Fleas are small insects that survive by feeding off the blood of animals and humans. When a flea bites a dog, the dog's natural instinct is to scratch. Scratching or itching can result in a dog’s coat becoming soiled and smelly. If not removed from your dog and property in a timely manner, fleas can wreak havoc on your health and the health of your dog. Keeping your dog and living space properly protected from fleas is key to permanently ridding both the odor and fleas prevalent on your pup.
Bathe your dog with a flea removal shampoo. Rub the shampoo into your dog’s coat and let it soak into your dog’s coat and skin for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse your dog with cool water. Wash your dog with soap and water if its coat still remains smelly.
Place a flea collar around your dog’s neck immediately after it’s dry to ward off any remaining fleas.
Use a monthly topical flea treatment such as Frontline; these chemical treatments, when used correctly can eradicate fleas off your dog completely.
Sprinkle salt on your floors. Salt has the ability to dry up and kill fleas. Let the salt stay in your floors for approximately 24 hours.
Vacuum your house thoroughly. Vacuuming removes up to 30 percent of the larvae and up to 60 percent of flea eggs from a carpet, according to the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. Remove the vacuum cleaner bag from the vacuum. Secure it in a plastic bag and discard of it quickly to prevent any captured fleas from escaping the bag and reinfesting your house.
Wash and dry your dog’s bedding materials thoroughly. The most likely place to find flea larvae is in infested pet bedding, according to the Texas Agricultural Extension Service.
Mow your lawn on a regular basis. According to the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, fleas do not survive well outdoors in hot, sunny lawns.
Spray a lawn and garden insecticide in your yard. Spray the insecticide in areas most frequented by your dog and in all moist, shady locations where fleas most commonly thrive and survive. The Texas Agricultural Extension Service recommends respraying the insecticide seven to 10 days after the first application to ensure lasting success.
Tips
Bathe and brush your dog’s coat on a regular basis to ensure it stays flea free.
Warnings
Follow all directions carefully when spraying the insecticide in your yard, as it could be lethal to certain plants.
Writer Bio
Brittany Tucker began a freelance writing career in 2008. She specializes in home and garden topics, and her work has appeared on a variety of websites. Tucker studied English literature at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.