Dog Flea Treatment Options
It's one of the harsh realities of owning a pet. Sooner or later, you're going to have to face up to fleas.
This tutorial will show you the most effective dog flea treatment options you can start implementing to wipe this problem out for good.
It's important to understand how to deal with a flea problem before you go out and start buying products at random. Take your time here.
Make sure you read through all the factors detailed in the different treatment options below.
Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. Only you can decide which solution sounds best for your lifestyle.
Knowing the Enemy
The fact is, if you've seen one flea on your dog, he has fleas. There's no getting around it. Each cocoon that a flea hatches is cabably of creating a trillion - yes a TRILLION - fleas in its 9 month life cycle.
Fleas are a stubborn bunch. It's not as easy to just kill them off with a single solution. You have to employ multiple tactics to effectively wipe them out at different stages of each of their 4 life cycles.
Fleas mature from Eggs to Larva to Pupa to Adults. You can't apply one singular "poison" to kill them all off at once because their bodies are only susceptible to certain flea controls at their adult phase.
This is a big problem for you because only 5% of the flea population in your home consists of blood-sucking adult fleas. The other 95% is mixed between these different phases, waiting to spring up and start the infestation all over again.
One of the top dog flea treatments on the market is
Frontline Plus for Dogs
. Its popularity is due to the fact that Frontline's specific formula is powerful enough to kill fleas at EVERY stage of their life cycle. This is due to a special ingredient that separates them from many other dog flea treatments.
If you're curious to learn more, you can pick up "Frontline Plus for Dogs" by CLICKING HERE.
I should warn you. It doesn't matter how great a flea treatment you buy in the store, you're still going to need multiple types of dog flea treatments.
Here's why...
Unfortunately, if your dog has fleas, it doesn't just stop with him. You've got fleas all over your home.
Flea eggs fall off your dog's fur and are scattered throughout your carpets, under baseboards, in your yard, even on your couches and bed....
Not good, huh?
So what do you do? The solution is attacking the flea problem from all fronts. You've got to treat the problem on your dog, in your home AND in your yard.
It won't be the easiest thing in the world but anything beats a recurring flea problem that only seems to get worse every month.
Below are the treatments that will get the job done for you. Start as fast as possible to nip this problem in the bud and put a stop to fleas for good!
Fighting Fleas from Every Angle
Monthly Spot Treatments
Applying spot treatments once a month will actually repel a significant number of fleas from your dog. However, this isn't just a preventative measure.
The spot treatments actively stop fleas from being able to reproduce so even if you think you've got your flea problem licked, spot treating your dog for 4-6 months later will be a definite way to ensure they're gone permanently.
Spot Treating your dog for fleas is a nice habit to get into. If you're not enthusiastic about doing this year round, you should at the very least consider spot treating during the summer months when your dog is most likely to attract fleas outside.
Dog Flea Shampoo
Using a flea shampoo is a must if your dog is infested. It's the quickest way to kill a majority of the active adult fleas that are making your dog itch within a 24 hour period.
Your dog will feel relief instantly after just the first shampoo rinse. The itching will stop and any allergies to the flea bites should subside as well.
Most flea shampoos come in a "flea & tick" formula that's kind of like two mints in one.
There is one drawback, however, that you should be aware of. Flea shampoos contain a detergent that removes oil from your dog's fur. This oil is the very component that flea spot treatments are designed to stick to.
So, if you do apply flea shampoo, don't overdo it. Follow the bottle's directions precisely and balance use with the importance of applying a spot treatment later on.
Dog Flea Collars
This is one of the more commonly known methods of curing fleas in dogs. You buy a dog flea collar (most work for about 3 or 4 months) and they repel and oftentimes kill currently infested fleas.
The biggest benefit of dog flea collars is that they're simply effective. There is a drawback, though.
Many flea collars have dangerous chemicals which can damage your dog's nervous system if improperly used or mixed with other toxins. It's definitely a risk to consider. That said, flea collars are a great bet if you're looking for an EASY way to prevent fleas altogether.
Dog Flea Combs
Although, they're not a cure, flea combs will relieve your dog's itching while removing fleas from his body.
Used in combination with any of the remedies above, a dog flea comb is a great way to pamper your pet and treat his flea problem at the same time.
They'll also speed up the rate at which you get rid of your dog's fleas. A great strategy is using a flea comb on your dog after bathing him with a flea shampoo.
You should be brushing out your dog's coat regularly anyway. Why not just use a dog flea comb and kill to birds with one stone?
How to Naturally Cure Fleas
One of my favorite alternatives for curing and preventing fleas is with natural remedies. The strategy here is, you use a chemical flea treatment like a shampoo, powder or spray and then follow up treatments using natural alternatives.
This is done through herbal oils you can apply to your dog's coat as natural flea spot treatments.
The major advantage is the money savings. Buying these specific herbal oils in stores is FAR less expensive than continuously repurchasing dog flea spot treatments and it's certainly safe than applying the chemical on your pet.
The Dog Health Guide below goes into step by step detail on how you can apply natural dog flea treatments and also how you can specifically kill those fleas in your home and in your yard that you can't see.
Remember, fleas can live on humans as well, so you'll want to protect yourself as well as your dog. Even if your dog doesn't have fleas on him, if they're in your home, you're still at risk of a recurring outbreak.
Take hold of this dog health problem now. Read the Ultimate Dog Health Guide Below!
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