What is the best way to get rid of dog fleas? Well, to be frank it needs an effort from the homeowner’s side. There are simple and best ways to kill fleas on dogs. But before we get to the topic, you need to know about dog fleas and what causes fleas on dogs.
Although there are different household pests, being a dog owner, its the dog fleas that break our hearts. There are over 2000 different versions of fleas throughout the world, of which many of them can be eliminated with our average eradication solutions. Although these pests are very small, it can really create a big mess when it is there on your pet. Your dog will go crazy, scratching and itching. Whether your flea problem begins with a single flea carried by your pet or with a whole host transferred to your home unknowingly, the result always ends in infestation. Always check your dog for fleas and get rid of them immediately.
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Fleas On Dogs – A Real Mess
Dog fleas! These small dark brown insects love to sit on your furry friend as they prefer temperature of 65-80 degrees and humidity levels of 75-85 %. fleas may start with one family member, but most often they jump to other family members. So it is important to act quickly and get rid of them as soon as possible. Fleas can jump as high as 7 inches and 13 inches horizontally. They even travel from one place to another in search of fresh blood. But there are also some fleas that cannot live off of human blood. The flea’s bite can cause itching for your dog but for a sensitive or flea-allergic dog, this itching can be quiet severe and leads to hair loss, inflammation and secondary skin infections.
Understanding The Life Cycle Of A Flea
A flea looks for warm blooded animals like the dog or cat or even humans. The adult female flea lives for several weeks on your pet. During this time period, this flea will suck the dog’s blood two or three times and lay 20 to 30 eggs each day. The flea may also lay several hundred eggs over its life span. These eggs later on fall off of the pet into the yard, carpet, bedding and wherever your pet spends time. Under optimal conditions, fleas can complete its entire life cycle in just 14 days.
Knowing their life cycle will help you understand why it has always been important to get rid of them completely.
So what’s next??? Find the source of infestation. Before you take any action, you must determine where the infestation came from. If the infestation came from your pet, you should take him to the vet so that your pet can have a flea bath. This helps to kill all the fleas that are currently living on your pet. Do not bring him inside your home until you had completely eradicated all fleas from your home, or else they may be infested again. And so this means that you should do a good cleaning, not just cleaning your dog’s bed, but everything. Yes, I mean EVERYTHING. Once you are done with the cleaning and washing, including your dog, you are ready to start your flea treatment.
Few Accessories That Help…
- Shampoos – There are many flea and tick shampoos available in GNC or other stores that get rid of the fleas and ticks on your dog’s back. To get the desired results, you need to properly use a flea and tick shampoo in and over the entire body and then leave it on for at least 10 minutes before you rinse it off. Also, remember to protect the eyes and ears of the pet as flea shampoos often contain pyrethrins.
- Flea combs – your pet will love this treatment as he gets the hands-on attention through his coat. Flea combs are absolutely non-toxic and are the best way to use it on ill, pregnant or infant dogs. Be sure to choose a comb that has 32 teeth/inch.
- Cedar oil – cedar oil is an essential oil that works well on fleas and ticks. It can be used directly on your dog and on things that your dog uses. If your dog is in need of a new dog pillow, consider getting a cedar dog bed. They are popular for their ability to get rid of fleas.
- Lemon spray – cut a lemon into 4 sections including the peel and place them in a glass jug. Pour boiling water over the lemon wedges and leave it overnight. Next morning, pour the lemon water into a clean spray bottle and spray on your dog’s coat. This time, make sure to protect your dog’s eyes and ears , his armpits, and around the base of his tail. Just be careful not to spray on tender parts.Preventing Fleas On Dogs Naturally
Fleas not just stick on your dog’s coat, but also live in your furniture (hardwood floor creases, rugs and carpet) and in your dog’s bedding. To repel away the fleas, it is important that you take these preventive measures.
- Wash your dog’s bedding – wash your dog’s clothing and bedding frequently. This includes any clothing or bedding of yours that your dog regularly has contact with.
- Vacuum all rugs, carpet and upholstery – this will will help to take away the fleas and larvae that sticks on the carpet and rugs.
- Bath your dog daily – this is an best way to kill dog fleas and ticks. For this, buy dog neem shampoo or a dog oatmeal shampoo, especially if your dog has irritated skin from all the scratching. Lather it up real good all over your dog’s coat and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes. Finally rinse well.
- Brush your dog regularly – any dog brush that has a 32 inch teeth brush will work on fleas. A flea comb works even better than any other treatment and measures due to the comb’s teeth being really close together. Depending on the severity of the flea problem, you should comb your dog at least once a week or as much as twice a day.