Preventing Fleas On Your Pet

Let’s start with things you can do for your dog, then we’ll move on to things that you can do inside and outside of your home to fight and prevent problems with fleas.

Fleas are gross little parasites that are covered with tiny hairs enabling them to cling onto your dog’s coat.

Bathing

Regular bathing is a good way to keep your dog free from fleas. There are shampoos that are made espcially to kill flease, ticks, flea eggs, and flea larvae on dogs. After bathing your furry friend, check him for fleas using a fine-toothed comb designed specifically to remove fleas.

Topical Solutions

You can also apply a topical product or spray to kill and prevent fleas, thus keeping them from taking up residence in your pet’s fur. You can ask your veterinarian to help decide which product best suits your pet’s needs. You might also consider a flea or tick collar.

Dealing With Fleas Indoors

If your dog already has fleas, chances are there are fleas or eggs everywhere you pet has been.

Bedding & Linens

Every piece of your pet’s bedding needs to go into the washing machine. Additionally, you might have to include sheets, towels, thorws, rugs, or anything else that may have come into contact with your precious pooch. Preventatively, it’s a good rule of thumb to wash your dog’s bedding on a weekly basis.

Carpets, Furniture, and Upholsteries

You’re going to want to vacuum everything inside your house. This includes vacuuming the usual items such as carpeting, furniture, and drapes, but also paying attention to underneath furniture edges and other fabric surfaces inside your home. There are flea powders to sprinkle on your carpet in order to kill fleas or eggs deep in your carpet. It’s recommended that you seal whatever you’ve vacuumed up into a plastic bag when you throw it away to ensure that nothing escapes.

House

You might also want to consider using a fooger if you’ve had a flea infestation. Foggers can access areas inside cracks, moldings, and baseboards to find those hiding little buggers.

Still No Peace of Mind?

If you still feel that there are fleas lurking in your home, and need more peace of mind, another practice you might try is in a dark room place a pan ( shallow works best) half full with water add a tsp of vegetable oil, and then put a light under it. The light attracts the fleas, causing them to jump into the pan, where they get trapped and hopefully, drown.

Dealing With Fleas Outdoors

Okay, let’s talk about the yard surrounding your house. Mowing the lawn on a regular basis is the easiest and most effective way to reduce the possibility of a flea infestation. There is also a product called Sevin Dust that can be sprinkled in your yard to help kill and prevent fleas. There are also sprays that you can use for outdoor control. Trimming and pruning any shady areas will expose any flea larvae to sunlight, killing them before the fleas can spawn, so reduce any moist, dark spots in your yard to prevent flea problems before they occur.

The last thing you need to do is regularly follow up with these steps to ensure that the fleas stay out.

Provided by Victoria Sisson of www.pet-super-store.com: Where you can find Pet Stairs and Dog Kennels