All year round, you should be aware and prepared for fleas.Anyone who has ever owned a dog or a cat knows how difficult and frustrating fleas can be. Because we live in a geographic area noted for its sand, moisture and relatively mild temperatures, our pets are  even more susceptible to the attack of these voracious "blood suckers". Here is some general advice about fleas and what you can do to try and help your pet be flea-free.

It is helpful to remember that fleas breed very efficiently. Their life cycle takes six weeks and this is why it is best to plan ahead a little in order to get optimum flea control especially during the summer months and throughtout the year.

 
 
 
 
 

Flea Control Products

There are many products on the market for flea control. Below is a summary of the different classes of product. Remember that as good as these flea products are they are not 100% efficient and sometimes it is necessary to use a combination of products to keep your fleas under control. The environment of the shore is very favorable to the life cycle of the flea. To discuss details of products that are available and what to use for your particular situation, you should contact your local veterinary hospital.

Prevention of fleas

Killing adult fleas by treating your dog or cat

Killing fleas in the environment
 
 

1) Prevention of fleas-"PROGRAM"

One of the most successful ways of flea control is to prevent fleas from breeding. This can be done with a tablet/liquid that is given to your dog or cat once a month. There is also an injection now available that lasts for six months.

It works by preventing the flea eggs from hatching.It has been called a "Flea Bitrh Control Pill". It doesn't kill adult fleas however, so it wont prevent your pet from picking up fleas from outside or from other animals.  All animals in the household must be on the tablets/liquid for it to work properly. If the females are not able to reproduce and create thousands of eggs daily there can be no flea infestation. Due to the six week life cycle of the flea, it takes about two doses (i.e. two months) for the tablets to start working fully. This method is very safe for the animal and for the environment.  It has been used in the USA for many years with no ill effects.It is recommended that animals be kept on this medicine  all year long in our particular area. 85% of our clients that use this product as directed have NO problems with fleas and do not need to use any other flea control products.

 2) Killing adult fleas by treating your dog or cat

"ADVANTAGE"&"FRONTLINE"

For those few clients that use "Program" and still have flea problems and for those clients that use nothing and have flea problems, there are  two new products available

Many products are available to kill adult fleas.

Drops on the back of the neck once a month - there are two brands of drops which both work in a similar fashion and they are easily applied to the dog or cat once monthly. During the month, fleas are killed before they bite the animal. This method proves very effective and is easy to use.

Shampoos/flea rinses - there are many different washes available to kill adult fleas on dogs and cats. Many of cats can be difficult to bath but it is a good method if you regularly bath your dog anyway.

Sprays - there are some really good sprays available for keeping fleas under control. Cats are sometimes difficult to spray.

Flea collars and flea powder - these methods do not, in our experience, provide good flea control. If at all possible, try to use another method.

Click here to read more about "ADVANTAGE"

 3) Killing fleas in the environment

Many people are horrified when we find fleas on their pet. Even more commonly though, we find flea 'dirt', which means that there have been fleas there. Where are they now? Well, fleas spend much of time off their 'host' (your cat or dog), and this means they spend much of time in the carpet, on the bed, otherwise known as the 'environment'.

House "bombs" - these can be used to get rid of fleas in the home. Sometimes fleas can breed in the carpets and cause sudden infestations or you may notice flea bites on members of your family other than your dog or cat! In these situations, and if flea control on your pet is not being effective enough, it may be advisable to "bomb" the house. Make sure you read all the directions before doing this as the chemicals can be quite strong.

Sprays/washes - there are some very effective sprays and washes available to use on your pets bedding.

By far the  best way to take care of  the fleas in the environment is have a professional exterminator do the job. It can be done more economically than doing it yourself sometimes. Plus they have access to chemicals that the general public doesn't. We would gladly give you  the names of two local "professional killers"
 

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