Taking the Bite Out of the Flea

Spring brings warm weather and heralds the age-old battle of good versus evil…
The fight to keep your dog free of the mighty flea.

If dogs could talk, perhaps their most common complaint in the spring and summer would be about the intense itching caused by the common flea. Constant attacks by these blood-sucking creatures can make the most fearless dog scratch, chew and gnaw at his skin and coat.

Aside from annoying you and your dog, fleas also can transmit disease, pass on tapeworms and cause anemia, especially in vulnerable puppies and older dogs.

Measuring only 1/10-inch long, these wingless brown parasites exist in more than 2,200 varieties. Interestingly, the flea prefers your dog (and any other viable host) only during the parasite’s adult life, which lasts from six months to a year.

Female fleas lay as many as 24 eggs each day, eggs that often roll off your dog and fall under floorboards and carpets, in the crevices of your couch and everywhere in between. After about a week, these eggs hatch into hungry flea larvae. Weeks to months later, the larvae retreat into cocoons, where they can wait for as long as a year before emerging as adult fleas. When they come out, they leap onto your dog, where they continue the cycle of life by feeding, mating and, of course, laying more eggs.

According to veterinarians, to rid your dog (and your household) of fleas, you need to target every popular “hangout”…your dog, your cat, your house and your yard. Watch for any obvious signs of fleas. Scratching, biting and gnawing, plus evidence of flea “dirt” between the dog’s back legs or in his armpits, are telltale indications of uninvited guests. To check out your pet, stand him in the tub and vigorously rub your hands through his fur. If little black dots fall to the tub floor, they’re probably either fleas or their dried-blood excrement. If the dirt turns red when you add a little water, you know you’ve got problems.

If you observe your dog constantly biting and gnawing himself or you can actually see fleas jumping off of him, you’ve got a full-blown infestation. But if he bites only a few times a day, you may be able to nip the flea in the bud. Though most owners think dogs chew at themselves to stop a biting flea, in fact, dogs are trying to relieve the discomfort caused by the skin inflammation from previous flea bites.

To help fight fleas, one thing to do is to “deactivate” your dog by trying to make him less attractive to fleas. Talk to your veterinarian and find out what they recommend. They may advise you to use one or a combination of the following treatments.

• Flea birth control. Since these control measures are fairly new to the marketplace, ask your veterinarian for their advice about safe, effective flea-killing products that help break the life cycle of the flea by preventing eggs from hatching.
• Flea and tick shampoos, rinses, dips and sprays. These products generally are effective, but they tend to wear off quickly and must be reapplied. A note of caution: Don’t overuse shampoos, rinses and dips. They can dry out your dog’s skin. However, you can apply powders and sprays more liberally, some as often as once a day. In any case, talk to your veterinarian about specific products. There are many different shampoos, dips and rinses out there with varying degrees of quality and strength.
• Flea combs and collars. Combing out fleas is only a temporary remedy because many determined fleas can remain on your dog’s coat. Collars can be effective on some small dogs. But typically, they’re no match for fleas.
• Debugging your home. Meticulous and frequent cleaning and vacuuming are key to reducing the flea population in your house. Wash and change your pet’s bedding regularly. If possible, dispose of the vacuum-cleaner bag after each use and remove from the house.
  Use a commercial fogger for whole-house coverage or a house hold spray to treat furniture, floorboards and your pet’s favorite spots.
• Guarding your yard. As you would with an in-home spray, use an outdoor insecticide to treat areas in your yard where your dog spends most of his time.

As with all insecticides... please be sure to read the lable carefully,
and talk with your veterinarian for best results.