Imagine this… you are lounging with your dog on the couch, snuggling, watching your favorite TV show. All of a sudden, your previously relaxed pooch gets up 
abruptly and starts biting at his feet or tail or starts scratching his neck or ears. You take a closer look at the area that he was just scratching and EEP! You see a flea jump out of your grasp before you can get him. What do you do? Do you make your pooch go outside, give him a bath immediately, or further inspect him to see if there are any other fleas. I recommend the latter.
You need to determine if it was just a random flea that hitched a ride the last time you took your pup for a walk or the precursor to an infestation. One flea in itself does not mean impending doom…especially if you have been giving him Frontline, Advantage or a similar Flea and Tick medication. If you have not, then you may need to be worried.
So does your pet really have fleas?
Sometimes it is hard to tell if fleas are the cause of the itchiness, especially if you 
have a long haired pet. Fleas are small (1/8″ long), blackish/brownish, quick-moving insects. They are broad when viewed from the side but very narrow when viewed head-on. Fleas like to congregate in the thicker fur areas like the neck and base of tail, but can be anywhere on your pet. If you don’t see any, look for flea dirt (flea droppings) by combing your pet with a flea comb. Place a damp paper towel on the floor and have your pet stand on top of it. If you see small specks of black that turn red with moisture, that’s the flea dirt and confirms that your dog has fleas.
Now What? How do I get rid of them?
First and foremost, take all of your pet’s bedding, towels, toys, anything that they 
play with or sleep on and washing them. There are flea sprays that are available that will kill fleas in carpets, curtains, couches, etc. Next, give your dog a flea bath using shampoo specifically for this purpose. This is not a daily shampoo for the ingredients in flea shampoos are typically to harsh to use everyday. Only use this shampoo when you are having an infestation. If you have more, than one animal in the house, you will need to spray down/wash all belongings for both animals and give both baths so the fleas do not spread.
Check out Stop the Fleas for more information on fleas and how to get rid of them.
Please contact me if you have any questions or need any help deciding which Flea and Tick protection is best. Please also check out our Frontline Replenisher program for additional information and discounts.
