They’re small, they jump, and they are an enormous pest for both you and your furry friend. That’s right, we’re talking about fleas, every pet owner’s nightmare. You know that you keep your pet squeaky clean, so why can’t you seem to get rid of your nasty flea problem? Preventative measures are best to keep away a flea infestation, but if it’s too late for that, follow these tips for ending your flea problems!

PREVENTATIVE STEPS

• Always keep your dog or cat on a preventative flea medication. K-9 Advantix and Frontline are just two of the major brand names in the industry, and both are well-known for preventing a flea infestation. If you’re going to buy a product like this, and prefer not to buy the name brand to save yourself some money, be careful! There are many extremely low-cost products on the market that claim to kill fleas, but are actually extremely harmful for your pet. If a flea medication costs $4 as opposed to the $50 Frontline, do your research before you buy. There are multiple incidents of pets dying due to these dangerous medications, so don’t risk your pet’s safety to save a few bucks! Once you’ve purchased a high-quality preventative medication, realize that it is just that: a preventative People often get frustrated with these products because they buy them to treat an already existing flea problem, and find that the product falls short. These medications, given as drops on the back of the neck, are really only effective in preventing a problem, not solving an existing infestation.

STEPS TO END AN EXISTING FLEA PROBLEM

• Invest in Capstar to kill the fleas on your pet. Capstar is a pill that you can give to your pet once a day that will kill any live adult fleas on your pet for up to six hours. Any flea that jumps on our pet will immediately fall off and die, and that is no exaggeration. The pill is highly effective and has amazing reviews. It is safe enough to give to your pet every 24 hours, and so this should be your first step in eliminating the problem. Save yourself some money and buy Capstar online. Petsmart and Petco will sell a six pack of the pills for up to $50, and you can get the same exact product on Ebay for $25.
• While you are giving your pet Capstar, you also need to treat the flea eggs and larvae. Capstar will only kill adult fleas, and so you need to break the life cycle by also killing the eggs. There are a variety of products that claim to kill eggs. Vets Best sells a Flea + Tick Home Spray that will kill adults and larvae, and is a natural formula that is safe to spray directly on your pet’s fur. The best part? It smells like peppermint oil, so your furry friend won’t smell like a chemical bath.
• Remember the Frontline for preventing an infestation? Once you have started with a medication that kills existing fleas, it is a good idea to combine it with a preventative medication to prevent any more fleas from jumping on your pet and laying eggs. Be sure to read the labels on your medications to ensure that they can be used safely together. Capstar, for example, is safe to use with a topical treatment like Frontline.
• That same Flea + Tick Home Spray is also useful for attacking your home, which will also need treatment. Fleas live in carpets and furniture, and so just because you are killing the fleas on your pet, doesn’t mean the infestation is over. You must kill the fleas in your pet’s environment to fully eliminate any future infestations. This spray is safe to use on furniture and carpet, and kills fleas within a few hours. Fumigators and flea bombs are another alternative, however, you will need to take you and your pets out of the house for at least 4 hours while the fumigator works its magic, so a spray might be easier for those who want to avoid the added hassle of a fumigator. Be sure to spray pet beds, couches and anywhere else your pet spends a lot of time, and wash all of your sheets in hot water.

These steps are not a fool-proof method of ridding your house of fleas, but they are a great place to start. If you find that none of these solutions completely solve your flea problem, it may be time to call in a professional to spray the house and yard (another place fleas lurk). Battling a flea infestation can be expensive, so be sure to attack the problem right away.