Despite their tiny size, fleas can become a huge problem once they find their way inside your home. These tiny, wingless insects feed on their host’s blood, causing irritation and itching that can drive you or your dog crazy.
The thought of having fleas on your dog is enough to make you shudder, but these pesky parasites can do much more than just cause an itchy rash: Fleas can carry dangerous diseases that can infect all kinds of animals (and humans), causing serious health problems for your dog.
But what’s the best way to get rid of fleas? Ridding your dog of fleas requires multiple steps, including medication, bathing, and vacuuming.
How to identify fleas on dogs
If your dog is scratching or biting their skin, especially around their back and hind legs, fleas may be to blame. The first step in treatment is to confirm the presence of fleas and rule out other possible causes. Why dogs itch.
Although it is possible to see live fleas, these tiny bugs move around quickly and hop around, making it difficult to spot them on your dog’s body. It’s probably easier to spot evidence of fleas, such as “flea droppings” that appear on the skin where the tiny blood-sucking bugs have been feeding.
“Flea feces is actually flea waste,” says Dr. Stephanie Howe, veterinarian and veterinary advisor at PetMD. “It’s digested blood clots that look like tiny grains of black pepper.” Flea feces is evidence that fleas are using your dog as a food source, and it’s a sign that you should take steps to rid your dog of fleas.
Use a flea comb to look for small black specks on your dog’s skin, especially around the bottom. Have you found flea droppings? Contact your vet to administer flea medication as soon as possible.
How to get rid of fleas fast
There are countless products on the market that claim to get rid of fleas on dogs, but curing a flea infestation is a multi-step process that can take anywhere from weeks to months depending on the severity, which is why prevention is so important. Giving your pet a monthly flea and tick preventative is much easier than trying to get rid of fleas once they have infested your home.
But it is possible to get rid of fleas quickly, and you just need a few products to treat your pet and your home quickly and effectively.
Flea comb
Effective medicines are It can start to kill adult fleas within a few hours, but you should still check your pet for fleas daily. Fine-toothed metal flea comb You need to remove fleas at every stage of their life cycle, and this is different to regular brushing: the purpose of using a flea comb is to rid your dog of parasites.
Veterinarian Sarah Wooten recommends using a flea comb in the bathtub, where it will flush any flea eggs and feces down the drain (where they won’t settle and hatch in your carpet later). After every few combs, dip the comb in soapy water to drown any removed fleas and eggs.
For severe infestations, you will need to continually use a flea comb to remove all the eggs from your pet, so set an alarm on your phone to let you know when it’s time for your dog’s daily flea check. Once your dog is on a regular preventative schedule, ask your vet if you have any questions about how to use a flea comb or how often to check for fleas.
Pharmaceuticals
There are several types of flea medications available to treat your pet’s flea infestation. They are administered in a variety of ways, and there are combination medications that not only treat fleas but also treat multiple other parasites such as ticks, heartworms, hookworms, tapeworms, etc. Your vet can help you determine the best medication for your dog, depending on its health, size and infestation level.
Oral flea control
Dr. Howe says that oral flea preventatives are the “gold standard” for treating fleas on dogs. These come as chewable tablets that work quickly and efficiently, usually taking effect within 30 minutes to a few hours of administration. He recommends monthly preventative products that also act as tick preventatives, such as:
Your veterinarian can help you select an oral flea and tick control that will prevent flea infestations and also protect against tick-borne diseases.
If you need emergency flea control (for example, if you have a stray cat or your veterinarian is closed), use Capstar® and Advantus® These are oral flea medications available without a prescription. Both medications work quickly, but they only kill adult fleas, so while monthly flea prevention is necessary to control a flea infestation, these medications may provide temporary relief.
Topical flea medication
Topical flea and tick preventions are also very effective, but the liquid applications are harder to apply and take longer to start killing fleas (12-48 hours). These should be applied to the back of your dog’s neck, making sure they do not swallow the medication while it is still wet. Always allow all topical medications to dry completely before allowing your dog near other pets in the household (such as cats) or small children.
Certain topical treatments for dogs, such as Frontline Plus®, are available without a prescription, however, prescription medications may be more effective:
Natural Flea Remedies
Do not use flea controls that claim to be natural or homeopathic. So-called natural flea controls have not been proven to work against fleas and may even be dangerous to your dog or irritate already itchy skin. FDA-approved flea controls are the best way to keep your pet flea-free.
“There are no ‘natural’ products that will prevent fleas on dogs,” says Dr Howe, and many of the common claims made about natural flea repellents include ingredients such as garlic, which is toxic to dogs and extremely harmful if ingested.
Howe points out that some flea medications, like Simparica, are derived from natural molecules found in soil, so pet owners looking for a more natural option can ask their vet if Simparica is right for their dog.
Flea shampoo and spray for dogs
Along with prescription medications Flea shampoo and spray It helps control an active flea problem and gives your dog immediate relief.When you bathe your dog, use a flea comb in the tub to remove flea feces and eggs from his coat.
The active ingredients in medicated flea shampoos are designed to immediately eliminate parasites on your dog’s body, but don’t necessarily offer permanent protection against subsequent reinfection. A prescription-strength oral flea medication combined with a medicated shampoo or spray can provide both immediate and long-term prevention, but Dr. Howe notes that a soothing oatmeal shampoo may be just as effective (though less drying to the skin) as a flea shampoo.
Flea control
Just as you should be diligent in controlling fleas on your pets, you should also clean your home frequently and vacuum at least every other day. Indoor sprays, powders and other products used in combination with medications can help eliminate fleas and flea eggs in areas where your dog congregates. Look for pet-safe products designed to eliminate fleas in the home and yard, such as:
Ridding your home of all flea droppings, fleas, and flea eggs will take several days of vacuuming. Vacuum all upholstered furniture (couches, chairs, mattresses), floors, carpets, rugs, and baseboards to remove any eggs that may have fallen from your pet and become lodged in crevices. Once you’re done vacuuming, carefully empty the contents of the vacuum into a sealable bag and discard in an outdoor trash can away from your home. Wash your pet’s bedding frequently on high heat and dry it on high heat or in direct sunlight.
Flea prevention for dogs
While it is possible to get rid of fleas once they have made their way into your home, the best way to ward off fleas is to stop them before they start. Fighting a flea infestation requires a lot of time, energy and attention to prevent the eggs from hatching and re-infesting your dog. Keeping your dog and your home flea-free requires regular monthly use of preventative medications that provide ongoing protection for your pet from the inside out. “Year-round use of flea, tick and heartworm medications is essential to keep these pests from harming your pet,” says Dr. Howe.
Although fleas tend to be more common in warmer and more humid climates, most veterinarians recommend using a year-round flea and tick preventative to keep your dog protected, especially if he or she is prone to allergic reactions to flea bites ( Flea allergy dermatitis). Consult your veterinarian to determine which type of flea and tick prevention is best for your dog. Your veterinarian can make a recommendation that suits your needs.
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