How to get through Flea Season

Flea Control

Fleas don't live on the animal. They hop on to eat, then hop off to live and reproduce in your house, yard and kennels. Treating the environment is as important as treating the pets.

When using Pesticides to treat the environment, repeat treatments every 3-4 weeks until the fleas are gone. Once usually won't do it.

Vacuum the house thoroughly before spraying or fogging. Vacuum up some flea powder to kill the fleas you pick up or throw the bag away.

With foggers, use a house spray under furniture and around all room perimeters first. Foggers' contents rise up then settle and don't always reach all the nooks and crannies in a room.

A good house spray will often work as well as foggers. They allow you to treat the house room by room or level by level, rather than having to get everyone out of the house at once.

After spraying or fogging the house, let it air out for an hour or two before letting the animals inside.

Don't forget to treat the car or van on a regular basis as well. The yard should be treated in some cases, but use pesticides that are safe for wildlife.

Bathe your pets weekly. Any shampoo will kill fleas if left on for 5-10 minutes. Shampoos have little, if any, residual power, but help immensely with skin problems. Follow the bath with a dip if you like.

Use a compatible flea spray or foam every 3 days. Studies have shown that even "14 day" sprays aren't effective after the 3rd day. Pyrethrins are the safest and one of the most effective pesticides available. Get your vet's advice before using some of the newer "heavy duty" polymers and organo-phosphate-type products. Many products are not compatible and can be very toxic if used together.

Avoid contact with infested animals and areas. Spray or bathe all incoming animals. A spritz before and after training sessions away from home should help. Don't forget to treat the cats or keep them indoors. They are the most difficult to treat and their wandering ways make them a good source of reinfestation.

Alternatives To Pesticides

Vacuum often. Put moth balls in the vacuum bag or throw it out so it does not become a source of fleas.

Flea traps. At night, place a shallow bowl of soapy water on the floor with a small light above it. The fleas are drawn to the light and jump into the soapy water and drown. I've had one holistically-minded client use this with remarkable success.

Avon's Skin So Soft Bath Oil. 1-1/2 ounces per gallon of water; used as a sponge-on dip (or as a spritz) has been tested and proven to have significant, but not complete, flea-repellent activity for a 6-day period. It should help those dry coats, too.

Daily flea-combing does quite a good job in keeping the flea load off the dog and reducing the numbers that will reproduce in the environment. (This is probably the best and easiest way to control fleas on cats).

Treating "Hot Spots" - Moist Dermatitis

Carefully clip hair over the area. Remember, these areas can be extremely painful. Unclipped hot spots take twice as long to heal.

Gently clean the area with a mild anti-septic soap, like Phisoderm or Betadine. Clean once or twice daily and rinse with cool water.

Use a mild astringent 2-4 times daily. Try Domeboro solution. Mix I- ½ packets or tablets in I pint of water. Apply as a cool compress for 10-15 minutes or spritz it on with a plant mister. Plain water is also a mild astringent. Strong astringents, (ex. Tannisol), should only be used once or twice at the start of treatment. Don't use alcohol, it's painful for the dog and only increases inflammation.

Topical medications, if needed, must be non-occlusive so that skin can "breath". Use creams, not ointments, applying only a thin film after cleansing. Distract the pet for several minutes so the cream can be absorbed.

Useful topical medication: Antibiotic creams with or without cortisone.

Variton cream; has anticholinergic action which blocks pain at nerve endings. Use 4-6 times daily on minor hot spots or on the periphery of larger areas. Variton is not an antiseptic or antibiotic and should not be used on severe areas. It works quite well to stop pain from bug bites, stings, and mild burns if used often enough (personal experience). The bitter taste may discourage licking and chewing.

Topical anesthetic/antiseptic combinations like Bactine can be useful. Sprays are nice because you avoid touching the sensitive skin.

Hot spots can progress very rapidly. Severe hot spots or rapidly enlarging areas require veterinary attention. Antibiotics and cortisone may be needed.

Other Suggestions for Dry, Itchy, Inflamed Skin

Allergic skin disease is very common in our area. Most allergies in dogs affect the skin, which includes the ear canals. They can affect the whole body or a select spot. Some may require cortisone therapy, but some can be kept under control without cortisones.

Good diet - important to overall health. Be sure food allergies are not a part of the problem.

Parasites - internal or external will affect quality and health of skin and coat. Maintain a parasite free pet and environment.

Dietary supplements - the following have been helpful for skin and coat: Yeast - does not repel fleas but can help improve skin and coat

Derm Caps, pet-tabs FA - veterinary products which contain some essential fatty acids that help relieve the effects of allergic skin disease in many cases.

Vegetable oil is better for skin than animal fats. It does add calories. Give 1-2 tablespoons daily for a large dog. (Margarine can also be used)

Coat conditioners - for dry skin dermatologists recommend Alpha Keri bath oil. 1 to 2 capfuls in 1 pint of water as a rinse or kept in a spray bottle for use as needed. There are many good coat conditioners on the market. For bad cases, try one containing essential fatty acids.

Baths - medicated pet shampoos 1-2 times a week go a long way in soothing itchy skin. Follow with a good conditioner. In severe cases, a cool Aveeno bath will be very soothing. This oatmeal cofloid can be put in an old stocking and used as a "tea bag" in the bath water so the flakes won't attach to your dog's coat.

Antihistamines - work well for some dogs - Used in conjunction with corticosteroids, the dose of steroid can often be reduced. Benadryl, Chlortrimeton and Atarax are most useful. If one doesn't work try the other (2 week trials). Ask your vet for an appropriate dose for your dog.

In most cases, it will take a combination of therapies to get the best effect. Be patient, dietary changes and parasite eradication may not show an effect for 3-4 weeks. The effects of one flea bite can last 14 days!

Take time to really examine your dog's skin and coat. It still amazes me when a person brings their dog in and is completely oblivious to the bald patches, inflamed skin, or dozens of fleas on their pet. Skin problems rarely improve on their own, and fleas in houses don't just go away. Initiate some form of treatment and prevention quickly. Get as much advice from your vet as possible, as each dog and situation are different.

A final piece of advice, for any health situation: Initiate home treatment as soon as possible, but be sure you know what you are doing. When in doubt, call your veterinarian for advice. Ask yourself what you would do if it was your child, rather than your dog, in a particular situation. If you would call your pediatrician or take your child to the emergency room, then do the same for your dog. A phone call is cheap. You can visit your vet now and pay a little, or you can procrastinate and pay a lot more later.

Hope this helps. Please share your ideas.