Three young dogs sitting together on a white background and scratching
At one time or another, you probably noticed that your dogs have what every dog owner dreads: fleas! When your dogs have fleas, it can be very annoying for both you and your dogs.
The good news is that you can easily get rid of fleas without risking the health of your dogs’ fur and skin. That being said, here are some ways you can eliminate the flea problem so your dogs are comfortable again:
Bathe Your Dog Regularly
Yes, you probably know this one by heart, but are you putting it into practice? You may be surprised how many dog owners neglect to give their pet dogs a good thorough bath at least once a week.
If your dogs tend to go outdoors a lot, they may easily pick up fleas from the soil and grassy parts of the yard. And, if your dogs like to socialize with other dogs that belong elsewhere, they can also get fleas that way.
So, give your dogs a nice cleansing bath at least once a week with a doggie shampoo that has a nice lather. This will make it difficult for fleas to stay inside your dogs’ fur. You can also use organic soaps specifically designed for dogs.
If the flea infestation seems to be quite overwhelming, be prepared to give them baths every day until all the fleas are gone.
Use Lemon To Complement the Bathing
For this solution, you just need fresh lemon juice. Squeeze a couple of lemons into a container, then soak your dogs’ combs and brushes in the juice itself. After your dogs have bathed, you may then proceed to thoroughly comb and brush well your dogs’ fur.
For short-haired dogs, you just need to soak a clean washcloth in the lemon juice and rub your dogs’ fur with it. This will not only give doggie hair a nice finish, but it’ll also help you get rid of all those fleas.
Remember When Your Dogs Are Due at the Vet
You may have forgotten when your dogs should be brought to the vet for their regular flea treatments. It might be monthly, or semi-annual, or even annually, the point is to bring them there when required. The sounds of your dogs vigorously scratching themselves should urge you to bring them to the vet.
If you own a work organizer, be sure to jot the date so you’ll be reminded by your own calendar that it’s time for that visit to the vet again. Or, you can also subscribe to flea mail, where they’ll send out mail and dog packages that remind you to bring your dog to the vet.
While you’re at the clinic, do make sure that your vet knows that your dogs seem to have fleas so that they can recommend some medication or solution to help remove the fleas.
Make a Vodka Flea Collar
When applied to the dogs’ collars, vodka makes a good flea-repellent solution. You only need a teaspoon of unflavored vodka to soak the collars for some minutes, then let these dry naturally.
You can then attach the vodka flea collars to your dogs’ necks, which serves as a flea repellent tool. Even if your dogs spend hours in your sunny yard, they won’t pick up fleas again.
Clean Your Dogs’ Clothes, Beds and Soft Furnishings
If your dogs are allowed to stay inside your home, it’s always best to keep their stuff free from fleas. All the baths and veterinary treatments will be rendered useless if the fleas also live inside your home.
So, before bathing your dogs, make it a point to clean any clothes you dress up your dogs in. Get their beds and strip off the covers, then put the naked beds in direct sunlight. Load the clothes, bed covers, and blankets, if any, into your washing machine for a thorough cleaning. Use detergent soap for the wash cycle, then be sure to put everything in tumble dry mode in the dryer to kill off any remaining fleas, larvae, and eggs that may be in the spaces between threads.
You should also clean the areas surrounding the dogs’ bedding with a strong disinfectant regularly so that fleas won’t be able to hide anywhere.
Final Takeaway
Fleas are really a major problem and headache for any dog owner. That’s why you should try to prevent a flea infestation from breaking out in your home at all times.
It gets especially difficult when your dogs live inside your home with you because your entire household could then become hosts to fleas if the infestation goes unchecked. So, do follow the tips given above regularly so that you’ll live a happy flea-less life with your dogs for a long time.
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