How to Treat a Puppy With Fleas

Posted by Clare Bristow

puppy-with-fleas It's not unusual if your puppy gets fleas - if he does you will want to deal with them as soon as possible. If left untreated a flea infestation can cause anemia, as the blood is literally drained from your puppy by the fleas, and your puppy's health can deteriorate very quickly as a result.

One of the best ways to remove the fleas is to use a flea comb and comb them out. Stand your puppy on a towel so you catch the fleas that fall out - these should then be dropped into warm soapy water to kill them.

Another way to remove the fleas would be to pick them out with your fingers - maybe not such a pleasant task, but still effective. Again, dispose of the fleas in warm soapy water.

A third way to control fleas is to give your puppy a bath in slightly warm water and use an anti-bacterial dish detergent. Be careful not to get any soap in his eyes or ears, and I'd pick out any fleas on the head and neck area.

Not only are these three flea treatments cheap, they are also great ways for you to bond with your puppy and get him used to being handled - there has to be a positive outcome from getting fleas!

I'd caution against the use of over the counter flea products for dealing with dog fleas - many of these contain pesticides that can do long term damage to your dog's nervous system.

With a small puppy I'd suggest the methods I outlined above for flea control or discuss with your vet using topical products such as Frontline, Advantage and Revolution - these do contain insecticides but are designed to have fewer toxic effects on your dog.

As well as treating your puppy, you will need to make sure your house is free from fleas. Only 10% of the flea problem is on your dog, the other 90% lives in your carpet, on your furniture, in the yard etc - click here to read about dog fleas and how to how to control them.

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Keywords: dog flea, dog flea control, dog flea treatment, how to get rid of flea on my dog

Filed Under Parasites - Fleas and Ticks, Blog

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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.

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

Filed Under Parasites - Fleas and Ticks, Blog