Dealing with Flea and Tick Problems
When the weather starts to warm up and your dog begins spending more time outside, you know you're going to have to deal with those dreaded fleas and ticks again. They're always a nuisance – especially if they get inside your home. However, there are both medications and home remedies that can help eliminate these pests from your dog and your home.
A flea dip is a one common way to get all the fleas and ticks off of your dog, but it's also one of the most labor-intensive methods. Bathing your dog – especially if it's a big dog – involves some work, and it can be difficult to work the flea shampoo deep into your dog's coat if the dog won't stand still. Also, some dogs can react badly to the medication, especially if you purchase a cheap brand. You can actually use gentle herbal shampoos to help control fleas – they'll kill fleas if you let them soak into your dog's coat for about five minutes.
While baths help remove fleas already on your dogs, a good flea treatment will help keep them off. Flea collars work, but most are only good as a preventative measure to keep your dog flea-free. To get rid of the fleas already on your dog, you need to get a good flea drop medicine. Generic brands available at most pet stores aren't that effective, and again, some dogs may react badly to them. If you really want to keep your dog flea-free and healthy, go to your vet and order a flea medication like Advantage, Revolution, or Frontline Plus. These medications make flea control as easy as squirting a bit of liquid on your dog's neck and back about once a month.
Actively looking over your dog's coat for fleas and ticks is an important part of preventing these infestations from occurring. If you find a tick, pluck it off your dog and kill it. If you find fleas on your dog, get a special flea comb to use on your dog. This comb has very small teeth that catch the fleas. You'll want a bowl of warm, soapy water nearby to dip the comb in after every stroke to get the fleas off of it. Don't worry – the soapy water will kill the fleas.
If you find that your home is infested with the pests, there are a couple of things you can do. First, invest in a good flea spray. The active ingredient you want to look for is called Nylar. Nylar actually stops flea larvae from growing into adult fleas by stopping the reproductive cycle. These sprays also include chemicals that kill off the adult fleas, so you both stop the immediate problem and prevent future flea generations. You generally won't find sprays with Nylar at your local pet store, but you can get them through your vet.
If you don't like using chemicals or medications on your dog, there are actually some natural herbal remedies that can help. First, fleas hate certain smells, including cedar, mint, lavender, and rosemary. Putting out potpourri containing these scents, getting small cedar balls to place around your home, and even placing mint plants in your house can help deter fleas.
Frequent vacuuming is a good idea, too. Regularly vacuum your carpets, furniture, and anywhere your dog sleeps to suck up the adult fleas and their eggs. Just remember that these eggs can still hatch in your vacuum bags, so you'll need to change the bags and clean the filters often. Another trick is to put out a pan of soapy water at night with a desk lamp shining on it. The light attracts the fleas, and once they're in the water, they can't escape and drown.
A good combination of these methods will keep both your dog and your house flea-free. Just remember that these treatments aren't a one-time thing – to truly eliminate the flea menace, you have to treat your puppy and your home on a regular basis.
