| Fleas are annoying, but they can also cause health | | | | untreated. Fleas can also carry and infect your |
| issues with your pet. A single flea can quickly | | | | pet with tapeworm and can cause anemia, a |
| multiply and will infest all household pets, as well as | | | | weakened blood condition. Some pets and people |
| furniture, carpet and the yard. A female flea can | | | | are allergic to fleas and may have a stronger |
| lay up to 50 eggs a day. It's best to avoid fleas | | | | reaction. |
| at all costs. With cats, keep them indoors and | | | | If you find a flea on your pet, deal with it |
| away from other pets. If you have a dog, use a | | | | immediately. Remember a single female flea can |
| topical application such as advantage. Follow the | | | | lay 50 eggs a day. Also, for every flea you see, |
| instructions and apply the topical (skin) application | | | | there may be ten more. Anytime a pet has fleas |
| on a consistent basis. In northern climate begin | | | | you need to treat all pets in the home by either |
| applying in early spring and ending in late fall. If | | | | using a flea dip, shampoo or powder. On a daily |
| you live in an area where the temperatures do | | | | basis vacuum or steam clean the pets bedding |
| not get below freezing, apply topical applications | | | | area as well as all other area that may be |
| throughout the year. The topical applications are | | | | infected. Throw away the vacuum bag every |
| usually applied every 4-6 weeks between the | | | | time you vacuum by placing the bag in a tightly |
| shoulder blades. Even with topical applications, you | | | | wrapped plastic garbage bag. Keep the garbage |
| need to routinely inspect your pet and bedding | | | | bag away from your house or in a tightly sealed |
| areas for fleas, and you may need to bath your | | | | garbage can away from your pets. Treat the |
| animal with anti-flea pet shampoos or treat your | | | | yard with spray or crystals designed to kill fleas. |
| yard. Fleas can easily be passed from a dog to a | | | | Doing a little on-line research can help you locate |
| cat. | | | | organic yard solutions. Select treatments that will |
| A flea looks like a tiny mosquito, but you cannot | | | | kill fleas and ticks but make sure the product is |
| kill it by swatting. A single flea can bite your pet | | | | free of organophosphate or it's derivatives. |
| more than 400 times in a day. Typical pet | | | | According to the National Resource Defense |
| reactions to flea bites include rashes, allergic | | | | Council (NRDC.org), pet collars and products using |
| dermatitis-which can lead to hair loss. The skin of | | | | organophosphates can be harmful to you and |
| your pet may "blacken" if the condition remains | | | | your pet. |