How to get rid of fleas – General advice

How to get rid of fleas:

In the UK, about 1 in 2 households own a pet with around 22 million pets owned in total (excluding fish). By far the most popular pets are cats and dogs,  with 8.5 million cats and  8.5 million dogs sharing our homes. 
It is inevitable that at some point in their happy lives, your cat or dog will experience fleas, and in turn so will you.

Not pleasant for anyone – you or them – but if you have a flea infestation don’t worry, you are certainly not alone and with a bit of effort you can definitely eradicate all trace of fleas for good!

The information on this site is designed to help you eradicate existing flea problems, and ensure your home and your pets remain flea free – and stay that way.


Unwanted house-guests

Fleas are nobody’s friend but they are an unavoidable fact of life if you have pets in your home. In simplest terms they live off your dog or cat by biting their skin and sucking the blood – a genuine vampire if ever there was one!

Unfortunately for your pet, these bites can cause serious irritation, potentially carry disease and also become an irritant to you, should you be bitten.

Identifying the problem:

If you think your pet has fleas there are various tell-tale signs  to look for -

• Flea dirt: You may notice black specks that look like ground pepper in the fur or bedding of your pet.This is flea excrement, often called ‘flea dirt.’ Key areas that fleas tend to inhabit are neck, ears, armpits, belly and base of the tail, the warmest nooks and crannies.

If your dog or cat is affected by fleas, they will usually be visible on them so you will literally be able to see them hopping around.  If you can see them on your pet, then they are more than likely to also be in your home, and by equal measure, if you find them in your home, then it is almost guaranteed that your pet/s will also be carrying them on their bodies.
  
Either way, it is therefore essential that you follow a planned, flea control & prevention programme to keep both your home and your beloved pets flea free, and if you have a current infestation, you follow our guide to eradicating them, fast!

Follow the step by step guides on the other sections of our site to see information on;

By treating your pets with flea control products at least once a month for a minimum of three months, and also intensively treating the house, your flea problem will disappear!


See our other sections on treating your pets:
How to get rid of fleas on your cat
How to get rid of fleas on your dog
How to get rid of fleas on young pets
How to get rid of fleas in your home
Top 10 tips for treating fleas