Dogs
Getting Rid of Fleas - Step by Step
Fleas are a very common pest that can cause agony for your pets by making them itch horribly. To make matters worse, incessant scratching and licking often leads to skin irritation and infection. Make sure you nip this problem in the bud and get your dogs (and cats) on a prevention program from your vet from spring through fall to keep them healthy and happy!
- Debunking Seven Myths About The Mighty Flea
By Julia Williams Fleas. The very word can strike fear into your heart. Anyone who’s ever waged war on these nasty blood-sucking pests knows how difficult and time consuming it can be to keep their pet and their home flea free. Fighting fleas is hard...
- How To Help Pets With Flea Allergy Dermatitis
By Linda Cole Responsible pet owners know how important it is to make sure their pets are treated for fleas. Unfortunately, some pets have an allergic reaction to a flea's bite even with flea medication on them. Some reactions can be quite severe....
- Winter Is The Best Time To Fight Fleas
By Linda Cole Fleas are nasty little critters that think nothing of hitching a ride on our pets or on us anywhere in our homes. One or two fleas may not seem like a problem, but it only takes a few to morph into a serious infestation in a matter of weeks....
- How To Deal With Dog Ticks And Fleas
Dog owners must protect their dear pets from ticks and fleas. Aside from itchiness and discomfort, these unwanted pests can bring fever, typhoid, Lyme disease and other serious dog diseases. The worst thing about ticks and fleas is that they multiply...
- Natural Flea And Tick Control For Dogs
Frontline not working for you? Are you concerned about what these harmful pesticides that go into your dogs skin are doing to your pet? After all, something that has a warning advising you to thoroughly wash your hands after applying can't be good...
Dogs
Getting Ready for Spring: Fleas
It's one of those dirty words that makes you (and your dog) itch just thinking about it; fleas. Perhaps the greatest fear of pet owners during the spring and summer months, fleas are external parasites that live off of hitching a ride onto a mammal (not just dogs and cats), biting their skin and sucking their blood. These tiny vampires are very small, about the size of a sesame seed, so they can be very difficult to detect on your pet until a full blown infestation is underway.
How can I spot fleas?
During our first spring with Wallace, we noticed him scratching himself more than usual, and upon inspection, we noticed his armpits and belly looked a bit dirty. It turns out this was flea dirt. Generally the most tell-tale sign that your dog has fleas are deposits of flea dirt rather than the actual fleas. Flea dirt is dried blood that the fleas have passed through their body -- Basically, it's flea poop. The fleas and flea dirt can most commonly be found hiding in the armpits and between the hind legs. Fleas can be especially tricky to spot on darker coloured dogs since the dirt and fleas tend to blend in.
During our first spring with Wallace, we noticed him scratching himself more than usual, and upon inspection, we noticed his armpits and belly looked a bit dirty. It turns out this was flea dirt. Generally the most tell-tale sign that your dog has fleas are deposits of flea dirt rather than the actual fleas. Flea dirt is dried blood that the fleas have passed through their body -- Basically, it's flea poop. The fleas and flea dirt can most commonly be found hiding in the armpits and between the hind legs. Fleas can be especially tricky to spot on darker coloured dogs since the dirt and fleas tend to blend in.
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| Flea dirt is usually the easiest way to detect fleas on your pet. |
Where do fleas come from?
One of the most frustrating things about being a groomer is hearing from a client "my dog got fleas from your shop!" This is not impossible (that is to say, nothing is impossible) but it is extremely unlikely. Good groomers will take precautions to make sure that all fleas found on a dog in their care are immediately eradicated and the shop is properly cleaned and sprayed with insecticide.
One of the most frustrating things about being a groomer is hearing from a client "my dog got fleas from your shop!" This is not impossible (that is to say, nothing is impossible) but it is extremely unlikely. Good groomers will take precautions to make sure that all fleas found on a dog in their care are immediately eradicated and the shop is properly cleaned and sprayed with insecticide.
In reality, fleas prefer warm, humid habitats such as sandy areas, crawl spaces under houses and gardens or under leafy vegetation. As such, the most common way for fleas to get onto your pet is from out in nature.... This has become increasingly true in recent years as the use of pesticides is becoming more and more rare, due their being outlawed in many regions.
So no, your dog has probably not gotten fleas from other dogs at the groomer's but likely picked them up in your own backyard!
So no, your dog has probably not gotten fleas from other dogs at the groomer's but likely picked them up in your own backyard!
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| Fleas live out in your yard, so make sure you're protecting your furry friends from them! |
I found fleas! What do I do?
The first thing to remember is to not panic and the second is to call your vet.
When we first found the fleas on Wallace we immediately ran out to the pet store and bought a shampoo to give him a bath and went about vacuuming every inch of carpet and upholstery in our house every day for a week straight, sprayed insecticide all over and took all of the towels, bedding and curtains to the laundromat. Our house was very clean, but the fleas were still there and Wallace was still scratching...
If only we'd spoken to our vet! It turns out that although Wallace was on a flea prevention program, our indoor kitten, Bridget, was not, and should have been. After Wallace brought the fleas into the house they would hop onto her and multiply.
The first thing to remember is to not panic and the second is to call your vet.
When we first found the fleas on Wallace we immediately ran out to the pet store and bought a shampoo to give him a bath and went about vacuuming every inch of carpet and upholstery in our house every day for a week straight, sprayed insecticide all over and took all of the towels, bedding and curtains to the laundromat. Our house was very clean, but the fleas were still there and Wallace was still scratching...
If only we'd spoken to our vet! It turns out that although Wallace was on a flea prevention program, our indoor kitten, Bridget, was not, and should have been. After Wallace brought the fleas into the house they would hop onto her and multiply.
After speaking with the vet we decided to keep Wallace's flea treatment the same and start Bridget on a program as well. Wallace is on a product called Trifexis which is a pill he takes once a month. It's very effective as it not only kills adult fleas that try to feed on his blood, but also sterilizes them so they cannot ley eggs either. We also like that it's made in Canada. We use a different product for Bridget called Advantage that is a topical application. Generally cats get topical "spot-on" products since getting a cat to take a pill is not fun.
Again, consult with your vet before using any flea treatment; these products are intravenous, meaning they are absorbed into the bloodstream, and some products sold in stores (Zodiac, Frontline) may have severe side effects.
Again, consult with your vet before using any flea treatment; these products are intravenous, meaning they are absorbed into the bloodstream, and some products sold in stores (Zodiac, Frontline) may have severe side effects.
Getting Rid of Fleas - Step by Step
- Call your vet. Book an appointment to put all indoor and outdoor animals on flea prevention programs.
- Put your dog's bed, blanket and fabric toys in the wash.
- Give your dog a bath with medicated flea and tick shampoo for immediate relief (or send them to the groomer to do it).
- Vacuum your home paying special attention to corners, behind curtains and by the baseboards.
- If your dog spends a lot of time in the backyard consider treating the leafy shrubs with insecticide as well. There are specialty sprays available at pet stores.
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| Keep your pets free from fleas this summer with a preventative treatment from your vet! |
-Peter
- Debunking Seven Myths About The Mighty Flea
By Julia Williams Fleas. The very word can strike fear into your heart. Anyone who’s ever waged war on these nasty blood-sucking pests knows how difficult and time consuming it can be to keep their pet and their home flea free. Fighting fleas is hard...
- How To Help Pets With Flea Allergy Dermatitis
By Linda Cole Responsible pet owners know how important it is to make sure their pets are treated for fleas. Unfortunately, some pets have an allergic reaction to a flea's bite even with flea medication on them. Some reactions can be quite severe....
- Winter Is The Best Time To Fight Fleas
By Linda Cole Fleas are nasty little critters that think nothing of hitching a ride on our pets or on us anywhere in our homes. One or two fleas may not seem like a problem, but it only takes a few to morph into a serious infestation in a matter of weeks....
- How To Deal With Dog Ticks And Fleas
Dog owners must protect their dear pets from ticks and fleas. Aside from itchiness and discomfort, these unwanted pests can bring fever, typhoid, Lyme disease and other serious dog diseases. The worst thing about ticks and fleas is that they multiply...
- Natural Flea And Tick Control For Dogs
Frontline not working for you? Are you concerned about what these harmful pesticides that go into your dogs skin are doing to your pet? After all, something that has a warning advising you to thoroughly wash your hands after applying can't be good...