Fleas love pets, fortunately, nowadays it's dead easy to get rid of them
Flea Life Cycle |
Fleas in your home
The horrendous effects of fleas in pets |
Get rid of fleas on your pet |
Summary
Flea Life Cycle
Although fleas are more likely to be a problem for your pets during warm-weather months, they can also cause problems during cooler seasons due to their ability to continue their life cycle indoors.
Cats and dogs who are allowed outdoors without flea protection are cats and dogs who will eventually fall prey to flea infestations.
Fleas love to make their home on domestic pets and if you have a pet with fleas then I'm afraid to say the blame lies entirely with you.
So please be a kind and responsible pet owner and make sure your four-legged friend is introduced to a flea protection and maintenance programme from:
- preferrably from the minute you adopt him or her
- the minute you spot the presence of fleas, e.g. constant scratching and flea droppings throughout your pet's coat
Fleas in your home
As discussed in previous pages, if your dog has fleas, then you will also have fleas in your home. Recent stats indicate that only 5% will be present on your hairy companion and the remaining 95% will have set up camp in your Carpets, Curtains, Furniture and even your Bed!
Please take a moment to read our articles on
Fleas on People
Fleas in Beds
Fleas in Carpets
Fleas in Curtains
Fleas in Furniture
Fleas in Lawns and Yards
Three Steps to no Fleas
The horrendous effects of fleas in pets
If left untreated your pets will be subjected to a life of misery. They will constantly scratch and gnaw at themselves in an effort to rid themselves of the itchy spots made by hungry biting fleas.
Prolonged scratching and gnawing is one of the main causes of Hots Spots in Dogs, which very often become infected and if not treated loss of hair results, together with inflamation and infection.
One flea can bite your pet up to 400 times a day and one female flea and its off-spring can be responsible for breeding and spreading 2 million fleas throughout your home in a period of 2 months.
It is possible for young animals to die of anaemia caused by loss of blood.
It is alsp very possible that your dog could get Flea Allergy Dermatitis from the protein in fleas' saliva, or even experience an outbreak of Hives.
Fleas on your pets can also carry infectious diseases such as tapeworms, and cat scratch fever which can be transmitted to you. Please read our page on Diseases From Fleas.
Get rid of fleas on your pet
First off bath your pet with a herbal Shampoo and Conditioner The trick here is to lather up your pet and leave the shampoo on for a minimum of five minutes at least. Any less and you are wasting your time. Five minutes are needed to completely drown all adult fleas and kill all of the off-spring in the flea's life cycle.
Follow up after his bath with an herbal Spot-on treatment together with attaching a Flea Tag on an herbal Collar.
And finally, once you have sorted out a safe flea control and maintenance program for your pet, your best line of defence against fleas on an on-going basis is your vacuum cleaner. Make sure you place an an Herbal Flea Collar in the bag. Once the bag is full Seal it and dispose of it off your property
Summary
Getting rid of fleas in and around your home will take diligence on your part; this could take weeks or even months. Therefore you must take a 4-pronged approach as summarise below, other wise you wont be successful:
- Treat the fleas on your pets - we suggest bathing your dog followed by affixing an Herbal Collar and a Flea Tag
- Control the fleas inside and outside your home by using chemical free and safe flea repellants
- Be systematic and regular in your chosen method of flea repellants
- Start now!
This article and information forms part of the Carole's Doggie World Holistic Library and is presented for informational purposes only.The information is not intended to be a substitute for visits to your local vet. Instead, the content offers the reader information researched and written by Carole Curtis for www.carolesdoggieworld.com