Question:
We seem to have a never-ending flea problem and it’s costing an arm and a leg! Is there anything we can do in one big bang that will help bring the problem under control?
Peta Salmon
Answer:
Fleas can be very difficult to eradicate, as you have found out. I’m sure you have used flea products on your pet, but just in case I’ll go through that. You need to use a monthly spot-on product available from your vet which has a residual effect, ie. it keeps killing fleas for a month. With some of these you need to be careful your pet doesn’t get wet for a day or two after application. You also need to know that you are applying it properly. There are also tablets available which, while having no ongoing action, will quickly kill those fleas on your pet right now to get the ball rolling.
However, the fleas on the animal are only a small fraction of the numbers present in the environment, so you need to work out where they are coming from and breeding. If the pet lives indoors, regular hot washes of any bedding, rugs, etc, as well as vacuuming to pick up any microscopic eggs is in order. Flea bombs or environmental sprays may be of use (with caution), but I’d suggest you get advice from your vet about how best to treat under your specific circumstances.
Fleas like warm, dark areas, so under furniture, in bedding and outside under houses and bushes are trouble spots. You must treat all dogs and cats in the household regularly, even if they don’t appear to have a problem, as they may carry fleas but not be as itchy as more sensitive or allergic individuals. Winter is usually when the problem dies down, but depending on the environmental temperature those pesky fleas can stick around all year round and this year is proving to be particularly problematic!
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