Labrador Retriever Fleas Articles | Dogs

By: DoggieDetails.com Admin

When you own a Labrador Retriever fleas are sure to be a problem in summer. Fleas are to be found everywhere that your dog wants to go, so he cannot avoid bringing some of these unwanted guests home from time to time. One or two fleas will not be a problem. They will not bother your dog too much and you will probably not even be aware of them. But sometimes you will get an infestation in the house and that is when you will need to take major action.

Fleas are nasty parasites that bite, itch, suck blood and can pass on other parasitic infections such as tapeworms. Dog fleas will not take up residence on a human but they will be happy to bite you and your family in passing, whenever the dog is not around. If your dog has an infestation of fleas you will see him scratching a lot and you may notice the fleas on his body or in his bed. As soon as you have them in your carpet or upholstery you will probably start to get small bites, often around the ankles.

The first thing to do is to treat your Labrador Retriever. Buy a flea spray or powder and apply it according to the instructions. You will need to use plenty, but be sure to do it safely. The product can irritate soft tissue so you will need to cover your dog's eyes, nose and mouth while you do this. You may need to use some protection for yourself too - check the label.

The easiest way to apply flea spray or powder is to have two people: one holding the dog's head and the other applying the anti-flea product. This needs to be done slowly and thoroughly, starting at the head and working down to the tail and legs. Apply it against the grain of the coat so that you get in under the hairs.

If you are not able to rid your dog of all the fleas this way, you can take him to a groomer for treatment. They will probably use a bath treatment which you could also try at home.

Fleas do not breed on the dog but create a breeding colony someplace. The dog's bed is a favorite place. So you need to spray that thoroughly, as well as any other place that he sleeps. If they have infested the carpeting and furniture, you can either spray these too or use an insecticide bomb which you can get from hardware stores that will fumigate the whole house. You need to leave the house for several hours if you use something like that and make sure that all food left in the house is in sealed containers. These products can kill other creatures as well as the fleas, such as pet fish. Read the instructions very carefully before use.

After treating the living fleas you must also think about the eggs they have left. You can get products to prevent these hatching and to be sure you can treat the dog and his bed again after a couple days.

You can have your dog wear a flea collar whenever he is outside to help prevent fleas. You can take it off when he is in the house if you like. You should remove a flea collar any time that it gets wet - for example in rain, or if the dog takes a swim. The product can irritate the dog's skin if wet.

With a Labrador Retriever fleas may be unavoidable at times but they are always treatable.