Having a dog also means that you need to deal with pesky fleas. Aside from getting diseases, your dog can also suffer from anemia due to losing too much blood from blood sucking fleas. If your dog has allergies or sensitive to flea bites, your pet can have a severe allergic reaction resulting in baldness, intense itch and inflammation throughout the dog’s body. Many dog owners are confused to the many flea treatment products in the market today. Flea comb, flea sprays, natural products, topical spot-on solutions, oral growth regulator or "birth control" pills for the fleas are only some of the flea treatment products available in the market.
Your pet can get fleas everywhere especially when they are outdoors. Even if you don’t want it, your pets will be more than likely going to play host to fleas at some point in their lives. You can’t be sure that your dogs will not get any fleas. There is very little you can do to prevent this from happening since they can be found lurking anywhere just waiting for a host to pass by but there are some things you can still do to prevent fleas from infesting and breeding in your house.
You can use a special type of comb called flea comb to help you get rid of any fleas and eggs from your pet’s coat. Adding a little bit of oil onto the comb spines is very effective in catching those little parasites because they get stuck or trapped to the comb. Do not forget to have a bowl of hot water close by when you do this easy trick so that you can instantly place any fleas directly into the water whenever you catch one. Behind your pet’s ears, spots in between their toes, the fur in their armpits, and under the neck are the spots that you check. Placing a white cloth under your dog during combing can help you to easily spot fleas. Fleas are notoriously hard to catch so don't expect to eliminate all your pet’s fleas in one combing.
You can also use alcohol to stun fleas while brushing and easily dump them into a cup of water to die. Drain the mug down the toilet to make sure that any fleas do not make it out. Giving bath to your pet regularly can help minimize the flea problem of your dog but not when you are dealing with a major flea’s infestation. There are also special shampoos in the market that is made to killing fleas but can be too toxic to use every day. Rosewood, cedar and eucalyptus are some alternative products that you can use to take care of minor flea problems. Mixture of lemon and water in a clean spray bottle is another good choice in dealing with minor flea problem. A little spray across the body is usually enough to solve minor flea problem of your dog, just remember to avoid getting any spray into the eyes of your dog.
Bring your dog to a veterinarian when your dog’s flea problem has reached to flea infestation level. Veterinarian can analyze your pet’s condition and prescribe medication for the infestation. There are also many products available in the market that is safe to use in your home and also safe for your pets like a diatomaceous earth. This is one of the cheapest ways to handle flea problems in your home. Advantage and Frontline can wipe out adult fleas and prevents outbreak for up to 3 months. You just need a few drops onto your pet's shoulder and the special chemical will spread and cure on its own. Advantage and Frontline has little toxicity which makes it safe for your pet. These products are both harsh to pest but gentle to your pet’s sensitive skin. Whether Advantage or Frontline, you can be confident that your purchased item will completely eliminate the bugs on your pet’s skin. Be careful in handling such substances because these chemicals can harm you or your pet if used improperly. Ask your vet before you buy and use any product. Every flea control products on the market are not the same so pick one that best suitable for your pet’s condition. Each has their own levels of success and kill different flea stages i.e. the eggs, larvae, and adults. One product may be effective against the adult fleas but is simply harmless to the eggs or larvae.
If your pet has a bad flea infestation then you may need a combination of these products to effectively get rid of those pesky fleas. Try to research on other alternative products or systems in controlling and reducing fleas. There are many flea control systems you might not have been aware of before so research! Your choice of a flea treatment medicine or method for your dog is very vital because it determines the success or failure in your battle against these pesky fleas.
