Fleas are one of the most obnoxious pests that can affect your dog. Fleas are tiny little bugs that hop on to your dog and make a home for themselves in your dog’s fur and feeds off their blood. Because of this, fleas tend to make your dog itch uncontrollably, making them miserable.
If your dog has fleas, it’s very important that you get them treated right away. If your dog doesn’t have fleas, that doesn’t mean that it’s not possible.
Fleas tend to enjoy warmer weather, making them appear mostly during the spring and summer months.
If your dog were to catch fleas and bring them into your home, they could also start to inhabit your bed, your furniture and your clothing, which means that you will need to call an exterminator to rid your home from the nuisance.
Instead of spending a fortune on treatments and exterminators, it’s always best to use preventative measures on your dog. The following are just a few ways to help protect your dog from fleas.
Use Medication.
There are many different flea preventative medications on the market today, including K9 Advantix and Frontline. These medications are applied to your dog once a month, starting at the nape of the neck and working your way back to your dog’s tail.
The medication then spreads over your dog’s fur, creating a barrier against fleas, ticks and their larvae.
While these products are extremely effective, it’s important that you remember to use the medication every month. If you forget even one treatment, your dog could become infested with fleas. These products can usually be purchased from your vet, your local pet store or online.
Use Flea Collars.
If you don’t want to put oily medication on your dog, you can also opt to use a flea collar. There are typically two types of flea collars: those that emit a gas and those that generate medication into your dog’s skin.
The gas emitted from flea collars will typically only protect your dog’s head and neck from catching fleas, and may leave the rest of their body open to infestation. The collars that send medication into your dog’s skin work best, as they kill both adult fleas and their larvae.
Like medication, flea collars can be purchased at your vet, local pet store or online. The prices of flea collars will vary significantly based on the manufacturer and the effectiveness of the collar. You should also be sure to thoroughly read the directions, as some flea collars need to be changed every two weeks while some can last much longer.
Protect your Yard.
If your dog is going to catch fleas, they’re going to catch them outside. This is why it’s also important for you to protect your yard from getting infested. Wild animals such as skunks and raccoons typically have fleas, and if these animals walk through your yard on a regular basis, they could leave larvae and eggs behind, which could then hatch and infest your yard.
Make sure that you are taking the necessary steps to keep these animals out of your yard, such as by installing fences or using wildlife repellents.
You can also use pesticides or insecticides in your yard to keep fleas from entering your yard. Just be sure to read the directions on the product first, as some insecticides and pesticides could be dangerous to your dog.
Danielle Nottingham works for www.DogTrainingCollars.com and loves to write about routine animal health and basic preventative healthcare.