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Home | Dogs | Dog Health


Fleas Again!

By: Sherry Massey

Did you know…..

•Fleas spend only 10% of their time on your animal
•The average flea lives 2-3 years
•One female flea can lay 1 million eggs in that 2-3 years
•Eggs can live unhatched in your carpet for a year until the right environment occurs for hatching
•Bark dust, wood piles and ivy are ideal places for fleas to survive during the winter
•Adult fleas prefer to feed on pets rather than people because pets are closer to the ground and have warmer body temperatures
•Flea eggs are not destroyed by extremes in temperature or pesticides
•Fleas can transmit Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
•Fleas can transmit tapeworms and heart worms
•For every one flea on your pet, there could be 100 in the nearby environment

Here’s a quick home test to see if your pet has fleas: Lay out a piece of butcher paper and groom your pet for a few minutes as they stand on the paper. Do you see any black, comma-shaped things? If so, put a drop of water on it. If it’s flea dirt (feces) it will turn pink (from your pet’s blood – yuck!)

Okay, now that we’ve covered the scary stuff, how do we deal with fleas? A wise pet owner starts to prepare as soon as the ice melts, the flowers bloom and the temperatures start climbing. Preparation can help ward off an infestation. Fleas and ticks are not as tough as you might think. Most people invite fleas and ticks into their homes by creating a pest friendly environment. If your dog has a flea problem, it is pointless to treat just your pet. You have to treat his environment, too, including your home, your yard and even your car if your pet travels with you around town.

Let’s look at some basics. When we’re out walking our dogs, where do they go when they’ve got to go? To trees and shrubs. Many times grass, weeds and other types of flora are not trimmed around trees and especially under shrubs. Fleas and ticks love tall grass because it’s just a hop, skip and a jump to the next animal that happens along to the doggy restroom. Keep grass trimmed close in the areas your dog frequents on his potty stops and keep him away from yards that don’t trim under shrubs and trees.

There are no shortcuts to preventing flea and tick infestations. It’s all about cleanliness, vigilance and making the right choices. Next, let’s talk about garbage. That’s right, your open or dirty garbage receptacles are a tempting feast to birds and other dogs. Both can be infested with fleas and other pests that can harm your pet. Keep garbage cans clean inside and out and keep trash picked up. Bird feeders should be placed in areas away from where your pet eats drinks or exercises.

Dog houses, concrete pet runs and containment areas can become havens for all kinds of bacteria, pests and disease. Unless you have a specific need for such areas, do without them. They require massive amounts of upkeep and cleaning.

Now, let’s come inside the house. Good housekeeping can be extremely effective in the war against fleas. Water is a breeding ground for fleas. Make sure all leaky pipes are properly repaired. Natural pesticides such as bay leaves, coriander, dill, lemon peel or clove in pantry shelves or stored in grain can be effective in keeping fleas away. Frequent vacuuming (my downfall – I HATE to vacuum) will remove flea eggs, pupae and the flea droppings used by larvae for food. Vacuum up some flea powder or add a piece of flea collar to each new bag to prevent fleas from completing their life cycle inside your machine. Vacuuming every day is ESSENTIAL if you don’t want to use chemicals. And, occasional carpet shampooing (not dry-chemical cleaning) will suffocate the little buggers. Getting rid of carpet altogether helps a lot. For non-carpeted floors, mopping with soap and mild bleach water is quite effective.

Now that we’ve cleaned up our environment inside and out, how do we want to treat our pets to prevent an infestation or treat an existing one? There are lots of alternatives. Flea powders kill only adult fleas and have to be reapplied every 5-7 days. They can also tend to make your pet uncomfortable and can make pet asthma worse. Flea sprays vary. Most are alcohol-based which kills adult and pre-adult stages. Some contain a growth regulator that will kill eggs as well. If you try a spray, find one that is as organic as possible. Flea collars are only minimally effective. They can be toxic to animals and people and usually don’t work well for animals over 20 pounds. Ultrasonic collars are ineffective and may cause hearing loss in your pet. Dips are highly toxic and can cause animal cancer. Spot-on products range from very toxic to not so much. Look for one that does not contain organophosphates. Oral products are administered once a month. Talk to your vet about what he has had success with. Flea shampoos can provide temporary relief and will kill fleas on the animal at the time of the bath. They are good for getting rid of flea feces on the skin.

Some natural remedies should also be part of your arsenal. Cut up a lemon, allow it to sit in a spray bottle overnight and then spray it liberally on your dog, avoiding his eyes. Spray behind his ears and in his environment. When you wash your pet’s bedding, add a small amount of eucalyptus oil to the final rinse to help keep the little varmints away. Salt kills fleas. If your dwelling is hopping with fleas, apply a thin layer to your floor, carpet and furniture, then vacuum. Use lavender oil in your dog’s bath. Use a natural soap that contains citronella and tea tree oils. The citronella helps ward off pests and the tea tree sooths irritated flea-bitten skin. Add Brewer’s Yeast and garlic to your pet’s diet. Neither of these actually kill fleas, but they make your dog taste bad to the flea and will deter them. Scientific studies show a 20% decrease in flea numbers with the use of these ingredients. Feeding your pet a diet rich in essential fatty acids strengthens their immune systems and makes them less attractive to fleas.

Article Source: http://www.simplepetcare.com/pet-articles

Copyright 2006 Sherry Massey Sherry Massey is the owner of Barker and Friends Natural Pet Treats. Our mission is to provide healthy all natural treats and food to help your dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives. Please visit us at www.naturalbarker.com for a great selection of all natural treats we make from scratch, Flint River Ranch All Natural Pet Food, pet supplies and resources.

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