What to Do If Your Dog Has Fleas

by Jessi Larson

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Wondering what to do in case your canine has fleas? It’s a typical problem, and we’ll stroll you thru every thing it is advisable to know.

Fleas are a number of the most typical uninvited visitors that may simply be introduced into any pet-loving family. Despite their tiny measurement, they could be a big ache to take away, each out of your canine and from your private home.

Knowing your enemy is an important a part of any battle, and a flea infestation might be difficult. An necessary a part of eradicating fleas is knowing what they’re and the way they transfer round with the intention to act effectively and plan forward.

Let’s overview what fleas are and find out how to inform in case your canine is infested, after which dive proper into what to do in case your canine does have fleas.

Understanding Fleas

Fleas are small flightless bugs that devour blood from their hosts. Fortunately, fleas can nonetheless be seen with the bare eye, however their swift jumps and their fondness for sticking near your canine’s pores and skin and fur makes them tough to catch.

Not solely that, however their six legs and microscopic hairs enable them to cling to their hosts with ease. This means they’ll stick on virtually something they set their minds to.

Another necessary factor to pay attention to is that they unfold at a speedy price. A feminine flea can lay between 20-50 eggs per day!

Taking 2-12 days to hatch, their eggs are coloured white and intensely tough to seen. This contributes to the issue of eliminating fleas from you, your canine and your residing setting.

Because they’re small and quick, reproduce rapidly and keep on with nearly all over the place, fleas are a formidable pressure that may frustrate even probably the most skilled of pet homeowners.

If left untreated, fleas will unfold not solely from canine to canine, but in addition on furnishings and typically people. And for some individuals, flea bites may even set off allergic reactions.

How to Know if Your Dog has Fleas

Before we talk about what to do in case your canine has fleas, let’s first speak about find out how to determine these pesky critters.

There are some ways to search out out in case your canine has been taking in a couple of flea tenants of their fur. When looking out for fleas, see in case your canine:

• Has noticeably elevated its tendency to scratch, chunk and lick itself
• Has black or brown spots the place they weren’t earlier than
• Has scabs or crimson bumps on his pores and skin
• Loses extra fur than normal
• Is extra stressed than normal

What to Do If Your Dog Has Fleas

If you’ve found your canine does have fleas, don’t panic. This is a typical incidence and might be handled.

Here’s what to do in case your canine has fleas.

Give Your Dog Flea Treatment ASAP

First issues first, you’ll wish to give your canine a fast-acting flea remedy to cease the buggers of their tracks.

This might be discovered at your native pet retailer, on-line or at your veterinarian’s workplace.

Capstar Fast-Acting Oral Flea Treatment is a good possibility. It begins killing fleas inside half-hour of taking a pill.

And whereas we’re on the subject of veterinarians, it’s not a nasty concept to name your physician to clarify the issue. They see this problem on a regular basis and might provide help. (Here are tips about how to find a trusted vet.)

Give Your Dog a Bath

Next, get your flea-infested good friend within the bathtub. If you’re panicking about what to do in case your canine has fleas, a shower is an easy but extremely efficient strategy to clear up the issue.

Fleas hate water and can drown when submerged. To begin, seize a bottle of flea-fighting shampoo, refill the tub with lukewarm water and wash your canine completely.

Check out this guide to giving your dog a flea bath for more information.

Getting up shut and private with the fleas generally is a bit uncomfortable, so don’t be afraid to throw a pair of gloves on.

After the bathtub, be sure you wash your tub completely to take away the useless fleas and their feces. (Gross, we all know!)

Comb Your Dog’s Fur

Another step to make sure the fleas are gone for good is to make use of a fine-tooth comb. After their bathtub, run a comb via their hair to root out any pests nonetheless hiding of their hair.

Your canine could also be getting antsy at this level, so don’t overlook to reward them with a couple of treats for all their effort.

Clean Your House

After your canine is handled, you’ll instantly wish to get your private home cleaned. Your canine could also be freed from fleas after the steps above, but when the critters are nonetheless lingering in your house, there’s likelihood of reinfection.

First, wash all lately used sheets with cleaning soap and water after which vacuum carpets and flooring. (And bear in mind to throw away the vacuum bag!)

If issues are actually out of hand, you may even name in an exterminator. They see this problem on a regular basis and can know simply what to do.

Stay Vigilant

Once your canine has fleas, eliminating them would require steady effort from all events within the family. You’ll wish to keep vigilant to make sure these pesky critters are gone as soon as and for all.

First, be certain to comply with your veterinarian’s prescriptions and recommendation relating to dosage and frequency of use on the subject of drugs and coverings. People usually cease earlier than supplying all of the doses.

It’s additionally finest to maintain watch in your canine’s bodily look and habits to see if fleas nonetheless roam about.

Putting within the further effort will assure the fleas are gone for good.

Preventing a Flea Infestation

As with something, prevention is healthier than remedy. With preventative steps beforehand, you received’t be questioning what to do in case your canine has fleas – as a result of it received’t be a problem.

Using flea preventatives reminiscent of flea collars and chewables are essential, particularly when taking your canine out to the park or every other setting that will result in interactions with different canine or animals.

Such preventive measures will prevent lots of money and time making an attempt to do away with these pesky parasites.

Final Thoughts: What to Do If Your Dog Has Fleas

Finding out your canine has fleas is each icky and alarming for therefore many causes. If you end up on this state of affairs, nonetheless, simply take a deep breath and stay calm. Fleas on pets is an extremely widespread incidence.

Following the steps above will assist you to rapidly cleanse your canine and your private home of those gross little gremlins.

And if you wish to do what you may to ensure you by no means have this problem once more, be sure you usually give your canine preventative therapies.

Good luck!

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