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Whether preventing or ridding your dog of fleas, here are the steps you can take to keep your dog healthy and clean.

Whether your dog has already brought home a few hundred of his new flea friends or whether you’re trying to prevent a flea infestation, there are steps you can take to kick parasite butt. Let’s start with things you can do for your dog, then we’ll move on to those things that you can do inside and outside of your home to prevent or fight problems with fleas.

Step 1:

The Dog

Regular bathing is a good way to keep your dog flea free. There are shampoos made especially to kill fleas and ticks on dogs. You can also apply a topical spray to repel fleas from deciding to take up residence in your pet’s fur and reproducing there. You could also consider using a flea and tick collar, which actually lasts a little longer than a topical spray. After bathing your best friend, check him for fleas using a fine-toothed comb specifically designed to remove fleas. Fleas are gross little insects that are covered with tiny hairs enabling them cling onto your dog’s fur coat. Last but not least, there are pills that you can obtain through your veterinarian that only have to be given once each month to prevent or kill fleas.

Step 2:

The House

If your dog had fleas, chances are there are fleas or eggs where he has been sleeping. Every piece of your pet bedding needs to go into the washing machine. Additionally, you might have to include sheets, towels, throws, rugs, or anything else that may have come into contact with your precious pooch. Preventatively, it’s a good idea to wash your dog’s bedding on a weekly basis.

Next, you’re going to want to vacuum everything inside your house. This includes vacuuming the usual items such as your carpeting, furniture and drapes, but also paying attention to underneath furniture edges and other fabric surfaces inside your home. There are flea powders to sprinkle on your carpet in order to get things up from deep down in your carpeting. It’s recommended that you seal whatever you’ve vacuumed up into a plastic bag when you throw it away to ensure that nothing gets back out.

You might want to consider using a fogger if you’ve had a flea infestation. Foggers can access areas inside cracks, moldings, and baseboards to find those hiding little menaces.

If after all of that you still think there are fleas hiding in your home or you just want peace of mind about it, you can place a shallow pie pan half full of water with a teaspoon of vegetable oil in it in a dark room and then put it under a light. How it works is that fleas will be attracted by the light and jump into the pan of oil and water, get trapped and drown.

Step 3:

The Yard

Okay, now let’s talk about the yard surrounding your house. Mowing the lawn on a regular basis is the easiest and most effective to reduce the possibility of flea infestation. There is a product called Sevin Dust that can be sprinkled in your yard to help prevent or kill fleas. There are also yard sprays that you can use for outdoor control. Trimming and pruning shady areas will expose any flea larvae to sunlight, killing them before fleas can spawn, so reduce any moist dark spots in your yard to prevent flea problems before they occur.

The last thing you need to think about is regular follow-up on these steps to control and prevent fleas from attaching to your dog or to your family. Regular vacuuming and washing of your pet bedding and upholstered materials will keep you protected from pest problems.
About this Author:
Collin Writes for Pet-Super-Store.com where you can find all the Dog Training Collars, Pet Doors, and Dog Kennels that you need.
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