Flea infestations can be a nightmare for your dog. It’s constantly scratching itself and anyone around your dog can see that it’s suffering. It’s not just an annoyance however – Fleas actively suck on your dog’s blood. While for grown dogs it’s usually not a life threatening risk, puppies and sick dogs can become anemic and even die from loss of blood.
If your dog happens to be allergic to flea saliva, that makes matters even worse. Your dog will be constantly scratching itself, biting itself, pawing itself and all in all be in a living hell.
As a dog owner, what can you do to help your pet get rid of these fleas?
Pick a Dedicated Time
Start by picking a dedicated period of time that you want to go on a flea extermination spree. Don’t try to get rid of fleas in small doses, as they’ll only grow back. Instead, wait until you have a solid chunk of time, say one to two weeks, where you can dedicate yourself to eradicating these parasites.
Washing and Cleaning Your Dog
Go to your local pet store and purchase some anti-flea shampoo. Give your dog a thorough scrubbing with this shampoo to kill all the fleas that are living on your dog right now.
Purchase a flea comb and go through your dog’s fur to make sure the shampoo really soaks into all the little nooks and crannies. Make sure to get every spot, even if you don’t see any fleas. Larvae and eggs can be living in those places, invisible to the human eye.
Wash Your Dog’s Bedding, Blankets, etc
Wash anything that your dog has regular contact with. This includes your dog’s bed, your dog’s blanket, your dog’s toys and the floor and walls of your dog’s house.
Fleas, eggs and larvae are probably all over these different areas. Give it a thorough scrubbing with hot soapy water.
Do this after you’ve given your dog a bath, but before your dog has a chance to go back to his dog house or blankets.
Clean Your Yard and Home
Just getting the fleas off your dog isn’t enough. About 80% of the fleas, eggs and larvae that come with a flea infestation don’t live on your dog. Instead, they live in your dog’s surroundings.
They hide themselves in your garden, your yard and all over your home. Then, once your dog is clean, they hop right back on and begin sucking on his blood again.
Cleaning out a flea infestation isn’t just about getting your dog clean. You need to get your entire property free of fleas.
Start with a thorough vacuum of all the nooks and crannies of your home. Fleas love hiding out in dark and enclosed places, so get your vacuum and literally vacuum every possible surface on your property.
Buy some flea spray and go out into your yard and spray any dark places. Fleas can’t live in the bright sunlight, so the vast majority of your yard will be safe. However, they can still live in the shade, under posts, between wood planks and so on. So do a careful sweep of your yard and attack any places where fleas might hide.
Sprinkle some anti-flea powder inside your house. This will prevent flea from growing inside your home. Spray it in places where your dog tends to frequent, as flea eggs spread by being dropped from your dog’s body.
Repeat This Process
You usually won’t be able to completely rid your home and your dog of fleas on your first try. Instead, you’ll have to do several rounds of flea elimination before the infestation is finally gone.
Throughout this process, you’ll start to discover what kind of shampoos and what kind of pesticides seem to work best. You’ll likely have to try out a few different products before finding one that works consistently for your dog and your home.
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