4 Things You Need to Know About Preventing Fleas
Preventing fleas should be a primary concern for any pet owner. Fleas are nasty bloodsuckers and you should be using proven products like Frontline to prevent these parasites in the home.
If you are new to pet ownership then here are four important things you need to know about preventing fleas.
1. Use Chemical Treatments Year-Round
Frontline is very successful at treating fleas and it is important you use it year-round for the best effects. If you stop treatments then eventually the product will wear off and your pets will be vulnerable to fleas again. You do need to use Frontline every three to four months to keep it working to protect your pets and home from fleas.
2. Combine Treatments for the Best Effects
If you do have a flea problem then it is best to take a multi-layered approach to eradicate them. By combining various powerful products you can quickly work to get the infestation under control.
- Start by treating your pets with a spot on product this will work to eliminate fleas already on your pets and prevent any more from infesting them.
- Next use an insect growth regulator product to treat your home. These powerful chemical treatments will destroy the fleas’ life cycle and eradicate infestations in your home.
3. Wash and Vacuum Regularly
Washing bed bedding and vacuuming regularly can help to prevent fleas. This will ensure they are removed from key areas in the form of eggs, larvae or adults before they can escalate into a full scale infestation.
When you wash bed bedding make sure you use a hot wash and a good detergent to ensure fleas are completely killed and removed. Empty the vacuum bag/cylinder outside and away from areas pets and humans frequent.
4. Fleas Can Cause Serious Health Problems
Fleas are not just an annoyance but can also be a serious risk to health as well. Fleas can cause a number of nasty health problems for both humans and animals and this is why you need to prevent them with products such as Frontline for cats and dogs:
- Flea Allergy Dermatitis – this unpleasant skin condition is caused by a severe allergic reaction to flea bites. This can affect many pets and some humans too and results in swollen, infected bite wounds, sore, irritated skin and loss of hair. This can also cause a general feeling of poor health.
- Parasitic Worms – fleas can pass microscopic parasitic worm eggs (such as tapeworm) in their saliva. These can infect both pets and humans and cause lead to serious health problems.
- Anaemia – severe flea infestations can cause anaemia in vulnerable pets such as kittens and puppies. This can lead to general ill health and if left untreated can be fatal.
About the Author
Debbie Martin Debbie Martin has worked at Beeston Animal Health for over five years, having previously worked as a nurse in equine and small animal practice. Although generally involved with aspects of marketing these days and putting her psychology degree to good use, she still has a great depth of up to date knowledge in all creatures great and small. Debbie lives at home with her partner and two children and spends much of her spare time looking after her horses, dogs and cats or at the home farm with the cows, sheep and turkeys.
Related Posts
Which Dog Breed is Right for You? Top Ten Dog Breeds in the UK →
Join The Rat Race →
Recipes for Pampering Your Pet →
Hi. I think there’s an issue with your RSS feed. I hope it is possible to fix it!
Hi Jan
Have checked the feed at this end and it appears to be fine, hopefully this was just a temporary error. Happy New Year to you.