface within 24 hours and concentrates in the skin’s oil glands to form a reservoir. Fleas are killed within 24 hours and ticks within 48 hours.
Fipronil is then secreted with the sebum, continuously coating your pet’s skin and hair for several weeks after application. It is the longest-lasting spot on flea and tick treatment available without prescription.
How do I use it?
Hold the pipette upright and tap the neck of the pipette to ensure all the liquid is in the body of the pipette. Snap off the top of the pipette along the scored line. Part your pet’s coat between the shoulder blades until the skin is visible. Place the tip of the pipette on the skin and squeeze gently to empty its contents onto the skin at one or two spots where the animal cannot lick it off.
How often should I use it?
For protection against fleas and ticks, your dog or cat should be treated every month. For protection against fleas only, you should treat your dog every 2 months and your cat every 5 weeks. Your pet can be bathed or swim as usual from 48 hours after application without affecting the efficacy of FRONTLINE Spot On. It can be applied after bathing as soon as the coat is completely dry.
MORE INFO:
For further information about fleas and ticks: