The dog owners living nightmare is surely the battle against the fleas. Your are bathing and dipping your flea dog, applying various treatments but nothing seems to help? Where are you going wrong?
The secret lies in understanding the life cycle of the fleas. To be able to lay eggs, the fleas has to have a blood meal. Fleas only live up to about to 2 years and they try to lay as many eggs as possible, which are covered with a sticky substance. This substance helps the eggs to cling on the flea dog and other household fibers such as pillows, curtains, carpets etc.
The eggs need around two to seven days to hatch after growing a robust protective covering in which they safely sit and wait for an optimal condition to break out of their cocoon. As soon as adult fleas emerge they begin their search for blood to repeat the life cycle. A Flea's purpose in life is to feed on blood in order to reproduce as many times as possible.
So how do I notice if my flea dog has fleas?
Fleas are an annoyance to dogs, causing an itching sensation which results in the flea dog attempting to remove the plague by biting and scratching. Flea bites can generally be noticed by a swollen spot and in severe cases you might also notice hair loss as a result of the flea dog scratching and biting.
Getting rid of fleas
You need to realize that the fleas not only habituated your flea dog but also your indoor as well as your outdoor environment. Adult fleas only represents 5% of the problem! A further 10% is in pupae form, 35% in larvae form and an astounding 50% is sitting on your dog's bed , favorite cushions and on the floor in egg form. Therefore to get rid off fleas and carry out a truly effective flea dog control program you need to carry out the cleansing on your dog, indoors as well as outdoors.
We suggest the following essential steps for a successful flea dog control program:
- Eliminate fleas from the indoor environment such as your house and even your car!
- Eliminate fleas from the outdoor environment such as your garden
- Eliminate fleas from your flea dog - Keep eggs from developing into full-born fleas
Eliminating fleas from your home
Thoroughly clean your home such as carpets, sofas, beds and any other place your dog might lay on. Sweeping, dusting, vacuuming and mopping are all effective ways to get rid off fleas in your home. These methods will also remove the flea's larvae and dead skin cells that fleas usually feed on. On top of that it is highly recommended to carry out a treatment with insecticides such as foggers and surface sprays. Always consult your Vet to find out what insecticides should be used, to not do any harm to your family and dog!
Eliminating fleas in your outdoor environment
Treating your outdoors for fleas does not only include sweeping up old leaves, straws and grass clippings! Fleas like moist, warm and shady areas. Pay a lot of attention to your dog's kennel, the patio and any other places your dog likes to spend time at, as these are usually the places most of the fleas can be found. An environmentally safe spray containing fenvalerate is always suggested and you may need to treat your yard every 10 to 21 days depending on the product.
Eliminating fleas on your dog
After making sure that your environment is flea-free, let's carry on with your dog! Try to use the non-systematic products that are on the market. We highly recommend the Frontline Kits; dog owners swear on their effectiveness and vet's usually recommend them as well. You usually apply these "Once-a-month topicals" on a small area on your flea dog. These makes the process much more easier than wrestling with your flea dog in the bath tub! Some of the products kill fleas and ticks and others just fleas. Highly recommended products are Frontline Plus, Advantage and K9 Advantix. To find out more about the products available on the market visit the No More Fleas Please website www.nomorefleasplease.com.
All you need to do now is to keep up with your cleansing regime and you'll be a guaranteed a flea-free environment!
