Using a well-recommended flea product (eg. Fipronil), treat your pet. Give us a call or pop in store for advice on which product suits your pet best. People often think that Fipronil based products aren’t effective because they attack the nervous system of the flea and cause it to become hyperactive. This means more fleas can be observed after the pet is treated, leading people to believe it is ineffective. However, this is not the case. The fleas that are on the pet during treatment will die of starvation as they’re unable to feed due to their hyperactivity, in 24 hours. The fleas you see after this time are any larvae or eggs that hadn’t hatched before the treatment had been applied. These (once hatched) will also die within 24 hours.
Alternatively, a type of flea treatment called an Imidacloprid can be used. This also acts on the nervous system of the fleas and causes paralysis, therefore, leading to starvation and death. It is a double-action method as it not only kills them when they’re on the pet but any larvae that have hatched in the carpet, can consume organic matter such as pet skin cells, which will contain the Imidacloprid, thus, killing those fleas too.
80 % of flea larvae will actually live in the environment, not on the pet. This means that no matter how many times you treat your animal, the fleas can just jump from the environment, straight back onto them.
Wash the pet bedding and any bedding that they’ve been in contact with (your sheets etc.) at 60⁰C. 40⁰C will not kill them. You can also buy special formulas to use instead of your usual fabric conditioner, which will kill off any extra germs.
Next, turn your heating up and hoover all of the rooms that the animal has been in. This will create vibrations and warmth that will cause the fleas’ eggs to hatch. If you do not hatch the eggs before treating your home, they will hatch later on and reproduce, therefore, causing a second flea infestation.
Ensure that all pets and children are kept out of the rooms that you plan to treat. Then, use a suitable household flea spray to treat every nook and cranny; lifting the mattresses, cushions, etc. The carpet should also be sprayed. Always spray a small bit on an inconspicuous area of the fabrics before fully treating them, as it may stain.
Leave the room closed off, with all doors and windows shut, for half an hour. After this time, open all of the windows and leave the room to air for at least 2-3 hours (the longer the better).
If the problem persists, you can treat the house again. However, the pets will still be protected by the original flea product so please only retreat after consulting a Suitable Qualified Person (SQP) or Veterinary Surgeon / Nurse.
In order to test whether your pet is flea free or not, purchase a flea comb and gently comb through their fur before wiping it on the provided flea paper. If the paper shows up a red patch, this indicates the presence of flea dirt (dry blood). In this instance, you would need to treat the house again.
IMPORTANT: Fleas can carry a type of parasite called a tapeworm, this means that once you have treated both the animal and the environment for fleas (and it is all clear), it is best to worm your pet. This ensures that they haven’t contracted it, and if they have, will treat it.
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