Flea Treatment

Title: Flea Treatment
Author: Jamie Simpson

Flea Treatment
Cats and dogs can pick up fleas whilst outdoors and as they
tend to be outside for quite a significant amount of time
each day, they are more than likely going to play host to
fleas at some point in their lives. There is very little
you can do to prevent this from happening as fleas can be
found lurking anywhere just waiting for a suitable host to
pass by but there are some things you can do to help
prevent fleas from infesting in your home.

How to recognise if a pet has fleas

Probably the first sign you will notice is your cat or dog
scratching and/or biting quite vigorously, or the first
indication may be when you discover that you yourself have
itchy and irritating bite marks on your lower legs and
ankles. On closer inspection of your pet you may be able to
catch sight of a flea as it runs through your pet's coat.
Other telltale signs include brownish/reddish specks on
your pets coat or bedding, which are basically dried blood
and other deposits from the flea bites.

Fleas can also transmit tapeworm so if this is a problem
for your pet then it can also indicate the presence of
fleas. If in doubt, a veterinary surgeon will be able to
tell you quickly and easily if a pet has fleas or worms or
both and they will be able to recommend appropriate
treatments.

Treating your pet

Purchase good quality insecticidal treatments that can deal
with the fleas, their larvae and their eggs. It's important
to note that flea collars can be ineffective as they only
treat the area around the neck.

Comb or brush your pet daily, particularly after they have
been outside and especially in hot weather in order to help
dislodge fleas and eggs from your pet's coat. Keep a bowl
of hot water close by when you do this so that you can
place any fleas directly into the water, however, fleas are
notoriously hard to catch so don't expect to eradicate all
your pets fleas using this method.

Treating your home

One of the problems with flea control is that the flea
doesn't just stay on your pet but will live quite happily
for extended periods of time in your carpets, pet bedding
and other parts of your home so it is absolutely pointless
to treat your pet without treating your home at the same
time.

Fleas can be dealt with quite effectively using a good
quality insecticide for the home. Again, there is no use
dealing with the fleas if you don't deal with the eggs too.
Wash your pets bedding in hot soapy water on a weekly basis
to help dispose of any flea eggs.

Flea eggs can fall from your pet and on to the carpet or
anywhere in the house for that matter so vacuum the carpets
daily and invest in a steam cleaner to clean your carpets
from time to time. Better still if you have wooden floors
which can easily be cleaned and disinfected regularly.

After grooming your pet, make sure you vacuum the
surrounding area immediately afterwards remembering to
empty the vacuum cleaner outside in a sealed bag.

When using an insecticidal spray, make sure you treat
everywhere that your pet is likely to have been.

When are fleas most likely to be a problem?

In the past, fleas were predominantly a problem during the
warmer summer months, however, these days with centrally
heated homes and milder temperatures fleas can be a problem
all year round. As such, you need to be constantly on the
lookout for the presence of fleas and if treatment is
conducted immediately, then you are unlikely to have much
difficulty in controlling them. However, if you do find
that you have an infestation of fleas that you cannot deal
with on your own, consult a vet or an expert in pest
control for more information and advice.

About the Author:

If you are experiencing a flea infestation and need flea
treatment, then please come and visit our site
http://www.ppcsupplies.co.uk/fleas

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