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If not treated immediately, fleas are annoying yet persistent creatures that can make your dog’s life a living hell.
Fleas feed on dogs’ blood, causing them to itch and scratch tireless. In the process of sucking their blood, they deposit harmful microorganisms into their system, too. This could then cause the dogs to fall sick.
Is your dog battling flea infestation?
Here is how to kill fleas.
Oral Flea Control Pills
The use of oral flea pills is considered the most effective way to get rid of fleas on dogs. There are diverse over the counter oral flea pills you can use to rid your dog of fleas, but you can’t be sure of their efficacy or their safety for your dog. That’s why you should visit the vet to get oral fleas pills prescription. Your vet is most aware of what would work best for your dog’s breed type and, therefore, give you the best medication without harming your furry friend.
The efficacy and performance duration of oral flea pills differ. Some can kill the fleas within 30 minutes to 3 hours, while others take longer to get the deed done. Depending on the type of oral fleas pill you buy, the pill might harm adult fleas but not the eggs, while others might prevent the eggs from hatching yet not harm the adult fleas. Some more powerful ones can kill both the adult fleas and destroy their eggs. Those kinds of oral flea control pills are the best, but you need to be sure they aren’t overly powerful for your dog to cause them harm.
Depending on the potency of the flea control pill you used for your dog, you might need to re-administer it after some time to complete the flea extermination process. Powerful flea control pills rarely need to be re-administered, though.
External Flea Control Products
Although oral flea pill is the best option for getting rid of fleas from your dog’s body, you can also opt to go with external flea control products. There are several on-shelf products that you can use to kill dog fleas. Some of them include flea powders, flea sprays, flea shampoos, flea creams, and the likes. When using a flea powder, all you have to do is spray the powder on your dog and make them lie still for the duration advised by the product.
By the end of the given timeline, the powder would’ve killed most, if not all, of the adult fleas. Also, if super potent, the powder can make it impossible for the flea eggs to hatch.
For flea shampoos, all you need to do is lather your dog with the shampoo and leave it for 10-25 minutes. After that, you can then bath the dog to get the shampoo off. In the process, the destroyed eggs and fleas will fall off.
Flea creams and shampoos work similarly. If you feel that the external flea control products are not super effective as you want, you can combine the use of an external/topical flea control product with a flea control pill. Seek your vet’s expertise, though, so you’ll have the assurance that the effect won’t be too overwhelming on your dog.
Treat Your Environment
It’s not enough to rid your pet of fleas, but you also need to ensure that fleas that already found their way into your dog’s abode are exterminated. This is to ensure that the fleas don’t find their way to your dog all over again.
If you plan on treating your environment by yourself, you need to understand the flea’s life cycle. Without perfectly understanding this, you might get rid of the adult fleas while the eggs remain behind to develop into fleas later on.
After understanding the nature of fleas, proceed with the needed products and chemicals to exterminate them from your home or your dog’s house (kennel). Clean and disinfect the house thoroughly. Also, steam-wash your bedding, furniture, carpets, clothes, and the likes since fleas and their eggs can take residence in those. If you have other pets, try to treat them as well. You never know, they might also harbor fleas.
Doing a thorough cleaning of your home after flea infestation might be an overwhelming task for you to do. And, even after all your troubles trying to get the house and dog free of fleas and eggs, you might still not be totally free from them. This is why you should consider contacting a flea control or pest extermination company to help you deal with the problem. Doing so will ease your stress and they’ll get the job done perfectly than you ever can.
Conclusion
The tips above will help you get rid of fleas in no time. Remember to consult your vet before buying any flea control treatment for your dog. This will help you keep your furry darling safe.
Also, it’s not enough for you to rid your dog of fleas. You must take preventive measures to ensure that the flea infestation doesn’t reoccur. Try to bath your dog and other pets regularly, and keep the environment clean. In addition to that, you can use flea repellents on your dog to keep fleas away.
By doing all these, you can significantly reduce the chances of flea infestation.
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Down to earth, common sense, proven DOG advice
Welcome to Spike’s Dog Blog by Acme Canine. Throughout the site, you will find a variety of helpful dog training articles, insightful dog behavior tips, and truthful product reviews from nationally-recognized canine trainers and professionals.