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Give a flea bath:

Rub a dub dub!   When it’s time to give your dog a bath, you know the drill.  Sure, it’s typically done on a weekly basis in the comfort of your own home but every now and then even the seasoned dog owner needs to remember the basics on bathing your dog. Although bathing your dog regularly may seem like a no-brainer, there are certain things to keep in mind when it comes to giving your dog a special flea bath.

First, the very essence of a flea bath incorporates using special flea shampoo.  Note: some flea shampoo is not intended to cats since it may be toxic to them. Therefore, it’s very important to read instructions carefully.  Next, once you run the water be sure that it’s slightly lukewarm or closer on the cool side. Keep in mind dogs easily overheat and temperatures people use for our own baths may be too warm for dogs.

Start by getting the neck wet while leaving the rest of the body dry.  Next, shampoo should be applied and lathered around the neck.  Typically fleas will gather at the ears, eyes, and face; ironically intricate places on the face where it may be hard to clean so extra effort should be placed on shampooing here during a flea bath.  Once the neck has been concentrated on, the rest of the body should also get wet and shampooed, and then soaked for at least five minutes.  It’s important to rinse!  Flea shampoo, when effective, can be extremely drying.  Therefore, it’s important to apply a flea control conditioner or some sort of conditioner which will have lasting effects.

If your dog has a severe case of fleas, please note the shampooing factor will not necessarily permanently deplete the fleas.  There may be additional methods of flea control such as a spray, collar, or special treatment such as environmental insecticides, constant vacuuming, and medications.  

Once the flea shampooing is done it’s important to not overlook the overall impact of giving your dog a bath in general.  Once the shampoo has been thoroughly applied, along with conditioner, most dog owners will also use soap and repeat the rinse.  Keep in mind your dog may flinch at the sound of the water or the temperature so it’s important to ensure the temperature is lukewarm. When it comes to drying you’ll want to first start by drying off your pet’s face, neck, and ears.

When bathing your dog, the next area to dry off is the abdomen, chest, and paws.  At this point some dog owners have been known to use the hair drier on their pet’s long hair!  Others recommend towel drying the hair.  When bathing your dog it’s important to prevent him or her from catching a cold.  Therefore it’s important when bathing your dog indoors to prevent him or her from roaming outside for a few hours.

As for a few items to note, when bathing your dog it’s important to think of how specifics will apply to your own dog. For instance, owners who own miniature poodles or Chihuahuas may actually bathe their dog in a sink or indoor bathtubs.  If you have a rather large dog, chances are your pet isn’t the only one who will get wet!  They’ll be sure to splash it around either during the bath or after or both!  That said, some owners prefer to use a detachable shower nozzle when bathing your dog. The hose will help you reach hard to reach areas when bathing your dog.  Lastly, once you’re done with bath time it’s important to have towels ready and waiting.