Tag Archives: fleas

Flea Bombing

Flea bombing: every pet owner probably has to do it at least once. No matter how many flea collars we put on our animals, medication we apply to the backs of their necks, or generally how cautious we are, those little bugs just seem to find ways past our defenses on occasion. Flea bombing, or flea fogging as it’s often called now, can be complicated and stressful. We recently had to go through it in our house, so I thought I’d detail the process to provide help or reference for others. Everyone, human and animal, needs to vacate the premises … Continue reading →

Ask a Pets Blogger: Why Flea and Tick Prevention Fails

I treat my cat regularly with Advantage, but she keeps turning up with fleas! Why won’t they go away? You’re not alone with this problem — flea and tick management can be a constant battle. Here are some things that might help turn the tide in your favor. Make sure you are applying the medication correctly. The liquid needs to go on the skin, not on the fur — hair won’t absorb the medication. Make sure you place the medication in a place your pet can’t reach to lick off. Be sure to apply ALL the medication! Make sure your … Continue reading →

Treating Your Home and Yard for Fleas and Ticks

Most of the time, treating your pets for fleas and ticks with a monthly preventative is enough to keep an infestation out of your home and yard. Most of the time. If the critters are out of control, you may have to take action to evict fleas and ticks from your home. This doesn’t mean you should stop the monthly flea and tick preventative for your pets, either! The absolute best way to keep fleas and ticks off your pets (and out of your house) is to use a preventative all year round. In some areas, where winter temperatures drop … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Fleeing Fleas

Not all guests who come to the cats only boarding facility are indoor cats. Some are allowed to roam the “big blue room” once in a while; some spend the majority of their time outdoors and only show up for meals and bedtime. Not that fleas are solely a problem of outdoor cats — far from it. Fleas can get into your house (and onto your pets) even if your furry family never sets a paw outside the door. One thing we don’t want at the boarding facility is for a guest to catch a case of critters while they … Continue reading →

Flea and Tick Prevention Options for Pets with Sensitive Skin

I mentioned recently that Lally seems to be having trouble with a new flea and tick preventative we tried. Hopefully we won’t have any more skin problems if I switch back to Frontline… but I wonder if she’s just getting more allergic as she ages. That got me thinking about alternatives to the insecticide-medication-on-the-skin type of flea and tick prevention. Traditional flea and tick collars. You might remember the narrow white collars that dogs and cats used to wear before medications like Frontline and Sentinel came along? Since the medication doesn’t get soaked into the skin, it might be an … Continue reading →

Spring Proofing Your Pet: Allergies

Spring brings a lot with it, like warmer weather, blooming flowers, and spring cleaning. But just as people suffer from springtime allergies, so do pets. Below are the most common irritants pets suffer from at this time of year, along with tips for reducing their discomfort. Pollen The attack of itchy eyes and runny noses plague humans allergic to pollen. Pets get the itchies too –in the form of itchy skin that is. There are lots of ways to treat the itchies, such as: • With supplements to ease them (e.g. fatty acids or vitamin A and E oils). • … Continue reading →

Sites You Might Not Normally Think to Visit for Pet Info: The Weather Channel

When I was gathering sites together for places that let you post pet photos, one I stumbled across was not one that would have first come to mind: The Weather Channel/Weather.com. Under their Around the Home tab they have a Pets section. What a neat resource! In addition to sharing your cute pet pics, you can find a lot of helpful info. Starting with the main feature, their Personal Pet Cast. You select what kind of pet you have (dog or cat), their size, hair length, and age, then you type in your zip code, your pet’s name, and hit … Continue reading →

Flea Allergies

Flea bite allergy, also known as flea allergy dermatitis or bite hypersensitivity, is a seasonal allergy. The worst times of year for dogs and cats with flea bite allergies is the summer and fall — peak flea times. Even in temperate areas, summer and fall seem to be worse than the rest of the year for flea bite allergies. Flea saliva contains more than fifteen different potential allergens. Any or all of these can cause an allergic reaction in a sensitive dog or cat. Once a pet develops a sensitivity to flea bites, it is rare for them to stop … Continue reading →

Natural Flea Management

If your pets are like my pets, they want to spend more time outside during the summer. Moose likes to spend the days in the yard, alternately sprawled out in the sunshine and curled up in a shallow hole underneath the bushes. I do keep Moose and Lally on a monthly flea and tick preventative, but sometimes they need a little extra help. There are lots of herbs that are naturally good at repelling fleas from pets and people. If you’re planning a camping trip or a nature walk… or just don’t want to subject your pets to the harsh … Continue reading →