Does Your Dog Have Fleasw? by Jenny

If you see your dog biting and scratching its skin, then it's highly likely that your dog does have fleas. Fleas breed prolifically and especially in warm weather, so you need to act fast if you don't want to be overrun! Sometimes a professional pest control person needs to be called in so you can get rid of the fleas in your home very quickly.
Fleas can be brown or dark red in color but if you look closely, they can be scary. Fortunately, there are many methods to control fleas in your home and on your animals. Fleas are equipped with large legs and the back of their exoskeleton is quite hard. Adults can latch onto a host while they're feeding.
Adult fleas have very sharp mouthparts so they can suck the blood from their prey. They don't have eyes as such and rely on their antenna for touch, smell, and to sense heat. Humans can suffer from flea bites, and larva eat dust or debris on the floor until they become adults. Pupa can remain dormant for up to a year while waiting for optimum conditions to become active.
When you give flea treatment to your animals, you should also look to treat your floorboards, carpets, bedding, and garden. This comprehensive treatment should take care of any flea problems. Vacuum carpets thoroughly, as well as vacuuming any crevices close to your floor. You can treat your whole house all at the same time, along with your pets.
Wash bedding in hot water in your washing machine, then dry thoroughly. Wash your dog's bedding at the same time. Make sure that you wash your nighttime clothing also. Vacuum your mattress and leave it exposed to sunlight if possible. Remember to vacuum the carpets and floor boards and any close by crevices or cracks on your walls.
Table salt is a natural and commonly available method of killing fleas. You can get refined table salt from a health food or grocery store. Shake the salt all over your carpet, dog bed, rugs, and along skirting boards. Rake your carpet just like you do your yard, and leave it around for from 2 to 5 days. This will make it penetrate flea skins and they will bleed to death. After you have salted everything down, vacuum everything.
Another method for getting rid of fleas in your carpet, is to add four parts of borax to one part salt, and then use the same as you would use for straight salt. If your dog does have fleas, then you can wash it as you would normally. After the dog is dry, put a half cup of baking powder into a shaker as well as 1/2 teaspoon of essential orange oil. Shake it a bit, then shake it all over your dog.
So, if you do determine that your dog has fleas, the above methods will be a natural way to rid your home and animals of these pesky bloodsuckers.

About the Author

Jenny is passionate about helping people train their dog successfully and gives helpful hints and tips on health and nutrition. For anyone looking to work closely with dogs she gives people suggestions on how to become a dog trainer. She writes about Dog Fleas ,travel, fitness, and many other things she's has experience with.