How Do I Treat My Dog’s Fleas?
There is a wide variety of very safe and effective flea treatments on the market today. Prevention being the best method of controlling fleas, using any one of the many over-the-counter treatments including drops that are applied at specific intervals and collars is recommended.
Your dog’s veterinarian may also be able to help with a selection of prescription-only treatments including:
In general, once you have treated your dog for fleas, he should make a full recovery. You may want to give him a bath using a flea shampoo to kill off any leftovers, and to remove dead fleas and flea excretions.
It may take a few days or longer for all of the fleas to die. Be sure the treatment you use also kills eggs, larvae, and pupae or your dog will suffer another infestation in very short order. If you are not sure if your dog is clear of the infestation, you should consider taking him to the vet. There is more information about fleas and how they affect your dog here.
Everything You Need to Know About Dog Fleas
Becoming a pet parent is very exciting, and probably one of the most fulfilling things in life. But then, it’s a huge responsibility.
Before you get a pet, you can take your time to decide which one best by researching to learn what breed matches your lifestyle.
I hate fleas and when I was looking for a dog I low-key wanted to get one that’s “flea resistant.”
I did everything I could. I googled ‘Do all dog breeds get fleas?’ and read everything there was to read.
And if you stay with me to the end, you’ll learn what I found out from my endless research.
How to prevent picking up fleas at dog services
Ask your dog service providers about the flea prevention protocols in place to ensure your pet is sufficiently protected. It’s important to find out how they respond in the event of finding an animal under their care with fleas and how often they have outbreaks in their facilities, so you can be prepared if one happens.
Cat and dog fleas do not live freely outside, because they must spend their adult lives on pets or wild animals, but eggs, larvae and pupae can be found in warm, sheltered areas. If you have experienced a flea infestation in your home, and your dog spends time outside the house (for example, an outdoor kennel or in the car), these places must also be treated, because they can be a source of repeated infestation.
Fleas In Dogs | Vet Explains
Maybe you’ve noticed a few tiny, dark insects scurrying through the fur of your pet. Perhaps your dog is losing some hair at the base of its tail, or you haven’t seen your pet itching, yet discovered red bumps on its ankles, feet, or lower legs.
Guess what? All these scenarios can signal the presence of fleas. Fleas are pesky little parasites that drink the blood of mammals. Their bite can be very uncomfortable and may even transmit disease. It is important to know if fleas are in your home and what you can do to solve the problem.
Fleas are extremely common tiny parasites that are a bit smaller than a grain of rice (1/8 inch or up to 4 millimeters). They survive by drinking the blood of a host, which is usually a mammal (dog, cat, ferret, rabbit, human, etc.). There are fleas that can feed on other species such as birds, but fortunately, they do not cause any problems for pets. A flea’s life cycle is somewhat complex and has four stages: egg, larva, pupa (in a cocoon), and adult.
Fleas are most common during the warm months, however, they can survive winter inside a heated home. They are a year-round pest in southern states but only seasonal in the north. They can, however, be found almost anywhere in the United States, any time of year.
The primary driving factor of this cycle is temperature. During the cold months, it can take a flea more than 200 days to grow from an egg into an adult. This means that you need to treat your pets for a long time in the winter to protect against flea infestation—often as long as eight months. However, during the summer, the cycle is much quicker, and you may be able to rid your pet of any fleas in just two to three months with proper medication and treatment.
Dogs can get fleas in many ways. One way is through contact with other flea-infested dogs during a walk, romp at the dog park, or playdate at another pooch’s home.
Fleas can also “hitchhike” their way into your house by attaching to socks, pant legs, and shoes. Fleas can also jump tremendous distances! It isn’t impossible for a flea to jump through a screened-in window or door. If you aren’t using flea preventatives, it is more than likely your dog will become infested with fleas.
These fleas or flea eggs fall into the grass and wait for their next meal. The flea might also jump on your clothes when you walk into the house, and you might unknowingly share it with your pet. It’s important to remember that fleas are excellent jumpers, so screen doors and windows aren’t a barrier.
These encounters may be hot beds for fleas. You can run, but you can’t hide! Fleas are everywhere.
It is just as likely, however, that the dog passes the fleas to the cat as it is the other way around. Any mammal in the house that isn’t treated—including a guinea pig, rabbit, and ferret—could harbor fleas.