Help! My dog has fleas

If there's a flea on your dog, there's hundreds already in the house. An adult flea produces about 1000 fleas in 3 weeks. These are not visible but often found in dark, warm and humid places such as the dog basket, skirting boards or under furniture. You die with sprays and shampoos only the adult flea; 95% of all fleas remain unaffected. As soon as the fleas are rid of your pet, new fleas come back almost immediately.

The life cycle of a flea

Female fleas live for 3 months, laying dozens of eggs every day. The eggs do not stick to the coat but fall everywhere in the house. In 1 to 10 days, the eggs grow into small larvae. These larvae seek out a dark place, and after 1 week they spin a cocoon around them: the pupa phase. When the weather is warm, humid and there are people or animals present, the larva grows into a flea in about 2 weeks. Then they find a host to place themselves on, suck themselves full of blood and lay new eggs again. If there are not the right conditions, it takes about 1 month for a larva to grow into a flea. If there is too low a temperature, the larva can remain in the cocoon for up to 1 year. As soon as you get rid of holidays, for example, a "flea infestation" can arise. This is because it has been warm for 2 to 3 weeks in a locked house. If there are people or animals in the house again, the larvae can hatch.

Consequences of a flea bite

Fleas cause much more damage than you think. They are the transferors of the worm species that is most common in dogs and cats, namely the flea tapeworm. Fleas not only suck up blood, but also bring saliva into the blood vessel. Fleas cause a lot of itching and unrest in the dog, but remember that you can also be bitten yourself. Fleas can also be infected with viruses, bacteria and skin fungus. In puppies, kittens,old and chronically ill dogs, multiple flea bites can cause anemia and reduced resistance. Also, some animals suffer from a flea allergy, which can cause a flea bite to cause a violent reaction.

Fighting fleas

If you fight the fleas on your dog, only a small part of the flea problem leaves. All larvae and eggs are still left. Fighting fleas consists of 2 steps: treating the fleas that are already on your pet and removing the eggs, larvae and pupae in the house. The fleas are not always visible, but that does not mean that they have not been there and left flea droppings as evidence. The feces are dark in color and about 1 mm long. If you wet it a little and then wipe it with a piece of paper on top, the red/orange color of the sucked blood will come up.

Natural or synthetic?

Do you want your house to be completely flea-free? Would you like to spend as little time as possible on flea control?  Do you want the best effect without it costing too much? Then it is best to use synthetic products. Would you rather have to minimize the burden on your pet's body and the environment? Then look more at a natural approach to flea removal.