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Natural Flea Relief
Some facts about fleas
An adult flea is capable of consuming 15 times it's bodyweight in blood per day and can lay up to 50 eggs daily. The eggs fall into the animals environment and after 2-12 days hatch into larvae. For the next 8-21 days the larvae feeds on flea feces and go through 3 more stages of development, ending with the pupa stage.
The pupa can lay dormant for 200 days where the eggs first dropped, ie; carpet, car, backyard and hatch into young fleas in response to vibration caused by the movement of an animal or person.
Adult fleas can live for 2 months with no food or up to 8 months with food.
So as you can see, these pesky little critters are sure cut out for survival, so remember to also treat your dogs environment to keep flea numbers under control.
All stages of flea life can be killed by heat, so for bedding, rugs, carpets, etc. Use hot soapy water, high settings on clothes dryers or steam cleaning.
Natural treatments can work equally effectively as the chemical products but will require more frequent use than the artificial treatments. It always concerns me with anything topical that warns you to avoid contact with the skin, yet it is poured onto the animals skin (why is this supposedly okay, I wonder?) Personally, I do not like to use anything that is not safe for human skin contact also.
Natural shampoos will kill fleas and are best left on for a few minutes before rinsing for best results. Wash your dog every few weeks in summer or every few months in Winter.
Inside dogs may need more frequent bathing, so be sure to use a very gentle shampoo when bathing weekly.
Natural Sprays can be used between washing to keep fleas and other insects and parasites away from your animal friend. These may be used once or twice daily during bad flea infestations or weekly depending on your needs.
Herbal powders may be preferred for some cats and dogs who dislike being sprayed. These can be dusted through the coat on a regular basis to help prevent fleas.
Fleas hate lemons and a natural Lemon Dog rinse may be made up using lemon or grapefruit peels soaked in water.
Herbal Pet collars are also an idea for use on all animals to help keep fleas, flies and other annoying insects away from your animals. These come in sizes ranging from x-small for guinea pigs, ferrets and kittens up to x-large for really big dogs and even horse neck collars.
Regular grooming and running through the coat with a flea comb is a cheap and easy way to catch fleas.
Natural diet is also preferred, so ensure your dog and cat is fed only natural food and supplement with garlic and Vitamin B complex.
This Web site is intended for Australian residents and is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Information and interactions contained in this Web site are for information purposes only and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Further, the accuracy, currency and completeness of the information available on this Web site cannot be guaranteed. Lifestyle Home Services, Its Affiliates or agents do not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information made available via or through this Website whether arising from negligence or otherwise.
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