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Dog Fleas and How to Get Rid of Them
Posted by GuestPoster in -Home Cleaning
My dog has been scratching himself a lot recently and, as it looked like it was bothering him, I have been looking into what the cause may be. It seems that the problem is fleas and that dogs are more susceptible to fleas than cats are, perhaps because they are more social creatures. If you don’t get fleas treated, you can end up with a dog with hot spots, and potentially in a great deal of discomfort, even pain.
What are fleas and how do you spot them?
Fleas live in your dog’s coat and are about 1-3mm in size. The adult fleas lay hundreds of eggs which fall from the animal and can develop in carpets and gaps between flooring. These can then constantly reinfect your dog. You will know if your dog has fleas as as you can usually see them moving or jumping, especially if you dog’s coat is wet.
How to get rid of fleas
There are lots of flea treatments available from pills to shampoos. I believe that the shampoos are not as good as the spot-ons as they wash away the skin’s oils that help disperse the insecticide, which is the active ingredient in the treatment. Natural products are also available which may be safer. I have heard of some people holding their dog under the water to drown the fleas but this sounds pretty stressful for the dog and the owner and an option I can’t say I would like to try. However, I found that the best treatment is to use a vet approved spot-on and to use this every month to prevent re-infection. This seems to have worked well for my dog, much to my relief!
As well as treating your dog you need to treat your home and garden. Various sprays are available for treating infestations in the house and special sprays are even available for use in the garden. This can be a bit of work but is well worth it.
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