Fleas on Cats, Dogs, Rabbits... oh and maybe you too!

Fleas can be a big problem as they’re very hard to eradicate. There are three zones: the pet, the house, the yard. You have to hit all three to get rid of them. No use just treating the pets bedding and the pet as many powder instructions advise. Guess what - they want to sell you more powder when a new batch of fleas hatch in two weeks time!

For the house, you can get flea bombs at a place like Wal-Mart, most likely in the pesticide area rather than the pet area, you’re looking for the ones that contain Precor (read the label as the name might be different)....that kills what’s there now and what hatches for six months in case there are already eggs in the house. You can also get powders for treating carpets and furnishings. Whatever you use if you keep fish either cover their tank very tightly or take it outside for a few hours because what kills fleas does not do wonders for fish either!

For the pets, you can use flea shampoo or powder (depending on age because newborn kittens could be killed along with the fleas) and then follow up with Frontline Plus for at least two months. Its best to ask your vetinarian or your local pet shop if you cant afford the vet.

For the yard, there are any number of sprays or granular yard bug killers. Some are hose-end and some are spread like granular fertilizers. What the flea product companies tend not to tell you is that if you do only the house, your pet will get reinfected outside or when the fleas jump off next doors dog... If you do only the pets, the fleas jump back on them outside or in the house.

The cheapest way is to do all the areas on the same day. You COULD use Frontline Plus and spray the yard if they don’t come inside at all. Frontline Plus isn’t cheap and it doesn’t kill the fleas as they crawl around the pets. It kills them when they bite via a toxin that is in your pets bloodstream. The flea shampoo or powder is for killing what’s on them right now. A small kid’s swimming pool (the hard side kind as opposed to the blow up kind) works well as an outdoor bathtub.

Remember if you walk where the fleas are, you can bring them into the house on your clothing, though they wont always bite you they are not averse to hitching a ride.

Check a new pet for fleas before you bring it into the house or yard....and go to the vet just to be entirely sure. The vet can spray the new animal. Most vets will recommend Frontline Plus which is not cheap. It is based on the animal’s weight and species. People most often make the mistake of treating only one zone and they don’t understand why the fleas come back....or never leave.

Frontline Plus can also be purchased online via many places. PetCare Rx keeps advertising specials on it.

One caution: Dogs that have been infested with fleas might also be infested with heartworms as they’re carried by any bloodsucking insect. The classic signs of heartworm disease include a cough, especially on exercise and early exhaustion upon exercise.

Hopefully this article will help you avoid the two weekly cycle of flea infestation that is common in many places worldwide!