Dog Flea Control
Most dog-owners find that fleas can be quite a problem in summer. Your dog will inevitably bring some home from time to time because fleas are all over the place and contact with them is unavoidable. If your dog has just one or two fleas he will probably not be too bothered with them and you may not even realise he has them. But if there is a larger number of fleas, your house can get infested and that’s when you need to know about dog flea treatment.
Fleas are unpleasant parasites that bite and suck blood, causing itchiness and discomfort. They can also spread other parasites, such as tapeworms. Dog fleas do not live on humans, but they do jump around and bite people, especially when the dog is not around.
If you observe frequent scratching in your dog, chances are he has an infestation, and you may find fleas on his body or in his bed. Once they invade your carpet and upholstery you are likely to start getting bitten, often around the ankles, and you will need to use dog flea products to get rid of them.
Before getting rid of the fleas in your house, you must first treat your dog. Purchase a flea spray or powder or a dog flea shampoo, and follow the instructions. You will probably need to use a fair amount, but it is important do it in a safe way. Make sure you cover your dog’s eyes, nose and mouth when you use the dog flea product, as it can cause irritation to these areas. It might be wise to protect yourself too, so read the label to see if this is advised.
It is easier to apply a dog flea remedy if you have another person to help you. One of you should hold the dog’s head while the other one applies the product. You should take your time over this to make sure you do a thorough job. Begin at the head and work your way down to the tail and legs. To make sure it gets in under the hairs it is best to apply the product against the grain of the coat.
If you find you are not able to do away with all your dog’s fleas, your best course of action is to take him to a groomer for treatment. They will most likely use a bath treatment on your dog, which is probably suitable for home use too.
Fleas reproduce by creating a place to breed (not on the dog). They particularly favour the dog’s bed, so you have to treat it thoroughly with a spray, as well as any other place he may sleep. If your carpeting and furniture is infested you should spray it or buy an insecticide bomb at a hardware store and fumigate the entire house. This involves leaving the house for a few hours so if you should use that method, you must make sure you don’t leave any food out. It should all be stored in sealed containers. Be sure to read the instructions carefully to check whether the product you bought could be harmful to any other pets you may have, for example pet fish, which may need to be removed during the fumigation.
Once you have tackled the live fleas, you have to get rid of the eggs they have left. There are products available to keep these from hatching. Also remember to repeat the treatment on the dog and his bed again after a few days.
You may not be able to avoid fleas altogether, but remember that they are always treatable. And the best treatment is of course prevention, so it is a good idea to get a dog flea collar and have him wear it when you take him outside. You can remove it when he is in the house, and must be sure to take it off if ever it gets wet, to avoid irritation to the dog’s skin.
Alberto grew up in the Argentinean countryside where he was always in close contact with animals, especially dogs, cats and horses. He spent a lot of time with the local veterinarian, first out of curiosity, and later on as an occasional assistant. Check out his Web site where you will find valuable information that will help you give your pet the best care. http://www.trainingyourpet.net
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Treat your dog for fleas naturally with the use of essential oils
An increasing number of people are turning away from treating their dogs for fleas by the traditional methods of administering spot on treatments, sprays and powders, and looking towards more gentle and natural methods of treating fleas.
In this article we are going to look at how you can use essential oils as an effective method of both treating a dog who has fleas and also using essential oils as a repellent for fleas.
Let us look first at using essential oils as a repellent for dog fleas. The best time to begin this process is around winter time, as the flea population is very low at this time of the year, although not completely non existent, as many homes these days have central heating, and the warm atmosphere can help maintain the flea breeding cycle throughout the year but, usually not to a degree to cause your dog too much of a problem.
To keep fleas to a minimum you will need to treat both your dog, his or her basket and bedding, plus your house. Wash your pets bedding and basket regularly; use 2 to 4 drops of eucalyptus essential oil in a very hot wash, as you will eliminate both fleas and dust mites in your pets bedding at the same time.
To treat your home, vacuum regularly, especially areas that are dark, warm and harbor dust, as these are ideal breeding areas for fleas. Examples of such places are under furniture, beds and under carpets.
Use lavender scented detergent mixed with 4 to 8 drops of lavender essential oil to clean your floors. Pay special attention to where the floors meet the walls, as these crevices are another place where fleas can exist undetected and breed successfully.
It’s now time to use your essential oils as a flea repellent on your dog. You can do this in a number of ways, but a simple and effective programme will consist of the following; bath your dog using a natural dog shampoo that has had 3 drops of lavender, 2 drops of lemon grass and 3 drops of citronella essential oil added to it. Bath your dog using this solution on a regular basis using this solution.
When bathing your dog remember to pay attention to areas like the base of his tail, the back of his ears and between his paws.
Take an old spray bottle filled with water and add 8 drops of lavender essential oil and spray your dogs fur, especially his back area, base of his tail and neck. Remember to cover your dogs eyes when spraying his neck area.
If you think your dog may already have fleas, check first to see if this is the case. Dogs scratch for all kinds of reasons; stress, allergic reactions to certain food, or a badly conditioned coat for example.
Carefully check your dogs fur, if you find small black flakes on his skin or in his fur, especially around the base of his tail, his back or around his neck, this is flea excrement and you will need to be treated.
Treat your dog in the way described above, but on a more frequent basis, for example, give your dog a lavender bath 2 times per week, and spray his coat with lavender spray once per day. you can treat flea bites with undiluted lavender essential oil, or tea tree essential oil, as both these oils are excellent antiseptics. If you are using tea tree oil, don’t use it neat, mix 2 to 3 drops in a cup of water, and clean the infected area with cotton wool balls.
Keep checking your dogs fur, until there are no further signs of fleas. To keep your dog free from fleas in the future, keep his coat in good condition by bathing him regularly, and grooming his coat. When grooming your dog check his coat for fleas. Keeping your dog fit and healthy, through a good diet, exercise and regular grooming is the first defense to flea control, as fleas are much more likely to infest unhealthy animals rather than healthy ones.
Following these simple steps to natural flea treatment, will ensure you dog remain free from fleas all year round.
Ivan Ojounru has been training dogs in the UK since the late 1908’s. He now lives in France where he continues to train dogs and write about dog related behaviour care and trainig topics. He is passionate about giving dog owners the skills, knowledge and confidence to enable them to train their own dogs successfully. For further information visit http://www.dogtrainingcareadvice.blogspot.com
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