Fleas are a common problem, and yet so many people don’t know the best way to diagnose, treat, and prevent them. Almost all kinds of pet can get them at some point, and the little buggers can even bite humans and make them itch like crazy! Nobody wants a flea infested pet or home, so you need to know exactly want to do in the event of a flea break out. Read on to learn all about pet fleas and how to conquer them once and for all!
The Best Way to Diagnose Pet Fleas
Diagnosing pet fleas is a simple case of you using your senses to see if you can spot the fleas. Here are a few things you can do to work out whether pet fleas have infested your pet:
- Watch out for your pet continually scratching himself. In some cases, they’ll do this a lot anyway. However; if they are doing it more than usual, it may be because they’ve got fleas.
- If your pet is scratching behind his ears and gnawing on his tail, this can be a sign that pet fleas are present. Fleas love to nestle behind ears and in tails.
- Try to inspect your pet’s fur long enough to spot a flea. This can be tricky as they are very small. However, you might be lucky enough to spot one jumping from one place to the other.
- Use a comb and a piece of white paper to see if any fleas or flea feces drops off your pet. Flea feces can be told apart from fleas as it looks suspicious in the fur but is obviously not alive.
- If you suspect that one pet has fleas, check your other pets for fleas too. If one has it, the others are more than likely to get it.
- Check any areas where your pet regularly “hangs out” for fleas, flea feces, and eggs.
- If you’re itching too, it may be because you’ve been bitten by a flea!
- Apart from the points above, the only other way you can be sure if your pet has fleas is to take them to the vet. The vet will be able to tell you for sure.
How to Treat Pet Fleas
Treating pet fleas can be frustrating, but it’s absolutely necessary if you find out that your pet has fleas. They won’t go away on their own, and your pet’s quality of life will be compromised! Here’s how to treat pet fleas:
- First of all, let your vet know that your pet has fleas and ask him what to do. If he’s dealt with your pet before, he’ll know a lot about your pet and the best way to treat him. Not all treatments are suitable for all pets, as each animal is unique.
- If you’re thinking of trying a method a friend has told you about or something that you’ve stumbled across on the internet again, double check with your vet. You don’t want to make your pet worse or give them an allergic reaction!
- Flea baths are always good and will likely be recommended by your vet. You can buy plenty of products to do this with, like those sold on www.petfleas.co.uk.
- You even have the option of making your own flea bath with natural ingredients such as lemon and tea-tree.
- Go outside, and armed with a comb and a bucket of hot, soapy water begin to comb your pet. This is not a permanent solution for ridding fleas and should never be used alone, but it is an effective short-term solution to the problem. Each time you run the comb through your pet’s fur, dip it in the hot, soapy water to kill the fleas. Remember to keep your hair out of reach!
- A spot on flea treatment is also a good way to get rid of fleas. You may need to reapply the treatment after a few days or weeks to stop new eggs from hatching.
- Always read and follow instructions carefully to keep your pet in good health!
- Never leave it too long to treat fleas, as they become severe and cause all kinds of other problems for you and your dog.
How to Stop Pet Fleas From Coming Back
Now you’ve treated the pet fleas; you must stop them from coming back. This means doing a thorough job on all of your other pets and household furniture. It’ll be hard work but worth it in the end! Here’s how to stop them from returning:
- Once you’ve treated your flea infested pet, treat all of your other pets that have come into contact with the infested pet. They may have eggs on them that haven’t hatched yet, even if they aren’t itching. This will stop you from having to repeat this annoying process again!
- Clean all of your furniture thoroughly, especially anywhere your pet “hangs out” often. Wash all of your cushions, bedding, and other materials that can be thrown into the washing machine.
- Look out for fleas in the garden and treat the garden for fleas. There are many flea garden treatments out there that can help. This means you can still allow your pet to play freely in the garden, without bringing those critters back inside!
- You may have to repeat the treatment a couple of times in order for it to be effective, as new fleas can survive for a while and hatch when you least expect it.
Make sure you’re prepared to say goodbye to fleas once and for all when using this advice. It may be a long, grueling process, but you and your pet will be a lot happier once the problem has gone. Feel free to take your pet for another checkup once you think you’ve successfully gotten rid of the fleas, just to double check.
Now you’re ready to diagnose, treat, and prevent fleas. Your pet is in great hands! Good luck and be consistent to see great results. Get ready to say goodbye to those nasty fleas!
