The Best ways to Get Rid of Dog Fleas

Dog fleas are an unfortunate but all too common problem that every dog owner must face at least once in his or her life. Dog fleas not only cause dog skin allergies and force your pet to itch and scratch, but they also plague an entire household and can wreak havoc on the other human and animal inhabitants as well!

Some of the most common symptoms of flea infestation on your dog are, excessive scratching or itching, loss of hair, lesions of the skin, reddish raised bumps and flea dirt or flea droppings. If your dog is experiencing some or all of these symptoms then it probably has a flea problem.

The average lifespan of a flea is around 3 or 4 months if that and most dogs only have about five percent of their bodies infected with fleas. This means that the rest of the flea population is usually somewhere in your house or your yard. The cycle goes like this, the fleas lay the eggs on your dogs and the eggs fall off in the areas most common to your pet thus the yard or in the house.

One of the best preventative methods of flea control is to bathe your canine regularly, especially in the summer months. If it is already infected then add either neem oil or eucalyptus to the bath water, both of these is natural flea repellents. Using a flea comb will capture the dog fleas when bathing and they will die as you dip the comb in the bath solution.

Also very effective are flea repellents which come in the form of collars, oils, which you can rub on their coat or powders. It is important to read the labels on these products carefully because some chemicals in these may be harmful to your pet.

The next step is to cleanse those areas in your home where you suspect there may be flea infestations. There are flea bombs and sprays that can be purchased, which are effective to some degree but a good through vacuuming is probably the best thing. Vacuum and clean the areas where you know your pet "hangs out" most to include their sleeping area.

If your canine spends a good deal of time outside then it only makes sense to rid these areas of fleas as well. Cedar chips in areas your dog frequents are a natural repellent for flea control. There are also commercial products that can be sprayed on your lawn with use of your garden hose. Keep in mind that you will have to reapply these products after heavy rains.

Finally providing your pet with a healthy diet is a great preventative treatment for fleas on dogs. A healthy diet keeps your pets immune system strong reducing the effects of fleas invading their body. Some say that adding a little garlic or yeast to your dog's food aids in keeping fleas away because the fleas hate the way it tastes. Be careful as too much can be harmful.