Flea Prevention
It’s that time of the year again where the sun is shining and the flowers are blooming. However, spring doesn’t just arrive bearing nice weather. This favored season is also accompanied by a pesky parasite that pet owners worldwide have come to dread: fleas. For anyone who has ever experienced a flea infestation, you know it’s extremely difficult and expensive to get rid of so the best way to deal with the problem is to take preventative measures ahead of time.
How to Prevent Fleas
Clean Your Home
One of the most effective ways to prevent a flea problem is by exercising cleanliness. Does your dog spend half of his time curled up on his favorite dog bed? Does your cat gravitate to a specific living room chair when she is in the mood to snooze? Determine your pet’s regular haunts and thoroughly clean those areas at least once a week.
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Fleas will prosper in areas that are ignored so be sure to pay extra attention to the spots your pet likes the most when you’re sanitizing your home.
Medicate Your Pet’s Mane
An important aspect of flea prevention is preventing an infestation in your pet’s mane. Fleas are a parasite, which means they bite and drink the blood of their hosts. This process causes pain, inflammation and itchiness, and will make your dog or cat miserable. Medicating your pet before fleas decide to make your pet’s fur their new home is imperative to his comfort and health.
Take Him to the Groomer
Regular grooming is something that will assist you in making sure your pet isn’t playing host to fleas. If you do find a flea while brushing your dog or cat, you should bathe your pet in flea shampoo and dry treat him with a flea prevention medication.
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Visit the Veterinarian
You should also take your pet to see his veterinarian and get the appropriate medicine for flea prevention. You can brush your pet all you like, but the only thing that will get rid of fleas once you find them is flea control medicine. Your veterinarian’s staff can help you choose the right brand and dosage for your pet.
There are many options for flea control. You can use prevention pills you can add to your pet’s food, flea collars that you simply put around your pet’s neck and liquid drops you can place on his back to keep the fleas away.
Whatever methods you use to keep the fleas away are up to you, depending on both your pet’s disposition and your budget. Hiring an exterminator to get rid of fleas is more expensive than buying medicine to prevent them so make sure you take your animal to see the vet and groomer regularly.
