When Your Dog's Flea Problem Has Gotten Out of Control
Not every non-human who lives in your home is a member of your family. Sure, your beloved pets are very much one of the family, but the creatures who they might inadvertently introduce to the household are definitely not welcome. Your dog might not be attached to the fleas that have made themselves at home in its coat, but rest assured that the fleas are very much attached to your dog. A soft approach to a flea infestation is a surefire way of ensuring that the problem won't be going away anytime soon. To banish those fleas, you'll need to be decisive.
Standard Measures
Minor outbreaks can often be controlled with the usual remedies, namely a flea control shampoo and a flea collar. These measures should be standard to prevent a flea infestation from taking hold in the first place, but if this has already occurred, then you will need to be more forceful in your approach.
Your Home
Your home will need to be treated with an appropriate pesticide. Carpets and upholstery require specific attention, in order to kill and extract all fleas (along with larvae and eggs) from the fibres. Steam cleaning can be beneficial for carpets and upholstery when used in conjunction with an appropriate pesticide. Your dog's bedding will need definite scrutiny, and with an extreme infestation, it's often more efficient to just replace this bedding. But all these measures will only be temporary without treating your dog.
Your Dog
Of course, you can apply flea control shampoo to your dog yourself, but when the problem has gotten out of hand, professional pet grooming will be far more productive. When making the appointment, be sure to inform the groomer that you require a flea treatment. This allows them to apply the necessary control measures. Your dog will receive a shampoo treatment that contains an active ingredient to kill fleas (generally pyrethrin or permethrin), which then needs to soak for a predetermined period of time. As the living fleas attempt to escape the effects of the pesticide, they will move, and the groomer will capture them using a flea comb, before disposing of them down the drain.
Fleas aren't just a problem for your dog, and when they're not controlled, they can pose a big problem for you and your family. Prevention is better than a cure, but when the issue has escalated, then a decisive cure is the only way to go, simultaneously treating both your dog and their environment.
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