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Dog Fleas: 6 Tips For A Flea-Free Dog & Home

If you see one flea on your dog, you will see hundreds within a week. If you’re less than lucky, you also may see the products of their reproductive cycles in the form of eggs they hatch before your very eyes in a warm spot, such as where your dog sleeps. Ticks, on the other hand, may attach themselves to your dog and go unnoticed until they embed in his skin and potentially cause some real damage. If you live in a warm, humid region of the country, your dog is more inclined to experience flea and tick infestations than if you live in a cooler, drier climate.

Battling these external parasites has become a lot easier in recent years with the development of new flea and tick-fighting products, but the best way to ensure that your dog and you don’t become overrun by fleas and ticks is to never let your guard down. Check your dog’s coat after every romp in the outdoors during flea and tick season and keep him armed against these pesky critters.

The most common areas of an animal in which you will notice fleas is around the neck, behind the ears, and at the base of the tail. Flecks of flea feces and eggs that look like salt and pepper fall off an infested dog and are deposited wherever he sits or sleeps. Ticks can land anywhere on your dog, so be sure to brush out his coat after a walk. If you do get a flea infestation, you must eliminate them from your dog and your home. Adult fleas as well as the eggs and larvae must be destroyed.

Here are a few more tips:

1. “The best offense is a good defense” goes the old football adage, but it is also true when it comes to flea-fighting products. Ask your veterinarian for information on the flea buster in pill or liquid form, or the topicals - Frontline, Revolution, or Advantage - for the most effective way to prevent fleas from attacking your dog.

2. If you are using flea shampoo to rid your dog of fleas, lather a ring of suds around his neck when starting to bathe him to keep fleas from running up to his head.

3. Flea combs trap fleas in the metal teeth for removal and disposal.

4. Another way to pick fleas off your dog is to first dab your finger in petroleum jelly.

5. To get fleas out of your carpet and keep the larvae from hatching, sprinkle the carpet with table salt or borax. Allow to stand for several hours, then vacuum.

6. When vacuuming during a flea infestation, throw away the vacuum cleaner bag after each use to prevent any eggs or larvae you’ve picked up from hatching.