posted 05-17-2003 08:45 PM         

Fleas tend to cling to the back of your dog. They are mainly pests. They can cause problems as they suck the blood from your pet, but rarely if ever do, other than causing your dog to scratch quite a bit. Scratching, then in turn, can lead to rashes or other skin conditions. That’s why you want to take care of your pet’s flea problem as quickly as possible.

There are many ways to try to get rid of fleas from your pet. There are shampoos, dips, and ointments. You need to find which works best with your particular dog and which your dog adapts to best. There are also non-fluid ways you can get rid of fleas from your dog.

You should first try a flea comb. This is a very tightly forked comb that you should run through your dog’s fur regularly when you think it might have been a victim of a flea attack. Once you remove the fleas from your dog you need to be sure to throw them away outside. Putting them in your trash can leaves room for them to get back into your house and onto you and your dog.

You also will want to get sprays, collars, and other products that are on the market available to help treat flea problems. These products do work, but you need to be careful about using them. Some dogs have natural adverse reactions to such products.

When your dog has flea problems, the remedy doesn’t end with sprays and combs. Your entire home has been infected. You should get a special flea removing conditioner for your carpeting and flooring. Vacuum thoroughly and remove all the fleas from your home.