How to Keep Dog Fleas Under Control - part 2

Posted by Clare Bristow

dog-with-fleas-scratching In part 1 I talked about how to eliminate dog fleas from both inside and outside your home; today I'm going to cover removing fleas from your dog and how to establish an effective flea prevention program.

Dog Flea Treatment

Ideally you should treat your dog for fleas on the same day that you remove fleas from your house, and there are number of products you can use to do this.

All dog flea treatments contain chemicals that will do some or all of the following - exterminate adult fleas, prevent flea eggs from hatching, and prevent the development of larvae.

When you see your dog constantly scratching and generally bothered by a flea infestation, it's tempting to try relieve the distress by applying a multitude of products. However, it's safest for your dog if you follow these guidelines:

More is not better when it comes to mixing chemicals and medications;
Seek the advice of your vet for his suggestions as to the best products to use for your dog's flea infestation;
Follow the manufacturer's directions carefully;and
Monitor your dog after using the products, if he shows any adverse reaction - for example, coughing, scratching, hair loss and breathless ness contact your vet immediately.

Manufacturers' make all sorts of claims as to the effectiveness of their product, for example, some dog flea shampoo manufacturers claim their product is effective for 3 months whilst others state only a couple of weeks. I've provided some guidelines below based on the minimum effectiveness periods I've found on products, but the actual effectiveness of a product will vary depending on how flea infested your dog is and the environment he is living in.

Dog Flea Shampoos and Flea Dips

Flea shampoos and dips are effective for eliminating adult fleas.

Dog flea shampoos are excellent for dogs that are already infested with fleas and are effective means of removing adult fleas. As a long term protection against fleas they are less useful - protection only lasts for a day or two because very little chemical residue is left on your dog's skin after a flea bath.

Flea dips treat mites and ticks as well as fleas, and can provide protection for up to two weeks. However, in order to achieve this a large amount of chemical residue has to be left on your dog's skin. You have to carefully follow the manufacturers instructions when applying flea dips and ensure none of the product splashes into your dog's eyes and ears.

Flea collars

Fleas collars are effective for eliminating adult fleas, and some collars contain an insect growth regulator (IGR) that prevents the development of flea eggs and larvae.

There are two types of collar available:

one that emits a gas that is toxic to fleas; this will concentrate on removing fleas from around your dog's head and neck; and
one where the chemicals are absorbed into your dog's subcutaneous fat layer, and these are more effective for removing fleas from the whole of your dog's cost.

To be effective the collar must be fitted properly - if you can fit two fingers between the collar and your dog's neck then the collar is tight enough.

Remove any excess portion of the collar in case your dog chews it, and check with the manufacturer's label to see how long it will be effective - some brands are effective for up to three months.

When using a collar for the first time, regularly check your dog's neck for any sign of irritation form the collar. If there is either change to another collar or use an alternative flea treatment.

Flea sprays and powders

Sprays and powders are effective for removing adult fleas, and some products contain IGRs too to treat flea eggs and larvae.

The effectiveness of these products varies enormously from days to several months (Nylar spray).

Flea combs

These are effective for removing fleas from your dog. Ideally he should be standing on paper or a towel when you are combing him - basically somewhere you can collect the fleas. After you've finished combing your dog, you can kill the fleas by putting them in hot soapy water.

Oral products

Program is a product that can be administered once a month in tablet form. It breaks the flea life cycle because it contains an insect development inhibitor that prevents flea eggs from hatching. It does not kill adult fleas, so if your dog already has fleas, you will also need to a use a product to kill the adult fleas.

Capstar is an oral product that kills adult fleas but it's only effective for a couple of days. If you need to remove existing fleas you could use this product and then switch to a longer lasting product for regular flea prevention.

Once a month topicals

Monthly topicals - Frontline, Advantage and Revolution being the most common - are effective against adult fleas and some contain ingredients that prevent flea eggs hatching and larvae developing.

These are insecticides that are applied once a month, usually onto the back of your dog's neck, and can be effective for one to three months (Frontline Plus).

Establishing a dog flea prevention program

As you can see eliminating fleas can be a time consuming and costly process - flea prevention is much easier.

You will need to treat inside and outside your home as well as your dog on a regular basis because only 10% of the flea population lives on your dog, the other 90% is in your carpets, soft furnishings, dog's bedding and yard etc.

Here is a plan of action:

regularly vacuum your house as this will remove adult fleas as well as eggs, larvae and pupae; dispose of vacuum bags on a regular basis so the fleas don't escape and find their way back into your house!
regularly wash your dog's bedding and other furnishings your dog usually occupies;
keep damp and shady areas of your back garden free from organic debris and rubbish and spray with an insecticide on a regular basis;
discuss with your vet an appropriate dog flea treatment for the your dog and use it regularly to prevent fleas; and
be vigilant for adult fleas on your dog's coat, he can easily pick them up from other dogs and peoples houses.

Keywords: dog flea, dog flea control, dog flea shampoo, dog flea treatment, flea product for dog

Filed Under Parasites - Fleas and Ticks, Blog

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Comments

One Response to “How to Keep Dog Fleas Under Control - part 2”

reed on July 23rd, 2009 1:12 pm

I have been applying a rinse of Avon"s "skin so soft" on my Yorkie after his bath to keep him free of fleas. Have used this product for 4 yrs or more. It is very effective. To interrupt the cycle of flea larvae hatching- use "Borax" an inexpensive laundry additive - sprinkle this powder in carpets and crevices and the dog's bed.

Many years ago my Yorkie came back from dog sitter completely infested with fleas. This is the method I have chosen to keep him flea free.