TIPS HOW TO CONTROL FLEAS

For the most effective control be sure to maintain your flea control throughout the whole year. This is particularly vital if you live in a warm part of the country.

All pets in your household should be treated

If you use a spot on treatment eg: Advantage Frontline Plus ,Revolution there are some steps to take that will help these products work more effectively. It is best to not wash your pet for 2-3 days before using these products. The natural oils of the skin helps the spread of the spot on over your pet’s body. In dogs especially, place the liquid in a number of areas – neck, midback and towards the tail, this will help in the spread over your pet’s body. With cats place only on the neck as they will lick it off if placed elsewhere. Be sure to part the hair to get the liquid down onto the skin.

Be sure to apply the spot on treatments every month, marking a calendar is a good way to remember it is due.

It is best to minimise washing your pet. If you do, it is best to use a shampoo with no soap. The soap in normal shampoos will strip the oils from the skin and coat reducing the effectiveness of the flea spot ons.

Remember the fleas you see on your pet are only 5% of the flea population the rest are in your pet’s environment breeding away merrily. Female adult fleas can lay up to 400 eggs a week. If you have a big flea problem it may be a good idea to treat your pet’s environment. You can do this yourself or have a contractor do it for you. If you maintain regular flea control, that will help stop the environmental population build up has the treatments will eventually get control of the flea population.

Washing your pets bedding weekly can also help to stop the environmental build up of fleas.

The ultimate flea control is to use a topical spot on flea control product along with an oral medication, Comfortis is such a product. Given monthly, the fleas that get on your pet will die within 30 minutes. Comfortis is also effective when used by itself.