Got Fleas!

Does your dog have a flea problem? Some obvious warning signs would be your dog scratching more than usual, or strange bite marks and irritations on your dog's skin. Get a flea comb, and run it through you dog's hair. Do you see any little buggies or egg sacs? If you do than you have a flea problem.

What to do if your dog gets fleas:

Immediately stop whatever it is that you are doing and take your dog to the vet. Let the doctor examine your dog for fleas, and then follow whatever directions he gives you.
Wash your dog! Get a good quality dog shampoo, and give your dog a good scrub down. You should see the little fleas die and fall into the bathtub, just let them go down the drain, and keep going.
Hair Cut! In extreme cases to get rid of the flea infestation you may need to shave off all of your dog's hair. Get your vets advice first, and if he thinks it is a good idea than go for it. You never know where your dog might have gotten fleas from, and since they will live and breed in your dog's hair, if you take away all of his hair, then the fleas won't have any place to live, and will not come back.

How to prevent your dog from getting fleas:

Wash your dog regularly. Make sure you are using a high quality pet shampoo like the many ones that we offer at The Dog Bowl. As you wash your dog make sure you are keeping your eyes open for fleas and other little buggies.
Brush your dog. Make sure you are keeping up with brushing, and invest in a flea comb that can be used to separate your dog's hair and locate fleas.
Use some type of topical flea medication available from your vet. Make sure you follow all of the direction and apply exactly as instructed.
If you live in an area that is more wooded and have a very high rate of fleas, you might want to consider getting your dog a flea collar, so that they can wear it at all times, which should protect them from all types of infestations.
If your dog gets fleas often you may want to check your local yellow pages and find an exterminator to come to your home to see if you have some type of infestation on your property.

Remember fleas can be carriers of disease and should not be treated lightly. If your dog has fleas and you do nothing about them, you and your family will most likely get them to. So make sure you are paying attention to your dog to make sure he never gets fleas in the first place, and if he does take care of it quickly. At The Dog Bowl, the safety of your animal is our primary concern, don't forget to check out the rest of our website for more information about other health risks to your dog and flea prevention.