How To Treat A Dog For Fleas

Introduction

Fleas. Just the word sends shivers up and down my spine, not to mention down the backs of my dogs. The little biting monsters are more than a nuisance; untreated flea infestations can make your dog sick and even cause anemia. Wiping these pests out for good requires a multipronged approach, but with a little effort you can get rid of them. Here’s how to treat fleas on your dog at home.

Understand the flea life cycle.

Fleas are parasitic insects that feed on the blood of dogs and other animals. They spend most of their lives as larvae, which attach to the host’s skin and feed on blood; pupae (the last stage in their life cycle) live in a cocoon-like casing called a “flea dirt” ball.

If you find a flea infestation, you should understand the flea life cycle to be able to treat your dog for fleas effectively. Here’s what happens:

Get rid of fleas in the house.

Remove all pets from the house.
Remove all pets’ bedding and toys.
Wash all bedding and toys in hot, soapy water. Be sure to dry them well before giving them back to your pet.
Vacuum all floors thoroughly, including carpets and furniture cushions that cannot be washed. If you have an area rug with a removable cover, remove it and wash the entire carpeted area separately in hot soapy water; then shake out or vacuum up any dead fleas or eggs (flea larvae) that may have accumulated on the underside of it. Keep in mind: if you have carpeting throughout most of your home, this process could take hours!
Clean hard surfaces such as countertops, floors, tables and chairs using mild detergent mixed with warm water; rinse well and dry completely before returning items back into place.* Apply flea spray to all hard surfaces (such as furniture) not easily washed by hand.* Spray carpets and furniture with flea spray at least once per month during peak months when fleas are prevalent outside (spring through fall).

Treat the yard.

Now that you know how to treat your dog for fleas and ticks, it’s time to start treating the yard. If you live in an area where ticks are common, I recommend using a product that kills both fleas and ticks. Products such as Bravecto or Nexgard can be applied once a month and protect your dog from getting ticks in between visits to the vet. In addition, these products also protect against other parasites like mosquitoes and flies.

If you’re trying to get rid of fleas but not worried about ticks at this point, then Frontline Plus will do the trick for you (and it is less expensive than Bravecto). Frontline Plus works best when applied every three months rather than every four weeks like some other products; however it does not prevent new flea infestations after application so keep on top of treatments!

Choose a flea treatment product appropriate to your dog’s age and weight.

Once you have identified the type of flea that is invading your dog’s fur, you must use an appropriate treatment product. There are several different types of products available in varying sizes and forms.

Flea collars – These are recommended for dogs over 6 months old who spend a lot of time outdoors or have fleas in their home environment. The collar releases a small amount of insecticide into the dog’s skin, killing any fleas that come into contact with it.
Spot-on treatments – These liquid solutions go on the back between your dog’s shoulder blades, where they can be absorbed through the skin and kill adult fleas on contact for up to three months at a time (depending on the product). They are generally safe for all breeds except puppies under 4 weeks old and should not be used with other insecticides unless directed by your veterinarian or pharmacist. If this is done accidentally then consult an expert immediately as it could cause serious harm to your pet!

Use a mixture of a preventative and an emergency treatment.

The preventative is a pill or a topical application that you give your dog once every month. It will kill any fleas that are on your dog at the time of treatment, but it’s not going to protect him from future infestations.

The emergency treatment is a flea bath—it’s not something you want to use regularly, but it can help with an infestation if you’re in crisis mode and need immediate relief for your pet.

Wash your dog’s bedding and any other fabric items on which he might sleep.

Wash your dog’s bedding, blankets and carpets with hot water in a washing machine. If you don’t have a washing machine, soak them in the hottest water possible for about 30 minutes.

To kill fleas on these items you can use a flea shampoo for dogs or rubbing alcohol (70%). The flea shampoo is safe to use on all types of fabrics, whereas the rubbing alcohol should only be used on cotton or linen materials since it can damage synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon.

You can kill all the fleas that are on your dog and in his environment, but you have to take steps first.

Fleas are very difficult to eliminate. You can kill all the fleas that are on your dog and in his environment, but you have to take steps first.

Fleas can be found in the yard, house, and on the dog. They’re also hard to get rid of for several reasons:

Flea eggs hatch quickly so new fleas emerge very rapidly from any female that lays eggs after an adult female has been killed. This means that even if you treat your yard with chemicals or steam-clean carpets every month during warmer weather (the time of year when fleas multiply), adult fleas will continue to appear until all their eggs have hatched and died off naturally—which could be months later!
Some people think it’s enough just to treat their dog for fleas; however this does not guarantee sufficient control against reinfestation by other animals or pets coming into contact with infested areas such as lawns and parks where there may still be viable larvae waiting for a host animal upon which they can feed themselves into adulthood before mating again creating more hungry larvae ready once again within days after being born.”

Conclusion

The key to keeping your dog free of fleas is to start treatment early and stick with it. To this end, you should always use a preventative product like Frontline or Nexgard on your dog. If you are treating an infestation, the same product(s) may also be used as an emergency treatment. Following these steps will ensure that no more fleas are able to get onto your dog and lay eggs in his environment.