How to Get Rid of Dog Fleas

Did you know there are over 2,000 varieties of fleas in the world, and over 200 types in the US alone? A female flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day, and each newly hatched flea can begin breeding within 48 hours.This means that one flea could within 9 months be responsible for producing over a trillion more fleas. That's why, when your dog starts scratching, it is important to attack and fight the flea infestation on all fronts.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Topical treatment
• Oral flea medication
• Flea shampoo and/or dip
• Vacuum
• Salt
• Borax
• Flea powder for carpets/furniture
• Flea spray for house
• Flea fogger/bomb
• Flea spray or powder for yard

1. Apply a topical treatment directly to your dog's skin. Place a few drops between the shoulder blades or at the nape of the neck, and these few drops will spread throughout the fur and kill fleas on contact for one month or more.

2. Visit your veterinarian for a prescription of oral flea medication. These medications will disrupt the flea life cycle, causing the fleas to be unable to reproduce--think of it as birth control for fleas.

3. Wash your dog with a good flea shampoo. Read the label to make sure you choose a shampoo that will actually kill fleas on contact, since if all you're doing is washing the fleas off your dog, they can just hop right back on once he's out of the tub.

4. Dip your dog to get rid of a bad infestation. A good, thorough dipping will kill all the fleas on your dog's body, but it will not prevent a flea problem from recurring unless and until you treat the fleas in the environment as well.

5. Vacuum your floor thoroughly. Many people swear by sprinkling the carpet with salt or borax to kill the fleas, then letting it sit for 48 hours before vacuuming. You can also buy commercial flea powders meant to treat carpets and furniture. Whether you use such a treatment or not, you must be sure to dispose of your vacuum bag or empty and clean your canister every time you vacuum so that any fleas and fleas eggs you may have vacuumed up do not continue to breed and to hatch.

6. Wash your pet's bedding thoroughly in hot water, then dry it. Any bedding that cannot be washed should be treated and vacuumed as in Step 5.

7. Spray or "bomb" your house with a flea killer. You may wish to use both of these--a flea fogger or bomb for a good general extermination, then a spray to get in the hard-to-reach cracks and corners that the fogger may have missed.

8. Treat your yard with a yard spray or sprinkle-on powder if your yard is small enough to permit you to do this. If you have a very large yard, you may wish to treat the area immediately around your house, especially if there is a possibility of your being able to keep your dog confined to this area during flea season. It also helps to keep your grass mowed as short as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• It may take up to 3 weeks to completely rid yourself of a serious flea infestation, and even after it goes away you need to be vigilant to prevent its recurring.
• Remember that all people and pets must be out of the house when a flea bomb is being used. You'll also need to keep all food and dishes covered.