Treatment for Fleas

Because fleas only spend a small amount of time on your dog and the rest of their time leaping through your house laying eggs and feeding on human blood it's not enough to just treat the dog, you also have to treat his bedding, the entire house, all human bedding, and the yard (yes, fleas lay eggs all through the yard. Even if it's cold outside it doesn't kill the flea's eggs, they just go into a state of hibernation and will hatch as soon as it gets warm enough outside.)

You will need a broad-spectrum treatment which kills not only the adult fleas but also any developing fleas, and the eggs.

Prevention is definitely the best cure

Make sure your dog's flea treatments are prescribed by a vet and kept up to date. Off-the-shelf treatments aren't recommended, since different dogs require different strengths depending on their size, age, and activity levels. A particular benefit of prescribed flea treatment is that most are also designed to prevent other parasites (like mites, ticks, and heartworm) from affecting your dog.

If your dog already has fleas, you have three options:

1) Foggers - this will coat each room and the yard in a fine mist of pesticide.

2) Sprays - they are applied manually to each surface throughout the house and yard and is probably the quickest solution to a flea problem as they are very effective in killing fleas and eggs. But, there's one major drawback, they're highly toxic to humans, dogs, and the environment. Also, if you have anyone in the house with allergies or a health condition (including pets) you might want to think again.

3) Health-friendly alternative - target the dog with a topical anti-flea solution prescribed by the vet (like Advantage or Revolution), and rigorously clean the house on a regular basis until the flea problem has gone. This means vacuuming thoroughly each day and put a flea collar in with the vacuum bag to kill any fleas that get sucked up. Wash all human and dog bedding in hot water every 1-2 days. You'll be able to tell when the problem's gone because your dog won't be scratching and his coat will be clear of flea dirt when you inspect it.

- Be sure not to use multiple products on your dog as it will make him sick, since you will be overloading his system with toxins.
- Don't forget to treat all the animals in the house at the same time. If one animal has fleas, they all will have them, even if some are not displaying the symptoms.
- Flea collars are no longer recommended as a safe option for flea prevention, since the collars are highly toxic.

Fleas are just one of the many, many types of parasites that affect your dog. To find out more about the complete prevention and treatment of all types of parasites (external and internal), as well as a comprehensive guide to all aspects of dog health, take a look at The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.

This book is an invaluable resource for the responsible dog owner, and will help you to ensure that your dog remains happy and healthy. Just the way you want him to be!

You can check out the book by clicking on the following link: Ultimate Guide to Dog Health