I Can’t Seem to Get the Jump on These Fleas

Ah, September…when dogs’ minds turn to chewing their skin ragged, keeping you up all night long with their jangling and thumping. Cats are more secretive; you’ll just look down one day and realize she’s half bald. I don’t need to explain why fleas are bad for you and your pet; the two of you are already angry and scabby. Let’s get right to the point: why aren’t they dead yet ?

A few of you are using the wrong insecticide. Your pet is at the center of the problem; therefore the anti-flea arsenal must be built around a reliable, long-lasting, quick-kill pet treatment. Flea collars never did work that well, and flea shampoos tend to dry the skin excessively, giving your pet another, newer reason to scratch herself. You’re going to need something better. There are quite a few of them out there; take a list of candidates to your next office call and get the doctor’s advice. Don’t go for the second rate product, don’t ever buy the cheapest thing on the grocery store shelf, and don’t be fooled by counterfeit merchandise from unauthorized sources. If you have multiple pets, it’s best to treat them all simultaneously. 

Many of you are already using a high-quality pet treatment, yet the fleas continue to scurry. While it’s true that the flea battle revolves around your pet, only a small proportion of it is actually occurring on her surface. For every single scurrying flea, around ten or twenty immature versions (eggs, caterpillars, and cocoons) are holed up in remote camps, waiting patiently to hatch out and join the front lines. Even with the best treatment on the pet, you’ll be grossly outnumbered until you pick up your vacuum and go to war. Focus first on the pet’s bedding and favored furniture; that’s where most of the eggs will be. The vacuum and washing machine do a really fine job by themselves, and in many situations additional chemicals may not be needed. Second, be aware that tiny flea caterpillars hate the light and prefer to burrow into the darker, safer areas of your home. They can crawl 18 inches or more, despite their diminutive size. Think like a tiny caterpillar if you want to find them: vacuum under and inside the furniture, beneath the drapes, behind doors and deep into closets. It is not true that fleas need carpet to reproduce . If you elect to use chemicals on the house, steer clear of bombs. They settle on the exposed surfaces of your home, the very areas where larvae are least likely to be. Choose a premise spray instead. 

Your greatest obstacle in this battle will be the patience required to get ahead of the problem. It seemed to spring up overnight, yet a month or more could pass before any visible improvement. Stay the course by using your wits and a bit of elbow grease, and—above all—don’t let September catch you off guard next year. 

Dr. M.S. Regan