Dog Fleas Advice
Key Points
- Almost all dogs and cats pick up fleas
- Fleas are present all year round
- Your house may provide a supply of developing fleas to attack your pet
- Fleas are a health hazard to you and your pets
- Effective control involves the use of a combination of products
What can fleas do to my pet?
- Flea bites cause discomfort and irritation
- Many pets become sensitised to flea bites which leads to intense itchiness and severe self-inflicted trauma.
- Fleas are responsible for transmitting some tapeworms to our pets.
How can I control the flea problem?
- Please consult us – we have found that many non-prescription preparations simply do not work well enough to achieve effective flea control.
- It is practically impossible to prevent your pet coming into contact with fleas so regular treatments are necessary to control the problem and prevent a build-up within the home.
- An effective flea control programme may involve the use of a combination of products. These attack both the adult flea stage on our pets AND the immature stage within the home.
Flea Control
Fleas breed throughout the year in centrally heated homes. It is therefore important to maintain a flea control programme throughout the year.
Pet Treatments
- Spot on applications: These are applied on to the skin in the neck region and kill fleas. Some of these preparations have the added benefit of treating worms.
- By mouth: Preparations can be given monthly to sterilise fleas. Others will kill fleas rapidly, especially if a heavy burden is present but these may be short lasting. Some of these preparations are combined with effective wormers.
Environmental Control
Where there has been a lapse in flea treatment that has allowed a flea infestation to develop, it is important to treat the home environment to remove the existing flea population. Many of these products last 12 months.
Do not use these products if you keep aquarium fish within the house and use them with caution if a family member suffers from asthma.
