Stop Fleas Before They Make Your Pet Their Home

Fleas are parasites that live off the blood sucked from their hosts, be it man or animal. The female flea can lay hundreds of eggs in her lifetime, and the whole life cycle can take as little as 3 weeks, or last almost 2 years. Once your house is infested, the eggs and larvae can remain dormant for long periods of time, even if there is no animal in the house any longer. Fleas will bite and live off the blood of humans, but do not reproduce without the blood of an animal.

From that you should see the importance of flea prevention. If you have discovered fleas on your dog or around your home, it is too late for simple grooming, bathing or store bought flea collars, and further action is necessary. The bite of the flea alone is quite itchy, but in some dogs, a severe, intense allergic reaction to flea saliva, known as Flea Allergic Dermatitis can occur. In some dogs, this can lead to hair loss, extreme itching, and even an infection of the skin. By separating the dog’s coat until you are able to view the skin, the presence of fleas will look like black specks racing across the back, groin and hind leg areas. Tiny sand-sized black specks, called flea dirt, may also be present in the fur. When wetted, these will turn red, as this is digested blood-droppings of a flea. Tiny white specks may also be seen on the fur, these being the flea eggs.

There are now many commercial products available that quickly solve the problem of fleas. Frontline, Advantage, Sentinel and Program are all efficient against fleas, even when they have already taken up residence on your pet. Flea baths, dips, sprays, flea collars, powders and fogs are all other alternatives, but none are very successful once the animal or its habitat is infested. The best way to be free of fleas is effective prevention, through proper, regular grooming, and one or more of the means just mentioned.