Dog fleas are a problem that too many of us have been plagued with, but more importantly too many of our beloved pets have been plagued with. Getting rid of fleas is not an easy task, but with the proper plan and a certain amount of diligence it is possible to live a flea free life again. Let’s go through the steps necessary to get rid of fleas and keep them from coming back.

Before you even start, it’s a good idea to get an idea of the scope of problem you are dealing with. Most people don’t realize that the fleas living on and biting your dog (and you), are only about 5% of the total population of fleas in their various life stages that are in your dogs living space. This living space includes all areas that he normally frequents, including your yard, patio, basement, garage, car etc. If you fail to rid fleas in these other areas, or in the other life stages, then you are going to fail at getting rid of the fleas.

1 – Get rid of the fleas in your house – get as many fleas out of the house as possible, which means removing your dog while you are treating your house. Fleas live on and around the floors, in cracks and crevices, and on objects that your pet has been in contact with. Pick up any objects that can be washed, and launder these items using the hot cycle. This will include your pet toys, dog bedding, throw out any dog food that is in or around the dog bowl, your clothing, bedding, cushions etc. Any where it is possible for fleas to live, or lay eggs, needs to be cleaned.

Vacuum the whole house and any upholstered items REALLY WELL! Make sure to get underneath the bed. Vacuum out your car if your dog has been in the car. Then throw out the vacuum bag once you are finished, or flea eggs and larvae will hatch and re-infest. Clean your hard surface flooring with soap and water. Clean the floors in your garage, basement or patio if your dog has been in contact with those surfaces. Finally, with all animals and people out of the house, arrange to have a house flea treatment.

2 – Get rid of the fleas outside your house – fleas that are in the areas outside your house that your dog visits will re-infest your pet the second he goes outside again. Arrange to have a flea treatment for your yard and garage at the same time that you treat your house. Make sure that you get to all areas that fleas like to hide, such as dark humid places like underneath the patio. Fleas prefer dark places, so treat crevices and corners especially well.

3 – Kill the fleas on your dog – give your dog a bath with dog shampoo. Once they have dried off use a flea comb to check for any fleas that you have missed.

4 – Get rid of fleas for the next two weeks – this step is as important as the first three steps combined. There will be a number of flea eggs, larvae and pupae that were not caught by the initial treatment, so it is important to continue vacuuming (remember to dispose of the vacuum bag each time) and washing items that may contain these pre adult fleas over the next two weeks. If you don’t do this follow-up to keep fleas at bay, you will simply have an entirely new batch of fleas to deal with in one or two weeks time.

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