Choosing the best flea treatment

Every pet owner knows that fleas are one of their biggest problems. Aside from catching deadly diseases, your dog can also suffer from anemia due to losing too much blood from blood sucking fleas. If your dog has allergies or sensitive to flea bites, your pet can have a severe allergic reaction which can cause baldness, intense itch and inflammation throughout your pet's body. There are a lot of dog owner that are very confused right now as to what flea treatment to choose from the wide varieties of flea control products available in the market today. Flea comb, flea sprays, natural products, topical spot-on solutions, oral growth regulator or "birth control" pills for the fleas are only some of the flea treatment products available in the market.

Even if you don't want it, your pets can pick up fleas everywhere particularly when they are outside. Even the well kept pets will be a host to fleas at some point in their lives. You can't guarantee that your dogs will not pick up any fleas. There is very little you can do to prevent this from happening because fleas can be found lurking anywhere just waiting for a host to pass by but there are some things you can still do to prevent fleas from breeding in your house.

A special type of comb called flea comb can be one of your best tools in keeping your dog free from fleas. Use the flea comb everyday especially after they have been outside during hot weather in order to get rid of fleas from your pet's coat. Putting a little bit of oil onto the comb spines is very effective in catching those pesky fleas because they get caught or trapped to the comb. Keep a bowl of hot water close by when you do this easy trick so that you can instantly place any fleas directly into the water whenever you catch one. You should always remember to pay attention to some hot spot areas like behind their ears, spots in between their toes, the fur in their armpits, and the spots under their neck. You can easily notice fleas when you place a white cloth or towel underneath your dog during combing. Fleas are notoriously hard to catch so don't expect to remove all your pet's fleas in one combing.

You can also use alcohol to stun fleas while brushing and effortlessly dump them into a cup of water to die. Drain the mug down the toilet to make sure that any fleas do not make it out. Giving bath to your pet regularly can help reduce the flea problem of your dog but not when you are dealing with a major flea's infestation. There are also special shampoos in the market that is made to killing fleas but can be too toxic to use every day. Rosewood, cedar and eucalyptus are some alternative products that you can use to take care of minor flea problems. Mixture of lemon and water in a clean spray bottle is another good alternative in dealing with minor flea problem. A little spray across the body is usually enough to solve minor flea problem of your dog, just remember to avoid getting any spray into the eyes of your dog.

You should bring your pet to a veterinarian when your dog's flea problem has reached to flea infestation level. A vet can properly analyze your pet's condition and prescribe the best medication for the flea infestation. There are also many products available in the market that is safe to use in your home like a diatomaceous earth. This is one of the cheapest ways to handle flea problems in your home. Strong medication such as Advantage and Frontline can wipe out all of the adult fleas on your pet in hours while preventing outbreaks for up to 3 months. You just need a few drops onto your pet's shoulder and the special chemical will spread and cure on its own. Advantage and Frontline has little toxicity which makes it safe for your pet. These products are both harsh to pest but gentle to your pet's sensitive skin. Whether Advantage or Frontline, you can be confident that your purchased item will completely eliminate the bugs on your pet's skin. Be alert in handling such substances because these chemicals can harm you or your pet if used improperly. Ask your vet before you buy and use any product. Flea control products on the market are not the same so pick one that best suitable for your pet's condition. Each has their own levels of effectiveness and kill different flea stages i.e. the eggs, larvae, and adults. One product may be effective against the adult fleas but is simply harmless to the eggs or larvae.

If your pet has a bad flea infestation then you have to use a combination of these products to effectively get rid of those pesky fleas. Try to research on other alternative products or methods in controlling and removing fleas. There are many flea control methods you might not have been aware of before so research! Your selection of a flea treatment medicine or system for your dog is very significant because it determines the success or failure in your battle against these pesky fleas.