Fleas can easily make an ordinarily-happy dog’s life miserable. Once they take hold and begin to reproduce, your dog will constantly scratch themselves in an effort to get rid of these pesky little critters. Unfortunately, getting rid of fleas takes more than just your dog scratching at their coat. You’ll need to take matters into your own hands if you want to remove fleas once and for all; here’s how you do it:
Vacuum
If your dog has fleas, it’s important that you frequently vacuum the carpet and floor. Not only will you suck up any fleas that are embedded deep in the carpet, but you’ll also get their larva as well. In fact, fleas go through several growth stages during their development, one of which is called pupae. During the pupae stage, the larvae creates a protective barrier around themselves, preventing insecticides or chemicals from threatening their health. While traditional flea medicine won’t kill fleas in the pupae stage, you can suck them up vacuuming them.
Frequent Bathing
Along with vacuuming, you’ll also need to give your dog frequent baths to remove any fleas, larvae and pupae that are stuck in their coat. Dogs with thicker, longer coats will require more attention during baths, as you may not be able to get deep inside their coat as easily. Don’t just use any shampoo, though, but instead use a flea-formulated shampoo that’s designed to target and kill fleas. There are a number of suitable flea shampoos on the market, including several different types made by Hartz. Read and follow the instructions on the bottle, paying special attention and care not to get any of the flea shampoo in your eyes during the process.
Flea Comb
Another tool in your effort to get rid of fleas is frequent brushing and combing. There are combs available with fine tips designed to pull out any fleas stuck inside your dog’s coat. Once a day, give your dog a thorough brushing with one of these combs to help remove any stubborn fleas. After picking them out, drop them into a cup of soapy water to ensure they don’t jump back out.
Flea Medicine
When traditional preventive measures aren’t enough to remove the fleas from your dog and home, you may want to give your dog a dose of flea medicine as well. FrontLine is quite possibly the best all-around flea medicine you can purchase for a dog. A standard box comes with 3 separate doses, each of which lasts roughly 1 to 3 months. Just open up one of the packets and apply it directly on the back of their neck where they’re unable to lick or scratch it off.