Scratch Out Fleas: Fleas in your home

What if my dog brings fleas home?

No one likes to be bitten by those nasty little fleas. If your dog bring fleas to your home, you will first want to wash all linens that are potentially affected in hot water, and dry on high heat. Additionally, there are many products that are made just for this problem. You can use a home spray or a carpet powder. Both are effective options.

Hartz makes ADVANCED CARE 3 in 1 Home Spray that kills and prevents fleas for 7 months.

Hartz also makes ADVANCED CARE 3 in 1 Carpet Powder that kills fleas, flea eggs, and ticks that live and breed in carpets and upholstered furniture. This can be used in homes, basements, pet sleeping quarters and storage areas and can control re-infestation for up to 365 days by killing flea eggs.

Scratch Out Fleas: Natural flea treatments

Is there a natural way to rid my dog of fleas?
You can make your own flea spray or use essential oils to repel fleas.

A recipe for a safe and easy homemade flea repellent is: cut 6 lemons in half, boil in a quart of water, steep a few hours, then strain the solution into a spray bottle. Spritz your pet's fur, taking care not to spray near the eyes.

You can also use essential oils to repel fleas, such as:

• Lavender, lemongrass, peppermint and citronella repel fleas. Lavender, peppermint and geranium essential oils repel mosquitoes. Lavender, lemongrass and geranium repel ticks. Dab oils between the dog's shoulder blades.
  
• Other effective natural repellents include lemon, cedar, eucalyptus, myrrh, neem and rosewood.
• Put a drop of lemon oil or rosemary oil on the dog's collar.

Are there any vitamins or supplements that will repel fleas?
There are vitamins and dietary supplements that will help to repel fleas. Here are some supplements are are known to help:

• B complex vitamins (50 mg once a day for cats and smaller dogs, and twice daily for larger dogs
• Omega 3 and 6 fatty acid supplements
• Organic apple cider vinegar to the dog's water bowl (about 1 teaspoon for small dogs and 1 tablespoon for large dogs)
• Safflower oil and powdered kelp or seaweed to the food bowl (about 1 teaspoon for small dogs and 1 tablespoon for large dogs)
• Fresh garlic in small quantities can help repel fleas by making the animal taste unpleasant to fleas. Grate a small amount of fresh, raw garlic into your pet's food at mealtime, about one-half to 3 chambers of the clove (chamber, not a whole clove -- see below) depending on the animal's size.
  

Scratch Out Fleas: Protecting your dog

What is the best way to protect against fleas?
It is important to treat your dog all year around, especially if you live in a more temperate climate. This can be done with flea shampoo, sprays, and also with the monthly topical treatment.

There are a variety of pet stores, as well as online stores that sell flea treatments. Pet Edge carries many flea treatments at a very affordable price. They have shampoos, sprays, and topical treatment. You can get a 3 month supply of topical treatment for only $1.99. So, there is no excuse to make your pal itch.

Topical treatments

What if my dog has extra sensitive skin?
There are some flea treatments formulated for sensitive skin. Hartz makes an ADVANCED CARE 2 in 1 Flea & Tick Shampoo with Oatmeal that kills fleas and ticks while helping to sooth and relieve dry, itchy or irritated skin with a fresh herbal fragrance. This product was developed with encapsulated Oat Extract to provide soothing relief to itchy problem skin.

There are other dog shampoos and sprays on the market made for sensitive skin. Additionally, you may want to try the topical treatment, since it is concentrated to one area.

Scratch Out Fleas: More than just a summer problem

We all know that fleas can cause your little guy to drive himself crazy scratching. But did you know that these small dark brown insects prefer temperatures of 65-80 degrees and humidity levels of 75-85%... so for some areas of the country they are more than just a “summer” problem. The next few articles will be addressing how to determine if your little guy has fleas and how to deal with it.

How did my dog get fleas?
Dogs and cats can get infested with fleas through contact with other animals or contact with fleas in the environment. Often times, fleas can even live in the grass and can latch on to your pup at play group or even on a walk outside. Fleas can’t fly, but they can jump pretty far!

How do I know if my dog has fleas?
These nasty little bugs can often be seen scurrying along the surface of the skin. Fleas dislike light so looking for them within furry areas and on the pet's belly and inner thighs will provide your best chances of spotting them. Look for "flea dirt", too. "Flea dirt" looks like dark specks of pepper scattered on the skin surface. If you find fleas or flea dirt, you need to begin your war on the pests.