Summer Flea Prevention Tips for Pets

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     Pets love the summer almost as much as we do. This is a great opportunity for them to get more walks, to spend more time outside and to bask in the sun as it breaks through the window. Dogs and cats weren't designed to be cooped up in doors, and that's why they love it when the sun comes out and they're able to spend more time fulfilling their wild nature.

However if you really want your pet to enjoy the sun then you need to make sure that they are in the best possible health and that they aren't weighed down by itchy skin or thinning fur. Protecting your pets from fleas becomes even more important in the summer when the climate is just right for fleas, and when your pets are more likely to come into contact with other animals that might be carrying pests.

Note: While your pet is more likely to pick up fleas when they're out and about and meeting other animals, it's very important that you make sure to think about flea control all year round. Fleas can strike at any time and without year-round treatment they can remain dormant on the skin for months without signs only to hatch when the warmer weather starts.

Here we will look at some tips to help you keep your pet healthy and happy so they can properly enjoy the good weather with you...

Internal Flea Products: The best way to control fleas is of course with flea products ?after all that's what they're designed to do. Internal flea products like tablets or chews are the most effective as they cause repellents to be absorbed into your pet's bloodstream. This then means that when the fleas bite or your dog or cat secretes oil, chemicals like spinosad and nitenpyram will either kill or sterilize the adult fleas in order to prevent the line from continuing.

Clean Your Home Thoroughly: If your dog or cat has fallen victim to fleas, then it's not uncommon for them to be re-infected soon after you've dealt with the problem and this is often due to the fleas surviving in your carpets, rugs and blankets. If you have had an outbreak of fleas in your home, then use professional carpet cleaning services (these are far more thorough than just vacuuming yourself) and take the time to machine wash any clothing or upholstery that came into contact with your pet ?this means particularly their bed or basket. Lovely though they are, clean pets aint...

Check Regularly: The longer you take to notice your dog or cat has fleas, the more difficult it's going to be to get rid of them and the more damage they will do to your little friend. Make sure that you check them regularly then and a great time to do this is when you take them for a bath. While you're washing them just take the opportunity to have a little look for any signs of fleas and this way you'll catch them early ?it won't hurt to use a flea shampoo either if you find them, just make sure that you spend some extra money on one that will kill off the eggs as well as the adults.

Use internal flea products all year round and you shouldn't find any eggs, but by bathing them and checking often you can spot a range of problems and keep your animal's skin as optimally healthy as possible.