Spring and Summer time are the parts of the year where fleas are in full swing. The irritation and the urge to scratch that a dog suffers from because of them cannot be described. Fleas are nasty pests who leach on to the body of a dog, sucking blood and can infest a home. This infestation can become a serious problem not just for your dog, but the entire family.
What Are Fleas?
The lifecycle of a flea involves four stages. These stages can go from few weeks to months at a time, depending on the levels of humidity and temperature. It all starts when the adult female flea lays eggs and has a meal. She leaves her eggs on the fur of your dog. When your pet moves around the house, these eggs will keep getting dispersed everywhere, infesting the entire house. With the right humidity level and temperature, they hatch and larvae emerge out of it.
The newborn larvae survive by living off debris and predigested blood. After around 2 weeks, they will develop a cocoon and going to pupae phase. In the pupae form, they hide under the fur of your dog or around carpets in the house. They stay in this state until the adult larvae are ready to leach on to a potential host. When a pet walks by an infected area, fleas will break out of the cocoons and attack your dog. After feeding from the pet, fleas will grow rapidly and start reproducing within days.
Adult fleas can be found living on the host pet, where females lay egg and their life cycle continues and their population explodes.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Fleas on Your Dog:
Before proceeding with how to get rid of fleas you need to first find out if they have infested your dog. For that, you need to brush your dog after placing a few moist paper towels under him. If you spot little piece of dirt that have gone brown or red, this indicates that your dog is infested with fleas. There are few home remedies that you might want to give a shot instead of opting for chemical medicines. Listed below are some of those natural treatments to save your dog from these blood sucking pests.
A Flea Comb:
The easiest and most economical method for saving your dog from these bloodthirsty pests is by using a flea comb. There are a variety of flea combs available, but you need to make sure you get a good quality one interview help you in removing fleas of all stages from the fur of your dog. Narrow tooth combs are ideal but they can hurt your pet if the fur is tangled or has knots in it.
Upgrade the dog shampoo:
There are a lot of flea control shampoos available in the market, some of which are very effective. However, if you want, you can make your own flea control shampoo. You can easily do that with taking the normal dog shampoo and adding a couple of cups of water and a half cup of fresh lemon juice. You can add this mixture show your dog shampoo and use it once a week or more. After your dog is done bathing, you should not let the dog go in the areas that you suspect have fleas in them. Combine this with constant coming to get rid of fleas more effectively.
Apple Cider:
One of the best natural pest repellent is apple cider vinegar. You can use it by taking a quarter of a liter of water and adding a teaspoon of fermented apple cider vinegar. Although, it will make the coat and skin of your pooch a little acidic, but it is an excellent natural repellent for pests including fleas and ticks. Apple cider vinegar needs to be diluted before it is applied to the skin of the dog, as concentrated vinegar can lead to rashes and dry skin. You can also consult with your vet on the appropriate ratio of vinegar in water depending on the body weight of your dog.
Vacuuming Regularly:
As the dog runs around the house all day long, it can get infested from anywhere. This is why, you need to thoroughly vacuum a few times every week. Also, don’t forget to empty the vacuum bag and dispose it off away from the home.
Herbal Spray:
There is a herbal spray that you can use to remove fleas from your home. It has no toxic effects or ingredients. You can make it by mixing two liters water with 500 ml lemon juice, 4 liters vinegar and 250 ml witch hazel in a large sized spray bottle. Once you have vacuumed and cleaned the bedding of your dog and the other spots that you might suspect of infestation, you should thoroughly spray this mixture on that area.
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How to Get Rid of Fleas on Dogs Naturally?
Homemade Remedies for Fleas on Dogs – Make Your Puppy’s Life Easier
Best Flea & Tick Prevention for Dogs – Get Control Over Flea & Tick Earlier
