How to Prevent – Treat – Kill Dog Fleas

dog fleas

Prevention is always better than medication, so it is best to prevent occurrences of dog flea infestations. If your dog gets fleas, you not only have to worry about getting the fleas off of your dog, but you have to get the fleas out of the environment. That means everywhere your dog has run, jumped, rested or thumped is full of flea eggs that you have to eliminate.

The animal and its environment must be treated simultaneously, and that treatment must be combined with regular sanitation efforts. For effective treatment, both the host animal and the environment must be treated at the same time. Control of fleas on the pet generally requires the use of insecticides. Although flea combs can remove some fleas (the combs of a dog flea consist of 8 pairs of spines), combing should be thought of as a method for detecting fleas rather than removing them.

The working area should be appropriate for containment of the pesticide and should be resistant to caustic materials. Pregnant or nursing animals and certain parts of the pet’s body (such as the eyes) may be sensitive to the insecticides and must be shielded during application. Young animals may also require treatment with insecticides of lower toxicity than adult animals.

Some on-animal formulations contain insect growth regulators (IGRs) that kill flea eggs on the animal. Insect growth regulators prevent flea larvae from developing to the adult stage. Growth regulators may also inhibit egg hatching. A good flea larval control program will incorporate sanitation, contact insecticides and growth regulators for good results.Remember, using excessive aerosols is illegal and may cause fires and even explosions.

Read all product labels carefully, and to follow all precautions and dose directions. Do not overexpose your pet by combining too many treatments at one time, such as a collar, a shampoo and a dust. Pesticides have a cumulative effect. Be aware of each product’s toxicity and do not endanger yourself or the animal by using excessive amounts of any one product or by combining products. The label may call for the use of gloves and other protective equipment during application and suggest the pet not be handled with unprotected hands until the treatment dries. All personal protective equipment listed on the label must be worn.

A wide range of insecticides are available for flea control. The pyrethrins and pyrethroids have the lowest mammalian toxicity. These insecticides come in many formulations including shampoo, dust and powder, mousse, aerosol and non-aerosol mist or spray, dip, spot-on, roll-on and collar. Organophosphate drugs for oral use are available, by prescription from veterinarians.

Two products that are highly effective are available on the market. One of these is Frontline. This is an especially good treatment because it can be used on young dogs – even as young as 8 weeks old. This product works well, even when the dog has already been bathed and can last for as long as a month. Your dogs would not be irritated with this medication, as it is generally gentle and harmless. Another good medication is Advantage. This, on the other hand, can be used for both cats and dogs, and has the distinct ability to kill fleas within a 12-hour period of time.

Another method is the use of proper sanitation. Animal on board must be subject to a flea bath, to effectively eradicate traces of fleas before they permanently reside inside our homes. Vacuuming carpets and other potential sources of dog flea eggs and larvae should also be done. Also, regular pet maintenance is required.

Using a vacuum with a beater bar and immediately disposing of the waste bag effectively eliminates up to half of the larvae and eggs in carpet. You should also launder animal bedding and thoroughly clean areas the animal frequents and dispose of the vacuum waste bag after every cleaning. Do not put insecticides in the vacuum cleaner bag. This is an illegal and dangerous use of the products and can harm you, your family and pets by creating dusts or fumes that could be inhaled.

Carpet shampooing or steam cleaning can rids the carpet of blood feces, an important food for the larvae, and may also remove eggs and larvae. In outdoor areas, cleaning up the places where animals like to rest reduces eggs and larvae and removes blood pellets. In yards and kennels, flea larvae can be found in cracks at wall-floor junctions and in floor crevices. These areas must be thoroughly cleaned and then maintained to prevent another infestation.

After all this, you may think that the flea problem has gone forever but there may still be pupae that has survived the insecticide due to their protective cocoon, taking the same measurements as noted above two weeks later, should help the full removal of all things flea related and your dog will be able to sleep again

If the problem persists, please contact your vet or other professional advice. You can always consult a veterinarian if you have questions. They will have accurate information on insecticides and their use for flea control on pet animals.

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