Every pet owner knows that fleas are one of their biggest problems. Fleas can survive off of the blood of your dog and it is often difficult to see them on your dog due to their fur. Fleas can also cause your dog to become anemic due to losing so much blood and they can transmit some pretty tough disease into your dog. If your dog is sensitive to flea bites, it may end up having a mild skin irritation or in severe cases it may develop a severe allergic reaction resulting in baldness, intense itch and inflammation throughout its body. Many dog owners are confused to the many flea treatment products in the market today. Flea comb, flea sprays, natural products, topical spot-on solutions, oral growth regulator or "birth control" pills for the fleas are only some of the flea treatment products available in the market.
Your pet can get fleas everywhere especially when they are outdoors. Even if you don’t want it, your pets will be more than likely going to play host to fleas at some point in their lives. You can’t be sure that your dogs will not get any fleas. There is very little you can do to prevent this from happening since they can be found lurking anywhere just waiting for a suitable host to pass by but there are some things you can still do to prevent fleas from propagating in your home.
You can use a special type of comb called flea comb to help you dislodge any fleas and eggs from your pet’s coat. Adding a little bit of oil onto the comb spines is very effective in catching those little parasites because they get stuck or trapped to the comb. Keep a bowl of hot water close by when you do this easy trick so that you can instantly place any fleas directly into the water whenever you catch one. Behind your pet’s ears, spots in between their toes, the fur in their armpits, as well as under the neck are the spots that you check. You can easily see fleas when you place a white cloth or towel underneath your dog during combing. Do not expect to kill or remove all the fleas in your pet since fleas are very hard to catch.
Pure alcohol can help you in stunning the fleas as you brush out so you can effortlessly dump them into a cup of water to die. Empty the mug down the toilet to make sure that any fleas do not make it out. Giving bath to your pet regularly can help lessen the flea problem of your dog but not when you are dealing with a major flea’s infestation. There are also special shampoos in the market that is made to killing fleas but can be too toxic to use every day. Alternative products available commercially are rosewood, cedar, or eucalyptus is better choice than relying on other commercial products to take care of minor flea problems. Mixture of lemon and water in a clean spray bottle is another good option in dealing with minor flea problem. A little spray across the body is usually enough to solve minor flea problem of your dog, just remember to avoid getting any spray into the eyes of your dog.
Bring your dog to a veterinarian when your dog’s flea problem has reached to flea infestation level. Veterinarian can analyze your pet’s condition and prescribe the best medication for the flea infestation. There are also a lot of products available in the market that is safe to use in your home and also safe for your pets like a diatomaceous earth. This is one of the cheapest ways to handle flea problems in your home. Strong medication such as Advantage and Frontline can wipe out all of the adult fleas on your pet in hours while preventing outbreaks for up to 3 months. Just drop some onto your pet's shoulder and the special chemical will spread and cure on its own. Advantage and Frontline has little toxicity which makes it safe for your pet. These products are both harsh to pest but gentle to your pet’s sensitive skin. Whether Advantage or Frontline, you can be confident that your purchased item will completely eliminate the bugs on your pet’s skin. Be alert in handling such substances because these chemicals can hurt you or your pet if used improperly. Ask your vet if you don’t understand anything about the product. Flea control products on the market are not the same so select one that best suitable for your pet’s condition. Each has their own levels of success and kill different flea stages i.e. the eggs, larvae, and adults. One product may be effective against the adult fleas but is simply harmless to the eggs or larvae.
If your pet has a bad flea infestation then you have to use a combination of these products to effectively take out the fleas. Try to research on other options or systems in controlling and eliminating fleas. There are many flea control systems you might haven’t tried before so research! Your selection of a flea treatment medicine or method for your dog is very significant because it determines the success or failure in your fight against these pesky fleas.