How to Get Rid of Fleas
Tips for Ridding Your Home and Pet from These Tiny Pests
Getting rid of fleas, both on your dog or cat and from your home can sometimes be a challenge. The fleas live on your pet, but the eggs they lay fall all over your home. Anywhere your pet goes, there go the eggs. Sometime they don't hatch for up to one year. That's how we get infestations.
Getting Fleas Out of the House
The first step is to get the fleas out of your house. The fleas themselves are not just the problem; it is all those eggs they leave behind, too. If you don't stay on top of the situation, fleas can overrun your house, and cause you even more expense to get them out for good.
You will need to clean everything thoroughly. Isolate your pet in one room, preferably the basement or a bathroom. Gather together everything your pet touches, including bedding (yours and the animal's), throw rugs, clothes, and blankets. Wash them in hot water.
Vacuum every room in your house, including rugs, floors, under furniture, cracks in the baseboards, behind furniture, cracks in the floor, behind doors, and anywhere else you can reach a vacuum and attachments. This should pick up most of the eggs. Some larvae may remain behind. Be sure and immediately throw out the vacuum cleaner bag in a trashcan outside. Then have all your rugs steam cleaned. Or you can shampoo the rugs with insecticide carpet shampoo. You can rent a steam-cleaning machine from some grocery stores.
If you still have problems, get a flea bug bomb (fogger) from your vet. The ones you get at the store do not work as well. Be sure and read all the cautions, and do not leave anything that is living in the house, even if you are only fogging one room. You will have to leave the house for a prescribed amount of time, so perhaps you can plan a fun outing with your pet.
Get the Fleas Off Your Pet
The next step is to get the fleas and any eggs or larvae off your pet. Wash your pet with soapy water or a low toxin flea shampoo. Use a special flea comb to check your pet every day for fleas. Dispose of them in hot soapy water. If your pet has short hair, you can also use an adhesive lint roller.
An Ounce of Prevention
Now that you have gotten control over the flea problem, you want to keep it that way. Forget the flea collars, as they just don't work as well. There are some other things that do work well.
- K9 Advantix, Frontline, and Advantage work very well at keeping off the fleas for both dogs and cats. You can also get a flea insecticide to put on your lawns, so when Rover rolls around, the fleas will stay off of him. Never use a dog-specific flea product on cats. This could be dangerous for either pet.
- A more natural way to keep fleas off your pet is to put a little garlic juice in its food. Just put four sprays in the food (for small dogs) and mix well. You won't smell the garlic, but the fleas will, and they hate it.
- Make sure your pet's bed is easily washable and wash it once a week. If he likes to lie on the couch, put down a towel or a blanket for him to lie on.
- Do not give your cat any flea products unless it says that is safe for cats. Talk with your vet about ways you can treat your cat safely. Bio Spot for cats seems to work well.
It would be wise to use two treatments at the same time. Use a flea adulticide (like Advantage) that goes on your pet's skin once a month. There are also pills that prevent the fleas from reproducing (but it does not kill the adult fleas).
All that scratching and biting can drive you and your pets nuts. It can also cause sores, which can lead to infections. Nip it in the bud as soon as you find your first flea. Don't let it develop into an infestation. You will have happy and healthy pets.
No more fleas on your pet!
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