Flea Prevention and Treatment in Dogs
How to find out if your dog has fleas?
When you find a flea on your dog’s coat or his bed or if you have been bitten by a flea, than it is sure that your dog has a flea problem. When you already see fleas this usually means that fleas have already invaded your dog’s coat and also the environment where your dog lives. You can detect fleas by using a flea comb, as the teeth on these combs are so close together that can find fleas very easily, especially on the lower back around the tail. If instead of fleas you find black debris, which, if you put it on moist white paper turn reddish-brown, than this is evidence that your dog has fleas.
How to treat fleas and prevent them?
When you find fleas on your dog or in the environment the dog lives, rapid action is necessary with the same methods as for flea prevention.
Some of the most common flea prevention methods are:
Spot-On treatments like Advantage and Frontline kill adult fleas. You can find this prevention treatment in capsules at your veterinarian. The capsules contain liquid that is put on dog skin directly and is recommended to be used on monthly basis. However, do not use more than one topical treatment at the same time. However, before you use one of topical treatments, ask your veterinarian about what kind of treatment is best for your dog.
Oral flea prevention/treatment releases a chemical into the dog's bloodstream that affects the flea once it bites the dog. Some sterilize the flea and others kill the flea. These products are given once a month. No more than one type of oral treatment should be used at the same time. However, certain oral treatments can sometimes be used in conjunction with a topical treatment.
Shampoos, dips and topical sprays kill fleas at the moment you use them, but they do not last longer than a few days. However, flea shampoos, dips and sprays should not be used together with topical spot-on treatments, as they may cancel each other out or worse, cause chemical toxicity.
The least effective are flea collars, as they their effect is limited to small area of coat and skin around the collar. Wearing this collar your dog will still have flea problem.
Related Articles and Sources:
http://www.flea.net/
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=545
http://pets.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-fleas-on-dogs.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_flea
When you find a flea on your dog’s coat or his bed or if you have been bitten by a flea, than it is sure that your dog has a flea problem. When you already see fleas this usually means that fleas have already invaded your dog’s coat and also the environment where your dog lives. You can detect fleas by using a flea comb, as the teeth on these combs are so close together that can find fleas very easily, especially on the lower back around the tail. If instead of fleas you find black debris, which, if you put it on moist white paper turn reddish-brown, than this is evidence that your dog has fleas.
How to treat fleas and prevent them?
When you find fleas on your dog or in the environment the dog lives, rapid action is necessary with the same methods as for flea prevention.
Some of the most common flea prevention methods are:
Spot-On treatments like Advantage and Frontline kill adult fleas. You can find this prevention treatment in capsules at your veterinarian. The capsules contain liquid that is put on dog skin directly and is recommended to be used on monthly basis. However, do not use more than one topical treatment at the same time. However, before you use one of topical treatments, ask your veterinarian about what kind of treatment is best for your dog.
Oral flea prevention/treatment releases a chemical into the dog's bloodstream that affects the flea once it bites the dog. Some sterilize the flea and others kill the flea. These products are given once a month. No more than one type of oral treatment should be used at the same time. However, certain oral treatments can sometimes be used in conjunction with a topical treatment.
Shampoos, dips and topical sprays kill fleas at the moment you use them, but they do not last longer than a few days. However, flea shampoos, dips and sprays should not be used together with topical spot-on treatments, as they may cancel each other out or worse, cause chemical toxicity.
The least effective are flea collars, as they their effect is limited to small area of coat and skin around the collar. Wearing this collar your dog will still have flea problem.
Related Articles and Sources:
http://www.flea.net/
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=545
http://pets.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-fleas-on-dogs.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_flea
