The threat of parasites can be a year round issue for your pet and for us, too, but flea populations generally blowup about 5 to 6 weeks after it starts to warm up. So you need to pay extra attention to the prevention treatments in the early summer months and spring time. Here we are discussing a few points in regards to help you spot, treat, and prevent the problem.
Spotting The Problem
- Check for black specks which might be ‘flea dirt’! There are two ways to check for black flecks
- Run a good quality flea comb over your pooch, making sure that the comb reaches to the pet’s skin through its coat. If you see black flecks on the comb after pulling it off, those might be the flea dirt. If you see fleas on the comb, drag them in soapy water in a bowl before those tiny creatures can get away
- Make your pet sit on a white paper towel (a bit larger than the size of your pet) beneath your pooch and rub your hands through its fur. If you see black flecks on the towel, it can be flea dirt
- If your pooch is already infested with parasites, it may behave annoyed, become nervous, and may also scratch excessively
- When you see fleas on the pet, your sweet home is possibly already a part of this problem! There might be larvae, eggs, and pupae everywhere your pet likes to sit, spend most of its time, or lie around
Treating Flea Infestations
There are four major ways to treat an infestation of fleas and ticks:
- Kill mature fleas and ticks that are already on your pet
- Eradicate newly-arriving adult fleas on your pet. It may take 3–4 months to destroy all the fleas developing from pupae in your household environment
- Prevent further infestation in your home—use an Insect Growth Regulator to hinder the flea eggs hatching and avert larvae development into adult fleas
- Clear your home as well as the environment of flea larvae, pupae, and eggs that already exist there
Prevention
In addition to applying cat flea control and dog flea control products and medicines, such as Frontline Plus and Frontline Spot On, the following tips can also help you prevent re-infestation of these parasites:
- Often vacuum the areas or parts—your car, furniture pieces such as table, backyard, and so on—your pooch spends most of its time, specially carpeted areas, in the home. This will eradicate as many undeveloped fleas as possible
- Wash and clean your pooch's blanket, bedding, and other washable things in hot water (but of course, read the washing instructions first to ensure that hot water for washing is not a problem)
- Keep your back yard as clean as possible. Mow the lawn and clean rake leaves and brush
- Hang your rugs, door mats, and such other non-washable things in the direct sunlight for some time and as many times as you can
- Remember, ‘precaution is always better than cure’; so be alert and start taking an extra care of your pet as well as of your home for fleas and ticks and if they are already there, treat them as soon as possible and prevent their re-infestation.
