HOW TO FIX FLEAS
By Karen Gray-Kilfoil
Animal Behaviour Consultant (ABC of SA™) & Humane Educator
At the moment there seems to be a big flea infestation. It may have something to do with the season – the hottest time of the year. Fleas are irritating to dogs and cats, causing them to scratch, bite their skin, get raw sores and bald patches and generally be miserable. Fleas also bite us, especially if our pets sleep on our beds or near us. I’m afraid my Buddhist notions have to take a back seat when it comes to parasites that prey on us or our pets, so here are some tips to help you fix those fleas
· Get a good quality topspot from your vet or vet shop (e.g. Frontline Plus, Advantix, Prac-tic), but make sure you get the correct one for your pet’s species (cat or dog) and weight or you could poison your pet, not just the fleas. Follow the instructions carefully on the package. You will have to repeat this once a month for a few months at least, if not forever. It’s a good idea to change products every so often as fleas tend to get resistant to poisons after a while.
· At the same time you can use a Capstar tablet, which will kill all fleas on your pet for 24 hours. You need to give one to each pet in your home.
· You can also give each pet a Program tablet, which stops fleas breeding for about a month – the pill for fleas. I would suggest you give this the day after Capstar and continue giving the tablet once a month for at least 6 months to stop the flea life cycle in your home. Frontline Plus topspot has a similar effect, so you don’t need the Program if you use Frontline Plus.
· Wash all your pet’s bedding. Vacuum your furniture and pet beds and put baskets or cushions in the sun as often as possible, perhaps spraying with a recommended flea spray from the vet. Don’t use strong commercial insect sprays as many animals (including us) are sensitive to them and they could make your pet very ill. You can also make a mild flea deterrent powder or spray with herbs or essential oils. See below….
· Discourage your pet from sleeping in your or your children’s beds or sitting on sofas. Give him his own bed, blanket or cushion on the floor to sleep on.
· Brush your dog at least once a week. This will help you to see if there are fleas (usually above the tail area is the most obvious) as well as all the other benefits of brushing – too many to mention here. Often you won’t see the actual fleas, but little scabs or blood specks. That means your dog has fleas.
· For extreme cases: Fumigate your house with a strong poison to get rid of the fleas in your floors and furniture. It's best to do it overnight and stay at a friend for the night, WITH YOUR ANIMALS! Or your animals will have to go to kennels/cattery. You may have to do this more than once and then again in a year's time, as flea eggs can survive and hatch next season. If you have birds or fish you need to remove them from the home as well and it’s quite a toxic operation, so try all the other methods consistently first.
You may notice I haven’t mentioned dips, shampoos, flea powders or flea collars. In my opinion these are either ineffective or risky (e.g. dogs and children often chew flea collars, which are very toxic). The cheaper methods are often less effective and end up costing you more in the long run. If you decide to use a combination of products it is very important to contact at least one of the manufacturers to check that the products are compatible and won’t poison your pet.
Here is a recipe for “Smelly Dog Powder” adapted from a recipe in a book called Dog Crafts by Bobbe Needham. It can be used directly on dogs and on their bedding and areas where they lie. Be careful of using it on cats as they are more sensitive. The Citronella oil is a deterrent to fleas and other bugs, but isn’t very powerful. I find it helps calm dogs that scratch a lot. There are other herbs and oils that deter fleas and you can adapt the recipe as you like.
SMELLY DOG POWDER
5 Tablespoons Bicarb
5 Tablespoons Maizena
2 Lavender flowers (broken up)
1 drop Lavender oil
1 drop Citronella oil
Mix together in a spice bottle.
· At the same time you can use a Capstar tablet, which will kill all fleas on your pet for 24 hours. You need to give one to each pet in your home.
· You can also give each pet a Program tablet, which stops fleas breeding for about a month – the pill for fleas. I would suggest you give this the day after Capstar and continue giving the tablet once a month for at least 6 months to stop the flea life cycle in your home. Frontline Plus topspot has a similar effect, so you don’t need the Program if you use Frontline Plus.
· Wash all your pet’s bedding. Vacuum your furniture and pet beds and put baskets or cushions in the sun as often as possible, perhaps spraying with a recommended flea spray from the vet. Don’t use strong commercial insect sprays as many animals (including us) are sensitive to them and they could make your pet very ill. You can also make a mild flea deterrent powder or spray with herbs or essential oils. See below….
· Discourage your pet from sleeping in your or your children’s beds or sitting on sofas. Give him his own bed, blanket or cushion on the floor to sleep on.
· Brush your dog at least once a week. This will help you to see if there are fleas (usually above the tail area is the most obvious) as well as all the other benefits of brushing – too many to mention here. Often you won’t see the actual fleas, but little scabs or blood specks. That means your dog has fleas.
· For extreme cases: Fumigate your house with a strong poison to get rid of the fleas in your floors and furniture. It's best to do it overnight and stay at a friend for the night, WITH YOUR ANIMALS! Or your animals will have to go to kennels/cattery. You may have to do this more than once and then again in a year's time, as flea eggs can survive and hatch next season. If you have birds or fish you need to remove them from the home as well and it’s quite a toxic operation, so try all the other methods consistently first.
You may notice I haven’t mentioned dips, shampoos, flea powders or flea collars. In my opinion these are either ineffective or risky (e.g. dogs and children often chew flea collars, which are very toxic). The cheaper methods are often less effective and end up costing you more in the long run. If you decide to use a combination of products it is very important to contact at least one of the manufacturers to check that the products are compatible and won’t poison your pet.
Here is a recipe for “Smelly Dog Powder” adapted from a recipe in a book called Dog Crafts by Bobbe Needham. It can be used directly on dogs and on their bedding and areas where they lie. Be careful of using it on cats as they are more sensitive. The Citronella oil is a deterrent to fleas and other bugs, but isn’t very powerful. I find it helps calm dogs that scratch a lot. There are other herbs and oils that deter fleas and you can adapt the recipe as you like.
SMELLY DOG POWDER
5 Tablespoons Bicarb
5 Tablespoons Maizena
2 Lavender flowers (broken up)
1 drop Lavender oil
1 drop Citronella oil
Mix together in a spice bottle.
This article is copyrighted and remains the property of the author. Individuals are welcome to print or copy same for their own use in furthering their knowledge of dogs. However, no reproductions or alterations/variations are allowed without the express written consent of the author.