In my opinion, this is the most important step in keeping your home flea-free. Flea prevention, when done right, ends the battle before it even begins. Instead of spending large amounts of time, money and suffering on a flea infestation, you could simply follow a few guidelines to make sure these annoyances never enter your home. There’s a reason so many companies have made a living producing flea treatment products though. When fleas have entered your home, the numbers quickly explode, making it nearly impossible to kill them faster than they can reproduce. Don’t lose hope yet though – help is here.
Identification
First step in the process of flea prevention is identifying if you’re dealing with fleas. If you suspect that your dog or cat has been infected, you should get a flea comb and start looking through its fur right away. The first and most obvious sign of a flea attack is when your pet starts scratching itself. Fleas leave saliva when they bite and this irritates the skin. If you don’t do anything about it, all the scratching can cause serious skin infections on your pet. When combing your cat or dog, you should also look for flea dirt. It’s just a pretty word for flea droppings really. If you see small black dots on the skin, you can test if it’s flea dirt with a wet piece of paper. If the color of the black dots change to red, it’s flea dirt. This means there are fleas on the pet.
Take flea prevention seriously
You should take flea prevention as seriously as I do. Female fleas produce thirty eggs a day, which are planted on your pet and carried into your home by your pet. Within days, this number increases to a few hundred, and in weeks, you have thousands of roommates that enjoy feeding on you and your pets. They will be everywhere, making them almost impossible to get rid of. That’s why flea prevention on your pet and in your home is so important.
Use flea control products
Luckily, there are many products available that does just that. My favorite approach is preventing fleas on my dogs with flea drops and checking their fur once in a while with a flea comb. I also vacuum often and pay extra attention if my dogs are scratching themselves during flea season. There are several other ways to go about it. Flea pills, powders, shampoos, sprays, collars, flea traps and flea bombs are just some of them. You will find every one of these flea treatment products with a detailed description right here on my website.
Flea prevention for puppies
Most vets recommend using flea control products during flea season. Always speak to your vet about the right flea prevention products for puppies and be sure to use these products as per the instructions on the product label. You must also remember that these products repel fleas but will not stop them from jumping on other hosts, including humans. Here are some important precautions to follow when using flea prevention for puppies:
- Never spray or rub the product near the puppy’s mouth or anus. Many products are toxic and can cause reactions in young puppies.
- Do not use cat flea products on dogs and vice a versa.
- Not all products are created equally. Pet stores sell many tick and flea products but not all are safe for use on young pups and kittens.
- Invest in a good flea comb and comb out the pet’s hair. Pay special attention to the top of the head, chin, spine, neck and paws.
Flea prevention for adult dogs and cats
Daily grooming and massage can help prevent fleas on dogs and cats. Always use vet approved products for eliminating flea bites on your pets. Most flea drops and spot treatment products work by spreading through the body. When a flea bites the cat or dog, the poison prevents its life cycle development and kills all or some life stages. The best way to prevent flea bites on cats and dogs is by following these steps:
How to prevent fleas on dogs and cats
- Bathe your pet with a vet approved flea shampoo. You can also use dishwashing liquid and dilute it with water to wash the pet. Submerge the pet in the solution so that the fleas are drowned.
- After drying your pet, apply a flea control product such as flea drops.
- Vacuum the house thoroughly. Wash all pet bedding in hot water and dry it on the hottest setting it can withstand.
- Repeat all steps every few weeks to keep your home and pets flea free.
What are the best flea control products for dogs and cats?
Based on flea and tick prevention product reviews, Frontline is a clean winner when it comes to the best flea control for dogs. Thousands and thousands of pet owners have used this product safely for preventing flea nuisance in their homes and on their beloved pets. Read my review on Frontline in this article. You can also go in for Advantix which is also one of the top flea control products for dogs. For more about Advantix, read this review. In case of flea prevention in cats, you could consider Capstar. I have reviewed this product here.
Get rid of and prevent fleas in your home
Apart from getting rid of fleas on your pets, you must also eliminate them from your home and yard. Here are a couple of things that can help:
- Vacuum, vacuum and vacuum some more. Seal and discard vacuum bags far away from your home. If needed, treat your home with Borax or diatomaceous earth powder before vacuuming. Both these products kill fleas by dehydrating them.
- Wash your bed linen, curtains, table runners, sheets, pillow covers and clothes in hot water to eliminate flea eggs and larvae.
- Maintain your yard. Do not let wild animals nest under your decks and patios as they tend to carry fleas. Trim the grass blades short and spray beneficial nematodes solution in the grass and shrubs to prevent fleas and ticks.
Keep an eye on your pets
Remember that flea prevention is the best way to keep fleas away from your home and your pets. Check your dog or cat regularly and observe if it scratches itself more than usual. This is the first sign that indicates flea presence, and if you catch it in the beginning, you can get rid of all the fleas before they get a chance to spread to the rest of your home. Save yourself the trouble and begin flea prevention today.