Flea Medicine that Works for Dogs

Flea Medicine that Works for Dogs

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  1. “It’s better to be safe than itchy!”

    Fleas are not only a nuisance, but they can adversely affect the health of your dog. Flea products have come a long way and are now much safer for your dog and your family. Long gone are the sprays and dips of the past. New topical products are now available that are much more effective, safe and long lasting.

    If you have a dog, chances are you’ve had an experience with fleas. Now that there are safe and effective flea control options available, some owners may never have to deal with an infestation. That’s the purpose of a flea control program: prevent fleas before they become a problem in your home.

    Fleas can cause health problems in dogs.

    * Anemia occurs when there are too many fleas feeding on your dogs blood. This is more common in young or sick dogs.
    * Fleas can carry tapeworms. The tapeworm lifecycle includes fleas. When a dog or cat ingests a flea carrying a tapeworm, it will complete it’s lifecycle inside your pet. This is the most common way dogs pick up tapeworms.
    * Some dogs are allergic to flea saliva. When a flea bites them, they develop a severe reaction to the saliva which causes intense itching, scabs and hair loss.

    What is the best flea treatment for dogs? Advantage and Frontline are the best products available for flea prevention. Both are a topical solution applied to your dog’s skin once monthly. These products are so much more safe and effective than the dips and sprays of the past. First of all, older flea products don’t differentiate between the flea and the dog. Therefore, using the wrong amount of these products can make your dog ill. They’re also absorbed into the bloodstream, whereas Advantage and Frontline are not.

    How do Advantage and Frontline work? Both products remain just above the top layer of skin. They spread over your dog’s body using the natural oils of the skin and aren’t absorbed into the bloodstream. Unlike other flea products, the flea doesn’t have to bite your dog in order to be affected by the product. Just landing on your dog is enough to kill the flea. Once the product is applied, almost all of the fleas currently on your dog will die within 8 hours. It continues to work effectively for about a month. Any flea that jumps on your pet will die. If you have a minor infestation in your home, Advantage or Frontline should be effective enough to treat the environment as well. This is possible because as I said, any flea that jumps on your pet will die. Dander and hair falling from a treated pet will treat fleas in the bedding, carpet, etc.

    If you have a severe infestation in your home, I recommend using an Area Treatment Spray. These sprays are very effective and don’t require you or your pets to evacuate the home for any amount of time. You can spray carpeting, furniture, bedding and curtains. It’s recommended that you repeat the treatment in about 3 weeks to ensure you’ve gotten rid of all fleas and newly hatched fleas that were protected by the egg the first time around. Vacuum thoroughly before treating and put a flea collar in the vacuum bag to kill any live fleas you collect.

    Start flea prevention in Spring and continue until we get a hard frost and the weather remains cold. For the best protection possible, use the flea treatment year-round. Fleas that are already in your home won’t die when it gets cold outside. It’s better to be safe than itchy!

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