Fleas are bad news. Not just for your pets but for you as well. Apart from the scratching and discomfort that comes with them, they can also lead to diseases and other health complications if left untreated. In this blog we inform you 7 Mistakes You Need to Avoid When Treating and Preventing Fleas on Your Dog.
Pet parents have two options if they have a flea infestation at their home. The first is to use a Fleas on Your Dog treatment to eliminate fleas on their pets, and the second is to treat the environment to prevent re-infestation.
However, keeping fleas off your pets, especially during flea season, isn’t an easy task. Without proper veterinarian guidance, you’re likely to make mistakes.
Luckily, you’ve stumbled on this post. In the next few minutes, you’ll learn about the costly mistakes you need to avoid when treating fleas on your pets.
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1. Not Checking Your Dog for Fleas Regularly
While this might seem obvious, most pet parents don’t check their pets for fleas. As a caring dog owner, you should be on the lookout for any flea signs on your dog. This can be scratching, biting the fur, or even irritated skin.
Running a flea comb through your dog’s fur is also an excellent way to tell whether your dog has fleas. Ideally, you should be concerned if you find adult fleas or flea dirt after running the comb. You can also tell whether your dog has fleas by separating the hair on their shoulder blades or at the tail base.
Regularly checking your dog for fleas is essential to maintaining their health and comfort. Fleas cause discomfort for your dog and severe health issues, like skin infections or even tapeworms, if left untreated. Therefore, it’s crucial to incorporate flea checks into your regular grooming routine. If you do find fleas, prompt treatment is necessary to prevent an infestation from spreading to your home and other pets.
Also See: 10 Reasons Why Dog Socialization Is Important
2. Using the Wrong Flea Treatment
Now that you’ve confirmed that your dog has fleas, the next step should be to find the right treatment. Of course, the first step should be to consult your vet so they can prescribe the best flea treatment for your dog.
Even so, controlling fleas can be easy with a proven product like Capstar. Capstar flea killer is a vet-approved medication that starts to kill fleas after 30 minutes of application. Nitenpyram is the active ingredient in Capstar flea killer. Besides killing adult fleas, Nitenpyram is effective in treating fly larvae. While you should not be worried about other medications taken with Capstar, you must let your vet know about any medications that your pet is taking.
3. Not Treating Your Dog during Winter
Let’s be honest. Most pet parents don’t use flea preventives in winter. The case is totally different in spring, where more than 80 per cent of pet parents use preventive flea and tick treatments.
But truth be told. Failure to treat your pets against fleas during winter isn’t advisable. It only puts you and your dog at risk of re-infestation as fleas can survive the winter and start hatching in summer. You can avoid this problem by using flea and tick treatment on your pets all year round.
4. Using Different Treatments
You’re using Capstar flea killer for dogs, and then you hear about another product and administer it to your dog. This is a huge mistake as it can make the treatment ineffective
As a rule of thumb, ensure to stick to one flea treatment for dogs as long as it is effective, and it’s not hurting your dog. If you want to change your medication, consult your vet first.
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5. Missing Doses
Failure to administer the flea killer products will mean that your dog isn’t getting enough protection. Follow all the instructions carefully and call your vet if something is unclear.
Sometimes you may want to put a reminder on your calendar or smartphone to remind you of your dog’s monthly topical treatments. If possible, ensure to treat your dog on the same day of every month. This can be on the 1st day of the month or any other day you’re comfortable with.
6. Administering the Wrong Dosage
Your vet will recommend flea treatment dosages for your dog based on their weight and a host of other factors. For better results, avoid overdosing or underdosing your dog’s flea treatment.
Besides that, you should also avoid giving your dog flea treatment for a cat and vice versa as it can have far-reaching effects on their health. If you are a dog parent, stick to what works for dogs. The same should apply to feline owners.
7. Not Treating the Yard
You will rarely win the war against fleas if you don’t eliminate them from your yard. Killing the fleas on your dog and those inside your home is good, but it isn’t enough. To avoid a flea infestation, ensure that your yard is treated as well.
As you can see, there are many mistakes you need to avoid when treating a flea infestation. By avoiding these mistakes, you’ll keep fleas off your pets and your compound too.
Also See: How To Comfort A Dog In Pain
