My pet still has fleas - HELP!

February 28, 2008

OK, slow down a second - your pet has fleas. So does 90% of dogs and cats in the US.

But I’m using an expensive flea treatment product!

Good - so you should be - there’s no point spending your hard earned $$ on a product that won’t work.

But I’m using a flea treatment AND my pet still has fleas

Relax. I said at the top of the post 90% of dogs and cats in the US have fleas.

You need to ask yourself some questions

1. Why am I expecting to see no fleas?
2. Am I seeing dead fleas?
3. Am I seeing slow moving fleas that I can easily catch?
4. Is my pet disturbed by the level of fleas.

It’s understandable that you don’t want to see fleas on your pets but are your expectations realistic. You would not expect to spray a single bug with bug spray and never see another flea. Most of the effective (and expensive) flea treatment products DO NOT REPEL FLEAS!

That means there is nothing in these products to stop fleas getting on your pets. Seeing fleas on your pets is to be expected. In fact, most of these products work by contact.

IF THERE IS NO CONTACT WITH FLEAS THERE ARE NO DEAD FLEAS!

In other words - don’t be bothered if you see fleas on your pet.

Only be bothered if it is clear they are not being killed.

Fleas which are being killed are slow and easier to catch than their non-affected cousins. And fleas take some hours to die after jumping on your pet - in spite of some of the advertising material out there.

So relax - you pet still has fleas - you are in good company - just check that your flea treatment product is killing them.

Posted in Flea control issues