How to Get Rid of Fleas: A Pet Owner’s Guide
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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-
- To get rid of fleas, you must use a treatment, like a flea preventative, on all pets in your household.
- You must also treat your home.
- The treatment needs to be continued consistently for a few months before a flea infestation is cleared.
- 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
So how do I prevent my cat from getting fleas ?
Hi Jody,
Thanks so much for reaching out. We recommend you talk to your veterinarian for the best treatment plan. Most pets benefit from a preventative medication prescribed by the veterinarian. There is a wide variety of options that may be administered on a monthly/bi-monthly basis depending on your cat’s needs. Thank you for your readership, and make sure to give your cat some scratches from us!
When we first adopted two dogs we noticed fleas. We tried an oral medication but they still had fleas. It wasn’t until we treated the yard and put drops of Advantix on their backs that we got rid of the fleas. Treating the yard was the key. Now I treat the yard and use Seresto collars on all of our animals.
Should I pretreat my yard before the spring flea season starts? I have my dog on a preventative flea medication.
Hello Rose,
We appreciate you reaching out. Great question! It’s really up to your discretion, there are many things to consider. It may be helpful if you live in a neighborhood with a lot of pets. Preventative care is important for the health of your pet. It’s great to hear you have your dog on a preventative, to help avoid any pesky pests. We appreciate your readership and thank you for reading our content. Give your pup some pets from us!
Where and what kind of oral treatment for my dog?
Hello Tracy,
Thanks so much for reaching out. Great question! Your veterinarian can recommend a flea/tick preventative that works well for your furry friend. Most preventative care medications are given monthly, either in the form of an oral or topical form. We appreciate you reading our content!
Thank you so much Dr Nold. It is nice to read your information about caring for our pets. Pet lovers always enjoys knowing more about their care.
Best,
Hi Carole,
Thanks so much for reaching out. We agree – our pets are special members of the family and Dr. Nold has valuable insights. We appreciate your readership and will give your feedback to Dr. Nold. We hope you have a lovely day!
I still have not received any info re claims, etc for our dog PATIENCE
Hello Douglas,
Thanks so much for reaching out. We’d love to help with any questions you may have regarding your pet’s policy. Our pet-loving team is here and available 24/7, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 888.626.0932
Can you actually see fleas, or should we simply rely on scratching, red skin, changed behavior, etc?
Hello Angela,
Thanks so much for reaching out. Great question! Depending on your furry friend (and the severity of the case) you may be able to see the fleas. This once happened to my cat and I definitely could see them. Also, red skin, scratching, and behavior could mean something else is going on. We recommend you reach out to your veterinarian for recommendations on medication and treatment for your pets. We appreciate you taking the time to read out content. Thanks so much!