Fighting Fleas: How to Get Rid of Fleas on Your Dog

Fleas Are a Year-Round Problem

Ready to start immediately fighting fleas? Consider consulting our canine flea prevention solution sheet written by our on-staff veterinarian.

While we hope that your dog never gets fleas, knowing how to get rid of fleas on your dog is a useful skill. Even the most careful dog owner who practices year-round flea prevention may find that one of these pesky parasites is hitch-hiking on her dog. And unfortunately, if you see one flea, there are plenty of eggs, fleas, and pupas that you can’t see.

In the Pacific Northwest, fighting fleas is a year-round problem. We don’t get the deep frost necessary to kill fleas every year, and fleas can survive unexpectedly cold temperatures. So, it’s helpful to set a routine to make your home and dog as inhospitable to fleas as possible. That way, you’ll be able to reduce the risk of regular flea problems.

Dogs That Are at Higher Risk for Fleas: Dogs that regularly go to areas where other dogs congregate are at higher risk for fleas. So, if your dog goes to doggie daycare or dog parks, she might be at higher risk for getting fleas. Dogs that live in apartment buildings, condos or cities are also at higher risk than dogs that live in single-family, suburban or rural homes.

Five Flea Preventative Steps That Work for Every Dog

No matter where you live, there are a few steps you can take to make your dog and home the healthiest they can be. These steps yield various benefits while making your dog’s skin and your home inhospitable to fleas.

Strengthen your dog’s skin with essential fatty acid supplements. Salmon oil, green-lipped muscle and other Omega-3-rich supplements will help strengthen your dog’s skin and make it more difficult for fleas to take hold.

Vacuum carpets, upholstery and floors regularly. Regular cleaning and vacuuming disturb fleas in all life stages. By focusing your vacuuming in areas where your dog spends the most time, you’ll remove potential flea food and fleas. Fleas also like to lurk in dark corners, so cleaning baseboards regularly can help, too.

Increase overall digestibility with supplements. Digestive enzymes can help improve the overall health of your dog and encourage overall good health that can show in your dog’s biggest organ—her skin.

Consider raw diets that provide high-quality protein to support skin health. Raw diets are known for improving skin and coat health, which can deter fleas from making their home on your dog.

Practice flea vigilance year-round. In the Pacific Northwest, fleas can survive outdoors even during the winter months. For this reason, we strongly suggest that you follow a year-round flea prevention plan.

Why You Always Should Skip the Bug Bombs for Fleas

At Mud Bay, we’ve heard some horror stories about flea infestations that just wouldn’t quit with natural products. While natural products may work very well for keeping fleas away, not all infestations respond to natural treatments. At this point, some frustrated customers who have spent weeks battling fleas decide to buy a bug bomb.

Bug bombs–also called total release foggers–spray chemicals in the air to kill every living thing left in your residence. Unfortunately, a lot of these bug bombs contain known carcinogens. They’re also flammable, which makes them particularly dangerous if not used properly. And finally, many bug bombs don’t kill every flea after one use.

We don’t recommend foggers for fleas under any circumstances because we believe that there are better ways to address a flea infestation. One way that we’ve had great success with is using a traditional topical treatment on your pet combined with an aggressive cleaning schedule. Here’s how it works: Fleas who hop on your dog looking for a meal–get a dose of medicine rendering them infertile and will eventually kill them. Meanwhile, you’re further disrupting the flea habitat with plenty of vacuuming and washing dog bedding in hot sudsy water. It may take a week to see a difference but attacking a flea problem this way is the safest method for seeing quick results.

How to Eliminate Fleas Using Natural Methods

Traditional topical flea treatments are effective and safe for many dogs. But if you want to avoid these traditional insecticides in favor of natural methods of flea prevention and eradication, you have plenty of options.

Natural products can still produce harmful side effects, so it’s important to make sure that every flea product is used according to the manufacturer’s directions. Usually, if your dog has visible fleas, you’ll need to use a flea shampoo to remove existing fleas and repel new ones. Then, you’ll have to vigilantly use a natural flea repellent to ward off fleas during flea season. Typically, natural flea repellents contain cedar, neem, geraniol or tea tree oil.

Identifying Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) in Your Dog

Dogs with flea allergy dermatitis have actual allergic reactions to flea bites. Within 15 to 20 minutes of being bitten, a dog with flea allergy dermatitis will severely itch in all areas where she’s been bitten. If your dog has FAD, you may see her itching furiously after being bitten.

The most difficult symptoms of FAD occur within 24 hours after being bitten. Dogs with FAD develop bumps around the back, abdomen and tail area of the dog. These pustules break open and later scab. During this time, there’s also a significant risk of a secondary skin infection that could cause even more problems for the dog.

If you ever see your dog with any of these symptoms, it’s important to book an immediate appointment with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will be able to provide treatment to reduce symptoms, as well as discuss ways to prevent the skin infections that often occur after flea allergy dermatitis.

Once your dog is diagnosed with flea allergy dermatitis, it pays to be aggressive when constructing your flea bite prevention plan. Even a single flea bite can trigger an allergic response in your dog that can lead to significant itching and pain.

When Should You Consider a Chemical Flea Treatment?

Many dog owners prefer natural flea treatments or preventatives, but under certain circumstances, traditional topical flea treatments may be the best option. Here are some of the times when we might recommend a chemical flea treatment.

You need to tame a flea infestation. The quickest way to remove a flea infestation in your home is to use a combination of a topical flea treatment on your dog and aggressive cleaning to remove any flea eggs from your house. Due to the life-cycle of the flea, you should plan on using a traditional topical treatment for at least three months.

Your dog has flea allergy dermatitis (FAD). This severe allergic reaction to flea bites can make your dog miserable. Sometimes the reaction is severe enough to cause skin wounds, as well as intense itching. A topical flea treatment is the quickest way to kill fleas and prevent further bites.

You want to significantly reduce the chance of your dog ever getting fleas. Traditional topical flea treatments kill and repel these parasites more effectively than any other known treatment.

Once you apply a chemical flea treatment, try keeping your dog away from cats and young children for 24 hours to allow the treatment to dry fully. This extra precaution prevents accidental exposure to members of your household that might be more sensitive to the ingredients in traditional topical flea treatments.

Flea Products, Cats and Other Animals

Cats are highly sensitive to certain flea products, especially if the flea product is manufactured for dogs only. For this reason, it’s important to never use canine flea products on cats. You should also try to separate your cat and dog for 24 hours after applying a topical flea treatment on your dog. And if your cat begins drooling, vomiting, twitching or shaking, immediately call your veterinarian and remove any flea product with dish detergent.

Small animals, such as rabbits, as well as exotic animals, such as birds, can also be very sensitive to all types of flea preventatives and treatments. If your household includes these types of pets, we strongly recommend discussing your flea regimen with your veterinarian to make sure there are no health risks to other animals in the home.

What to Do if You’re Concerned About Chemical Flea Treatment Use?

Different pet owners have different comfort levels when applying certain flea treatments on their dogs. While we believe that chemical-based flea treatments are sometimes necessary, you can also use these treatments in combination with natural flea prevention methods.

Only use them to tame an outbreak. Apply a chemical treatment to your dog when you see evidence of fleas. Fleas on your dog should immediately begin dying, and any adult fleas on your dog should die within 8 to 24 hours. The right treatment will disrupt the life cycle of the fleas, so you should see noticeable results in all areas of your house within seven days. Once the flea outbreak has completely stopped, you can return to natural means of prevention.

Only use traditional topical flea treatments during the summer months. Although a flea infestation can occur at any time, fleas are more common during warm, summer months. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, that means from July through September. To prevent an infestation, you can only apply flea treatment during those months and use natural remedies to ward off fleas for the rest of the year.

Only apply treatments every six to eight weeks. Applying a flea treatment every month or as directed by the manufacturer will give you the best possible protection for your dog. However, you could choose to space out doses every six or eight weeks. There’s more risk that your dog could get fleas than if she got a new dose every four weeks, but your dog will still be protected against fleas.

Make sure the dose is correct. Weigh your dog regularly to ensure that you’re giving him the correct dosage for his size. You may be surprised to find out that your dog is light enough to use a smaller dose.

What Are the Risks of Chemical Flea Treatments?

Many people reject chemical flea treatments because some contain carcinogens. While exposure to any type of carcinogen should never be taken lightly, it’s important to remember that it’s the length of exposure and the dosage amount that impacts the possible effects on your dog’s long-term health. Even if your dog uses a topical flea treatment his entire life, her lifespan is–regrettably–much shorter than a human lifespan. Comparing the risk of certain chemicals to your dog, who may live only 20 years, is very different than the risk of 60 years of exposure over a human lifespan.

It’s also important to remember that some flea treatments contain medications that are approved for humans. The amount of the medication is in measured dosages, so if it’s used according to the package instructions, there should be very little risk to any household member.

If you’re worried about human exposure, you can give your dog an oral over-the-counter or prescription treatment to treat fleas. Or if you prefer to use a topical treatment, you may want to avoid petting your dog around the application site for 24 hours to minimize your own exposure.

What About Oral Flea Treatment Options?

While many pet owners are familiar with topical options for flea treatment and prevention, there are also oral flea treatments that might be right for your dog.

Oral flea treatments are available in over-the-counter and prescription forms. Some oral flea treatments are made to eliminate fleas for a 24 hour period, while others are formulated to give month-long protection.

Mud Bay has made the decision to stock Capstar (nitenpyram) as a solution for dog owners who would like to immediately kill any fleas on their dog. This treatment is particularly useful if your dog has been exposed to fleas at a doggie daycare, groomers or boarding facility, and you want to eliminate the chances that your dog will bring fleas home with them. It’s also a good option if you’re adding a new dog to your household and want to make sure that dog is flea-free before entering your home.

Capstar is a safe option that provides protection for 24 hours. Although you can use Capstar every day, you might want to consider a longer term, prescription oral flea preventative if you find that you’re using Capstar regularly.

Oral flea treatments are available in over-the-counter and prescription forms. Some options eliminate fleas for a 24 hour period, while others are formulated to give month-long protection.

When to Talk to Your Veterinarian About Flea Prevention

For many years, traditional topical flea treatments were only available by prescription. This precaution allowed dog owners to discuss the pros and cons of each particular treatment with your veterinarian. While over-the-counter products are safe for most dogs, Mud Bay still recommends that you talk to your veterinarian before using a chemical flea treatment unless your dog is an adult canine with no known health concerns.

Having a conversation about fleas with your veterinarian ensures that you’re using the best option for your dog’s age, flea exposure level, health history and the other animals in your home. Your veterinarian will also be able to offer alternatives if your dog is too young or too old to use topical products, such as a prescription oral medication. For dogs with chronic health conditions, your veterinarian may also want to discuss alternative methods of flea control to avoid any adverse reactions.