Whether you are the proud owner of a cat or a dog, it is important that you do your best to keep your pet flea-free. Not only can fleas be irritating for your pet, the itchiness and irritation that they cause can also lead to other problems and infections. Treating your pet for fleas doesn’t have to be hard work or time consuming, especially if you follow these 10 flea treatment tips.
1.Use Spot-On Prevention Treatments
This is probably the most obvious, but using regular spot-on prevention treatments, such as Advantage or Vectra 3D can help to prevent your pet from getting fleas. It is much easier to prevent an infestation than to treat one that has become out of hand. Factoring the cost of this treatment into your regular pet care budget will help to keep it affordable.
2.Use Oral Flea Prevention Medication
An alternative to spot-on treatment is oral flea prevention medicine. Generally speaking, you should not use these two products in conjunction, but should always consult with your vet if you are unsure.
3.Treat At The First Signs
Even if you haven’t seen fleas on your pet or around your home, if your pet has begun to scratch more than usual, it may be worth treating them for fleas. As with most problems, fleas are best dealt with when treated as soon as possible. Not only does this minimise irritation to your pet, it also prevents them from spreading around your home.
4.Treat Your Pet And Your Home
As loving pet owners, it is only natural that you let your pet lounge around on the carpet or on the sofa. However, if your pet has fleas, it is likely that they will be transferred onto these surfaces that make perfect breeding places, and will continue to cause irritation to your pet’s and your own skin. Wash all soft furnishings and bedding (human and pet) at as high temperature as possible (ideally 60 degrees) and vacuum and clean all floors regularly to eliminate the fleas and their eggs. You should also use an anti-flea spray around your home and on soft furnishings to further help kill the insects.
5.Set a reminder
It’s easy to forget to treat your pet for fleas, but for flea treatments to be effective, they usually need to be given or applied every month (but read the product label to be sure) One way to keep track is to set a reminder on your phone. Or make it an event, for example ‘Spot-on Saturday’.
6.Only Use Recommended Treatments
Flea treatments can be powerful, which means it is important to only use products recommended for your pet’s age, weight and size. Don’t be tempted to use a stronger product in an attempt to treat fleas faster it can be dangerous for your pet. It is also vitally important that you only use products specifically designed for your animal. For example, some dog flea treatments contain chemicals that are toxic to cats.
7.Comb Your Pet’s Fur Regularly
As you would comb a child’s hair regularly to check for lice, you should comb your pet regularly to check for fleas. Use a very finely toothed comb, and rinse it in warm water between strokes to make sure the fleas don’t stay on the comb.
8. Use Anti-Flea Shampoo
Anti-flea shampoo won’t prevent your pet from getting fleas, but if used after a walk in the open countryside where your pet may pick them up, it can help to kill any fleas that are in your pets fur or on their skin at the time, preventing further spread in the home. Make sure you apply any spot-on flea treatment after you wash your pet to ensure long-lasting protection.
9.Keep Your Pet Away From Wild Animals
It is often the case that pets catch fleas from wild animals that they encounter. This is harder to monitor for free-roaming cats, but you can keep dogs on leads to reduce their contact with potentially infected animals.
10.Invest In A Flea-Repellent Collar
Good quality flea repellent collars, such as Seresto collars, contain a chemical that helps to repel the insects, and are particularly useful for cats and dogs that go off exploring when out on walks. They can also provide up to 8 months protection, so are ideal if you don’t want to schedule in regular treatment. Certain collars may not be suitable for pregnant animals or animals with other health issues, so check according to the guidelines of each individual product.
Flea treatment is a job best done regularly, and will help to prevent any unpleasant vets bills for treatment (either for the infestation or for any irritation caused by it). If you have any concerns as to how to treat fleas you should speak to your vet.