The Best Ways to Get Rid of Annoying Dog Fleas

Fleas are a serious concern that every pet owner eventually has to contend with. Everybody who owns a dog has most likely gone through the difficult job of having to rid their dog of fleas, a task that has time and again been shown to be more difficult than it appears.

Fleas aren’t just a problem because they bother and cause hours of aggravating itching for your pet, but they may also lead to additional critical complications including tapeworm infestations, flea allergies and anemia in acute cases.

Owing to their amazing hardiness, fleas are inconceivably challenging to control. A female may lay over 2,000 eggs during the span of her lifetime, this implies that an infection could come about briskly and the eggs that she laid could last for a number of months in her habitat while just awaiting a timely victim. That’s why it’s important to eradicate both the fleas on the dog as well as the fleas making their home in the pet’s living space. The top areas to find fleas are carpets, bedding, rugs and sand.

The Best Methods to Get Rid of Fleas

To completely kill fleas on your dog and in his or her environment, it’s fundamental to know the flea’s lifespan. There are four stages which makeup the life cycle of the flea. As with most insects, the fleas originates from the egg stage, grows into larva, and then matures to the pupa phase until finally making it to the adult stage.

The Flea’s Egg Phase

The fleas eggs are whitish in color and are so small that they are tough to see without the use of a magnifying glass. Even though the eggs are first laid on the dog’s skin, many will eventually drop onto the ground to carry on their trek to adulthood. Around half of the entire flea count is made up of eggs. Dependant upon the surrounding conditions, the eggs hatch in anywhere from two to four weeks. The higher the heat and moistness in the living area, the sooner the eggs will hatch.

The Flea’s Larvae Stage

Once the flea egg hatches, it enters the larva stage where it enlarges to almost 1/4 inch in length. The flea larva subsist on natural waste materials and in the adult flea’s feces. They do not like intense light and are inclined to hide deep inside the current environment, if possible in a hot and damp place. Climate controlled homes are the preferred surroundings for the flea’s life cycle to thrive. Outdoors, larva development will only come about in soggy, shady locations.

The Flea Pupae Stage

After moving into the pupae stage, the flea pupa develop a velvety and sticky protective layer. The cocoon rapidly structures a useful camouflage as it gets encrusted by waste and soil. If motivated by heat, carbon dioxide or by physical influence, like that in a balmy and moist environment, an adult flea might appear from the cocoon in as quickly as 5 to 10 days. As soon as the adult flea appears out of the cocoon, it could live for only a couple of days unless it’s able to find a host. Pre-emerged adult fleas can last within the cocoon for up to 9 months. This is important because adult fleas still surviving within the cocoon are impervious to pesitcides spread over the environment and can appear a considerable time after you utilize insecticides in your home.

The Flea Adulthood Stage

Once the adult flea appears from its chrysalis, it will need to rapidly locate a host because it needs blood if it is to subsist. Two days subsequent to finding an acceptable host, the female flea will start to lay just about forty eggs per day. Adult fleas normally last up to 3 weeks. The full lifecycle of a flea may possibly be completed in as quickly as two to four weeks, or up to ten months dependent upon its surrounding conditions.

Treating Your Dog For Fleas

There are a lot of powders, shampoos, sprays and on the spot measures available to free your dog of fleas. Be sure to consult with a vet to pick the truly effective and trustworthy flea products for your home and pet.

Methods For Clearing the Indoor Environment of Fleas

The majority of products are simply effective against the adult flea, but environmental preparations are becoming more sophisticated. A veterinarian can give you flea insecticides that contain insect growth regulators which will help exterminate the larvae and flea eggs. Prior to the use of any environmental pesticide, it’s a good idea vacuum the rugs and carpeting to entice the pre-adult fleas to surface from their protective cocoon. Be sure to toss away the vacuum bag following its use. You should also clean all bedding your pet has lied on.

Methods For Clearing the Outside Surroundings of Fleas

Focus on dim, shady regions. Spray an insecticide made of an insect growth regulator and repeat it every 2-3 weeks for 3 to 5 treatments.

The newer oral and topical flea deterrents ought to greatly benefit you in resolving any flea problems. With determination and patience, you and your pet will be flea free in short order!