Flea season is upon us so you may be experiencing difficulty controlling the population in your environment. You can start taking control by coming in and getting a flea treatment for all of your pets. There are some other factors to consider if you are already treating your pet with a flea preventative and still having difficulty with flea control. Below is a guide to assist you in determining why.

1. Are all of the dogs and cats in the house being treated with a flea preventative that is bought through a veterinarian? Fleas can infest both dogs and cats.

2. Are all of the pets receiving the correct product and dose (weight, dog or cat)? Ensure that you are using the correct product and dose for each pet in your household.

3. If you are using a topical flea preventative are you applying the product to the skin, not the haircoat? Place applicator tip through hair to the skin level between the shoulder blades. Squeeze applicator, applying the entire contents to a single spot on the skin.

4. Have you used a preventative once a month for the last three to four months? Prior to flea treatment, each female flea on the animal could have laid up to 50 eggs per day into the environment. These eggs take an average of about 21 days to develop into adult fleas, which then jump onto the pet. Ensure every dog/cat is treated monthly for at least three to four months. For best results, treatment should be administered all year long.

5. How many fleas are you actually seeing on your pet? You may see a flea or two on your pet if it goes outside into areas where untreated animals (including some wildlife such as raccoons)have access. These animals drop flea eggs into the environment. The eggs then develop into adult fleas, which can jump onto pets as they walk through the park or garden and are carried back into the pet's home environment.

6. Do any of the pets have access to areas under the house? Areas under the house are perfect environment for fleas to develop; untreated animals such as rodents and raccoons often hide under homes. You should block off pets access to areas under the house.

It is likely that the source of ongoing flea control challenges lies within the pet's environment (e.g. home and yard). The environment is the primary source of all flea infestations. Ideal combinations of warm and humid weather can result in an explosion of an adult flea population very quickly. In a flea-infested environment, there is a constant source of new fleas. Even as fleas on a treated pet are killed, there are new ones jumping onto the pet. Washing pets' bedding in hot water (at least 140 degrees F) may assist in reducing the environmental contamination. If you are bathing your pet make sure that you are using a shampoo that is recommended by your vet as suitable for use with topical treatments. Also, ensure that your pets skin and coat are completely dry if applying a topical treatment after bathing or swimming.

We keep several flea treatment products in our clinic. Call or come in if you would like to discuss flea treament options for your pet(s). We also supply a range of indoor and outdoor flea treatments for your home.