Choosing the right flea treatment for your dogs

Having a dog also means that you need to deal with pesky fleas. Aside from getting diseases, your dog can also suffer from anemia due to losing too much blood from blood sucking fleas. If your dog has allergies or sensitive to flea bites, your pet can have a severe allergic reaction resulting in baldness, intense itch as well as inflammation throughout the dog’s body. Many dog owners are confused to the many flea treatment products in the market today. Flea comb, flea sprays, natural products, topical spot-on solutions, oral growth regulator or "birth control" pills for the fleas are only some of the flea treatment products available in the market.

Your pet can pick up fleas everywhere especially when your pets are outdoors. Even if you don’t want it, your pets will be more than likely going to play host to fleas at some point in their lives. You can’t be sure that your dogs will not pick up any fleas. There is very little you can do to prevent this from happening because fleas can be found almost anywhere just waiting for a host to pass by but there are some things you can still do to prevent fleas from breeding in your house.

A special type of comb called flea comb can be one of your best tools in keeping your dog free from fleas. Use the flea comb everyday especially after your pets have been outside during hot weather in order to take out fleas and eggs from your dog’s coat. Putting a little bit of oil onto the comb spines is very effective in catching those little parasites because they get caught or trapped to the comb. Keep a bowl of hot water close by when you do this so that you can instantly place any fleas directly into the water whenever you catch one. Behind your pet’s ears, spots in between their toes, the fur in their armpits, as well as under the neck are the spots that you check. You can easily notice fleas when you place a white cloth or towel underneath your dog during combing. Fleas are notoriously hard to catch so don't expect to remove all your pet’s fleas in one combing.

You can also use alcohol to stun fleas while brushing and easily dump them into a cup of water to die. Empty the mug down the toilet to make sure that any fleas do not make it out. Regularly giving baths to our dog can also reduce your dog’s flea problems but not when you are dealing with a major flea’s infestation. With major flea problem you can use special shampoos that are made to kill fleas. Some alternative products available commercially are rosewood, cedar, or eucalyptus is better choice than relying on other commercial products to take care of minor flea problems. Mixture of lemon and water in a clean spray bottle is another good alternative in dealing with minor flea problem. A little spray across the body is usually enough to solve minor flea problem of your dog, just remember to avoid getting any spray into the eyes of your dog.

You should bring your pet to a veterinarian when your dog’s flea problem has reached to flea infestation level. Veterinarian can analyze your pet’s condition and prescribe the best medication for the flea infestation. There are also a lot of products available in the market that is safe to use in your home like a diatomaceous earth. This is one of the cheapest ways to handle flea problems in your home. Strong medication such as Advantage and Frontline can wipe out all of the adult fleas on your pet in hours while preventing outbreaks for up to 3 months. Just drop some onto your pet's shoulder and the special chemical will spread and cure on its own. Advantage and Frontline has little toxicity which makes it safe for your pet. These products are both harsh to pest but gentle to your pet’s sensitive skin. Whether Advantage or Frontline, you can be confident that your purchased item will completely eliminate the bugs on your pet’s skin. Be cautious in handling such substances because these chemicals can injure you or your pet if used improperly. Ask your vet if you don’t understand anything about the product. Flea control products on the market are not the same so pick one that best suitable for your pet’s condition. Each has their own levels of effectiveness and kill different flea stages i.e. the eggs, larvae, and adults. One product may be effective against the adult fleas but is simply harmless to the eggs or larvae.

If your pet has a bad flea infestation then you have to use a combination of these products to effectively remove those pesky fleas. Try to research on other choices or systems in controlling and getting rid of fleas. There are many flea control systems you might haven’t tried before so research! Your choice of a flea treatment medicine or method for your dog is very vital because it determines the success or failure in your fight against these pesky fleas.