Flea Treatment and Prevention for Your Pets

Fleas are some of the worst pests for your pets. They can infest your cat or dog quickly and multiply almost overnight. What’s even worse is that if left untreated, your pet won’t be the only one suffering from flea bites. They can take over a house and are hard to get rid of.

Flea Treatment

If you are concerned about the possibility of fleas, you can check your pet. By the time you notice them scratching, it means they have a bad infestation. If you suspect your dog or cat has fleas, you can take them to the vet for a sure diagnosis.

You’ll find a variety of home treatment options that people suggest. The problem with many of these is they don’t really work. They may help some, but they don’t take care of the entire population of fleas. If you have even a couple of these pests to survive, you’ll have a new infestation in no time.

Over-the-counter flea treatments are popular, and they range in price from less than $10 to well over $40 or even more. OTC flea treatments aren’t created equal, so you may spend a lot of time trying one and then another only to find out they don’t work. You also must consider that some of these treatments can be hard on your pet. Sometimes, pets can be allergic to the treatments.

Vet-prescribed treatments are another option. While you have to pay for an exam, the medicine isn’t much different in price than what you can find in pet stores. However, it’s often more effective and will take care of the problem.

Part of the flea treatment process includes cleaning the pet’s bedding. Their bed is where you will find flea eggs and larvae that will grow into fleas.

Flea Prevention

Once you have the flea infestation taken care of, you want to make sure you don’t have to fight it again. Flea prevention is an ongoing process, especially during warm weather. You can continue to use flea treatments to prevent new fleas from getting onto your pets.

Fleas don’t just follow cats and dogs. They can also get into your home from pests like mice, rats, or even squirrels. To keep fleas out, you may need to have regular pest control treatment. Vacuuming and cleaning regularly also helps keep fleas out.

Fleas can survive for several months away from a pet, which means they can be in your home even if you don’t have a pet. Flea eggs can lay dormant all winter and begin to hatch once warmer weather arrives. You never can be sure if you are flea-free, which is why a regular prevention plan and treatment for your pets is important.

If you’re concerned about fleas, you can talk to your vet. They will help you determine if you currently have a problem and how you should treat it to keep your pets healthy and your home safe.