How to Get Rid of Fleas: A Pet Owner’s Guide

The health of your furry family members is a top priority.  And no matter the season, pesky pests, like fleas and ticks have a way of intruding into homes and hindering your pet’s well-being. Naturally, no pet owner wants the stress of a flea infestation. Because of this, we created this pet owner guide on how to get rid of fleas. We sat down with Trupanion veterinarian Dr. Sarah Nold to learn more about how pets get fleas and tips for flea prevention for your furry friends.

How to get rid of fleas for the wellness for your furry friend

How do pets get fleas?

Fleas can show up at any time. Also, fleas can attach themselves to dogs, cats, and people. For example, “typically your pet picks up fleas from an environment infested with fleas. However, they could also get fleas from being in close proximity to other pets with fleas,” says Nold. Further, fleas can really be anywhere a pet or person was that contracted them, like at a dog park or veterinary clinic.

Common signs of pets with fleas

Keep an eye on your pet’s behavior and habits, as that might be your first indication that something more is going on with your furry friend.

Consider the following:

• Excessive scratching
• Biting
• Hair loss
• Red skin

At the same time, not every pet will have the same sign or reaction to fleas. For instance, “you also may not notice any signs, as a cat just may appear to be grooming,” points out Nold. If something seems out of the ordinary with your pet, please seek medical care.

How to get rid of fleas

No matter what, if your pets do happen to have fleas you want to ease their pain and resolve the situation as seamlessly as possible. Nold gives us a step-by-step guide on how to get rid of fleas-

1. To get rid of fleas, you must use a treatment, like a flea preventative, on all pets in your household.
2. You must also treat your home.
3. The treatment needs to be continued consistently for a few months before a flea infestation is cleared.
4. Treatment needs to be continued year-round to prevent a flea infestation from occurring.

Tips for flea prevention

A flea infestation can be bothersome for the entire family. To keep your pets and home pest-free consider these flea prevention tips.

• Some over the counter flea preventions can be ineffective or even toxic to your pet. 
• You may want to use flea prevention combined with tick prevention in certain areas or during certain times of the year. 
• Consider oral flea prevention versus topical flea prevention and what works best for your furry friend.

Most importantly, seek the guidance and expertise of your veterinarian. They can provide a personal recommendation that is best for your pet.

The best course of action for flea treatment

Fleas may be hard to detect and to get rid of, but the best way to prepare for these pests starts with preparation. “Most important of all, the best course of action is to have all your pets on effective veterinarian recommended flea prevention. Obviously, it is much easier to prevent fleas then get rid of a flea infestation. If you have an infestation of fleas in your house or yard, it may be easier and safer (especially for pets and children) to consult a professional to treat the environment,” states Nold.

Flea prevention: for the overall wellness of your pets

A flea bite and infestation can occur to any pet during any season. Moreover, but by having your pets on year-round preventative, keeping an eye out for pests, and listening to the expertise of your veterinarian, your furry friends have the best chance of staying flea-free.

To learn more about wellness, Read on to learn about Pet Wellness: The Importance and Why You Need It