Fleas are a popular concern among dog owners. Your dog is prompt to be the vehicle of these uninvited guests all year round, not only during summer. This little pest can be hard to control and potentially very dangerous to your dog’s health and also to the people in contact with it.
There are many ways to prevent your dog from getting fleas and as well as getting rid of them. But before we jump on to the core contents of this article, you first need to know about the lifecycle of fleas and the symptoms your dog or puppy shows when there is a flea infestation.
Fleas and ticks alike are found and acquired all over the small and big spaces of an environment. These insects are relatively small and hard to catch by the human eye. Hence, it would be difficult to tell when one attaches to our dog unless they are already feeding on our pet’s blood. This is because fleas similar to ticks increase their size as they eat.
Check out this short explainer video about life-cycle of fleas, how they reproduce and infest households.
Fleas are not ordinary insects, they have a particularly long lifespan as they can live some time without eating. They evolved and adapted to thrive in the common home hiding in beds, rugs, carpets, and sofas. Your dogs acquire fleas not just only by playing with other dogs, but also inside your house, for example, in the dirt sometimes people bring in the bottom most of their shoes.
In the video, you’ll get to see 4 different stages of a flea: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Even a full grown flea is too hard to see, this is why they can’t get eradicated easily. Even though you think you’ve already annihilated every single one of them, well look again, there might be a lot left and not only on your dog, but the dog’s living environment as well.
Now here’s another video showing a brief discussion by a licensed Veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Werber on how to manage and control flea infestation of your dog.
Did you know that fleas can jump 8 inches high? People sometimes assume these pests are flying from one place to another, but the truth is that they don’t have wings. Jumping for 8 inches up can definitely be easy for these little pests to target your small and large dogs.
A single flea in your house may be enough to start an infestation. A female can lay up to 50 eggs per day. Fleas are potentially damaging to human health as well, they can cause swollen itchy skin and serious allergic reactions. When a flea bites your dog, it causes rashes and internal infections. There are other common symptoms fleas and ticks cause in dogs, like hair loss.
In the video at 3:14, they show several products for your dog’s health, we don’t necessarily require you to buy these since there are a lot more products out there that you can check out.
Now that you have enough knowledge of how these pests live and multiply, check the following recommendations on how to get rid of dog fleas. You could choose the best way to get rid of dog fleas on below list that most comfortable for you and your buddy.
Prevent and Get Rid of Fleas on Dogs
1. Give your dog a swell bath
As a pet owner, we always want our dogs to stay clean, so they won’t scatter dirt all over our homes. You might want to add up shampoo and soap that kills and keeps away these fleas or ticks while keeping your dog clean and well pet-groomed.
2. Have a flea comb
Using a flea comb is really helpful, it can swoop up to 80-90% of your dog’s fleas, making it easier to remove all the parent fleas.
3. Know the homemade remedies to get rid of dog fleas
Garlic, apple cider, and essential oils are some of the most common homemade remedies to repel fleas. But you should be careful about how your dog takes these treatments. Feeding your pet with big amounts of garlic can be harmful, but for a 30 kg dog ⅛ of garlic is perfectly fine and will help to keep fleas at bay.
There are plenty of other affordable natural remedies to prevent and get rid of fleas. Choosing one over the other depends on the breed of your dog or how bad the pest infestation.
4. Sprinkle your dog with anti-flea powder
This is found in any pet store or veterinary clinic near you. You can ask your veterinarian about what kind of anti-flea powder is better for your dog breed.
5. Have your dog groomed and checked for any signs of fleas
Dogs with long furs are more likely to get fleas as they often hide underneath the of hair. Make sure to get your dog fur-cuts and have fleas removed from them.
6. Clean and troubleshoot your household
Acknowledging that fleas can hide in every corner, and therefore having a clean home is perhaps the best hack. Small dogs, for instance, can reach enclosed spaces where homeowners usually don’t clean deeply, as they are not visible to other people. It’s always best to have long rods for cleaning materials to ensure cleanliness in every part of your household.
7. Make sure you and your dog go straight to cleaning yourselves up upon entering your home
Prevent your home from bringing in unwanted dirt and bacteria that may cause diseases or pests to you and your dog. Isolate dirty clothes in the laundry room and clean them immediately after you enter the house.
8. When removing your dog’s fleas, make sure to put them on gas/alcohol
Throwing away the fleas you’ve removed will only make these fleas go back since they can jump non-stop for 150 times without getting tired. Drowning them in water won’t be enough, just like any other insect, so it’s best to put them on gas or alcohol to poison and intoxicate them.
9. Veterinary prescriptions
If your dog has a serious number of fleas, go to your vet to ask for prescriptions. They can give you the right to killing flea solutions and prevention for your dog.
10. Have a flea and tick control all year round
Again, fleas and ticks are not a “summer issue”. They hide for months in your house and easily can appear during winter. It’s best always to perform house deep clean twice a year at least and clean your dog every week or two weeks depending on the breed and season. This is a good way to get rid of dog fleas all year round.
