Getting Rid of Fleas –

I have been a dog owner personally responsible for their daily care and feeding for decades. I am also a hobby breeder and an enthusiastic participant in American Kennel Club (AKC) dog show sports. As the caretaker of multiple dogs of varying age and health condition I have learned how to identify root causes of health issues and effectively treat them before the symptoms can spread. Getting rid of fleas is an excellent example of treating a root cause that could cause several different health issues that would require individual treatments and medications for your dog.

Fleas are annoying parasites for humans and dogs alike. They cause itching and discomfort, and these pesky critters may seem to be difficult to eliminate. For our canine companions, fleas are much more than just an irritating nuisance; many dogs are allergic to the flea saliva secreted in the feeding process. They pose several serious health risks and ugly hair loss. Flea infestations can lead to skin problems and infections, and can even cause anemia in extreme circumstances. Fleas can act as a conduit for tapeworms and diseases, transmitting these illnesses to your unfortunate pet. So in order to protect your pet's well-being and to restore the comfort of both the human and canine members of your household, it's important to deal with a flea infestation.

My flea battles used to be never-ending; I could win battles but not the war. I used foggers, sprays, dips, flea collars, flea soaps and shampoos; some of these products were toxic to both people and pets. I would get rid of them for a while but they always came back. I hated using all the chemicals but having the fleas in my home and on my dogs was worse. Fleas do not typically live on the dog. They jump on the dog to feed and then off again when finished. They live in your carpet and often in your dogs bedding. A flea has a small hard body that makes it difficult for you or your dog to kill them if caught and they can jump up to 4 feet making it easy to get on and off the host. A rule of thumb is for every flea you see on your dog there are about 10 in your home. Females lay up to five hundred eggs each so an infestation can develop and quickly become a serious problem. In a short time you can have hundreds in your home. The spot-on drops are expensive and work systemically so the flea only dies when it bites a treated dog. That leaves any untreated mammals, including you and your family, as safe food sources. It is faster and safer to simply get all fleas out of your home as soon as possible.

I discovered a simple non-toxic method to get rid of fleas about 15 years ago that has worked very reliably for me. This method not only immediately gets rid of the fleas, but also makes your home a permanent no-flea zone. I have not used any chemicals in or around my home since implementing this method.

Vacuum at least twice a week put mothballs or mothball crystals in the vacuum bag. The mothballs kill the fleas that are pulled into the vacuum bag. Be sure to vacuum everywhere, including on upholstered furniture, under cushions, under beds, in closets, and along baseboards. Fleas and their eggs tend to hide and collect in carpets and other materials, so this step can go a long way toward providing your pet with a flea-free environment. Pull all your furniture out vacuum and then spread Borax (20 Mule Team Borax) underneath it, do not vacuum the Borax up. Borax repels the fleas so they don’t nest and lay eggs in areas that are not vacuumed as often. This will force the fleas to nest out in the open and you can easily vacuum them up. The Borax treatment is done so you don’t have to move your furniture every time you vacuum. Do the Borax treatment under your furniture about every six months. It is also important to wash your dog bedding on a regular basis. Washing the bedding in hot water (Borax optional) followed by a long cycle in a hot dryer will kill any of the pesky parasites and their eggs that are clinging to the material.

I have not had a flea problem on my dogs or in my home since I started the vacuum, mothball and Borax treatment. It really is easy, inexpensive and effective; not having all those chemicals in my home or on my dogs has been great.

Dee Robison
dee@rbdee.com
www.rbdee.com