Effective dog flea treatment is important for both your dog and yourself. You will learn some good methods for prevention and treatment of dog fleas. Lets start with some suggested ways of preventing fleas.
Be sure to eliminate all yard waste near your home. Cut your grass low to allow sunlight to penetrate. Fleas multiply in dark humid places. Fleas commonly thrive in your pet’s bedding so wash it at least once a week. A weekly bath for your dog will also be good flea treatment. If bathing is difficult talk with your vet about alternatives. Comb your dog frequently with a flea comb which has fine teeth and will physically remove fleas. Soapy water is a natural insecticide so dip your comb into soapy water to kill the fleas.
Your veterinarian may prescribe a tablet that you administer once a month as a dog flea treatment that does not kill fleas but prevents the adult from reproducing. A dog flea collar can also be helpful.
A commercially available product called Advantix, which is made especially for dogs, can also control fleas and ticks. Advantix cannot be used on cats so you will need a different product for your cat. The two active ingredients in Advantix are imidacloprid and permethrin and are effective at both repelling and killing fleas and ticks. Mosquitoes are also controlled by Advantix and since they are disease carrying insects it is important to treat for them as well. The flea’s nervous system is paralyzed by Advantix resulting in the death of the flea. It will kill ticks before they bite providing good protection against the possibility of a bite becoming infected. Advantix also stops fleas from biting and kills them in several stages of their life cycle, which makes it an especially effective dog flea treatment.
It only takes five minutes for Advantix to begin working and stops the adult flea from laying eggs that would cause the flea colony to grow. Lice are killed within one week of application and mosquitoes are prevented form biting. The product is purchased in various sizes depending on how much the dog weighs. Monthly applications are necessary for up to six months.
Two other products called Frontline and Frontline Plus are available and can be used on both dogs and cats. The (S)-methoprene in Frontline flea treatment kills ticks in 48 hours and fleas within 18 hours. You may begin using Frontline on puppies and kittens at the age of two months. It kills four different types of ticks. Frontline products can be used on pregnant cats and dogs and will not wash off with water thereby increasing its effectiveness. Like Advantix, Frontline is used monthly for about six months.
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