Get rid of fleas on a puppy: 20 effective remedies

Where does a small puppy get fleas?

Even domestic dogs that rarely go outside get fleas. This is caused by the fact that pests live in the grass, soil, porches, and on carpets. They turn to animals in search of food.

The source can be the owner himself, who brings them into the house on his clothes. Even in cold weather, pests can reach puppies from the entrance or other places. It is important to understand what non-major sources of infection exist and take measures to eliminate them.

Why can a dog have fleas from birth?

A dog's puppy age is considered to be from birth to one year. And it doesn’t matter whether the puppy is 2, 3 or 5 months old - fleas are relevant at any age. When puppies are born, they look like little furballs. At this age, on the one hand, they are under the protection of the mother dog, and if they are lucky, then the owner, and on the other hand, they are very vulnerable to various dangers of the big world. Maternal immunity protects puppies from microscopic dangers such as viruses and bacteria.

And, unfortunately, mom is unable to protect her from larger uninvited guests, such as fleas, since immunity is not developed against them. At this age, pets are especially susceptible to infection by any parasites. We can bring flea eggs into the house on shoes, clothes, or the fur of adult animals. This is how they get into our house. They don’t care who they bite; one can assume that they really like puppies, because they are young, appetizing and, due to their age, clumsy, and cannot catch them, unlike their older relatives - dogs. And if we are talking about stray dogs, then their puppies are almost 100% likely to be attacked by these blood-sucking insects. Domestic dogs are luckier, but in this case the possibility of such danger is also possible.

Signs and symptoms

The presence of fleas in an animal can be determined by the main symptom - scabies in different parts of the body. It is the different localization of itching that indicates the appearance of parasites, because scabies only behind the ear can be characteristic of mites, and the blocks attack from all sides. To accurately determine their presence, you should run your hand against the fur and look at the skin. On the surface you can see crumbs of different colors - eggs, flea excrement.

Another sign is an allergic reaction, which occurs in every fourth puppy. Main symptoms:

• dermatitis;
• the appearance of scabs on the skin;
• baldness in the abdomen and groin area.

Parasite bites provoke severe inflammation. As a result of severe itching, dogs themselves scratch the skin, increasing the likelihood of contracting dangerous diseases. If severe scabies appears, the pet tries to bite itself. If there are traces of parasites, you need to immediately treat the puppy for fleas and perform preventive maintenance from time to time.

Preventing fleas

Special products that help remove parasites are also used for preventive purposes.

But it is advisable to take additional measures to prevent the appearance of insects in the animal’s environment.

1. 
   The pet should be examined regularly to promptly detect the presence of pests.

2. The puppy's habitat is kept clean using disinfectants. Particular attention is paid to the bedding on which the baby sleeps.
3. Textiles, carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, rugs, etc. are periodically disinfected in the house.
4. Avoid contact between pets and stray animals.

If fleas appear on a mother dog, if possible, the babies should be separated from her. This helps to avoid severe infestation of puppies with parasites.

How dangerous are flea bites for a puppy?

Constant itching is considered a minor problem in comparison with other harm from parasites. The danger of bites is caused by the likelihood of developing such problems:

1. Infection with worms, cucumber tapeworm.
2. Salmonellosis, brucellosis or plague.
3. Allergies that lead to dermatitis and hair loss.

To reduce the risk of these diseases, scheduled annual vaccinations should be carried out.

How to get rid of parasites in a one-month-old puppy

If a baby who is only 1 month old has fleas and they bite very hard, then it is necessary to get rid of the parasites at home radically, but at the same time, carefully.

Prepare a strong decoction from a mixture of tansy and wormwood (you can also take mint, calamus or wild rosemary). Immerse your baby in it, but make sure that the broth does not get into his eyes, nose and ears. Keep the puppy in this bath for 15 minutes. Then dry and thoroughly comb out the parasites over a white piece of cloth.

You can also poison blood-sucking insects from a month-old baby with tar soap. Wet the puppy thoroughly, then soap it generously. Then wrap it in film and wrap it in a towel or wool blanket. After 20 minutes, thoroughly rinse off the foam containing the killed pests from the puppy, dry and comb out flea eggs and larvae from the fur.

How to handle an animal

There are various parasite removal products on the market. They are selected by age, but if the dog is very small, then their list is limited. It is better to use only shampoos. Before starting the procedure, you should wash your pet in warm water. Parasites cannot swim, so they will try to escape. However, their larvae remain. After this, comb the puppy with a fine-toothed comb.

Rating of the best flea and tick treatments for dogs

You can also use drops, but you should not bathe your pet before using them, or do this after treatment. How to use? Put on gloves, raise the hair at the withers and drop a few drops on the skin so that the drug is absorbed. It is necessary to prevent the medicine from getting into places where the puppy can reach with its tongue.

We remove insects from the first month of life

You can remove fleas from a puppy up to a month old using different methods, depending on whether he lives alone or with his family. If the pet is a month old and the parasites are actively biting it, then repelling it will not help much and more serious measures are needed. Among the possible options:

1. A decoction of wormwood, tansy, mint or calamus. You need to place the animal in the warm liquid, but make sure that the product does not get on the ears, head, nose and eyes. Leave the puppy in the bath for a quarter of an hour or more. After drying, comb the wool over a white sheet, which is then burned or drowned.
2. Tar soap. The method is effective and is carried out in warm water. When the dog gets wet, you need to thoroughly soap it, wrap it in cloth, wrap it in a warm blanket, and wait half an hour. Remove everything, remove the foam with dead fleas, dry the body, comb the dog to remove the remains of parasites and their larvae.

Flea shampoos for puppies have similar qualities. Veterinarians recommend using Doctor Zoo; it contains no insecticides and contains natural substances. The foam is kept for up to 5 minutes and washed off with water. If the puppy is very small and heavily affected by fleas, then the foam is made in greater concentration. Application to the body is done with a sponge.

Attention! If the puppy lives with its mother and other offspring, before returning it to them after treatment, it is necessary to thoroughly dry the body so that the rest of the puppies do not get foamy. This will prevent poisoning.

We fight blood-sucking parasites in two-month-old puppies

After the puppy is two months old, the immune system will be formed. He is weaned from his mother's milk, his weight increases, teeth appear and his diet changes. Therefore, it is easier for owners to remove pests using various means.

Fleas can be removed from a 2-month-old puppy using a large number of shampoos, but up to six months it is recommended to use options that contain a minimum of poisons. It is allowed to use collars with impregnations based on esters, which are made strictly for puppies. It is better not to use them if there are several dogs. They can chew on each other's collars.

The best products for puppies:

1. Sentry shampoo.
2. Antiparasitic shampoo for dogs and puppies Delix Bio Natura.
3. "Phytoelite" for puppies.

Drops for withers can be used, but in strict accordance with the instructions. At this age, a variety of sprays that quickly give results help. They completely eliminate parasites.

If the animal is the only one and is already 2 months old, then owners can use a variety of options to remove fleas. Many drops and flea sprays for puppies at 2 months that are on sale do not harm the health of pets.

Protecting against fleas in litter

A nursing mother can become infected with parasites while walking. If no vaccinations were given during pregnancy, the newborn offspring will most likely have parasites. To solve this, you can use different flea remedies for puppies:

1. The first step is to cover the habitat with wormwood or tansy, and if the season is not suitable for the plant, dry grass is used, and decoctions are prepared to treat the litter using a spray bottle. Such actions help get rid of fleas in the entire family. The described method is useful even for an enclosure, a booth or other places outside.
2. Lavender, eucalyptus and mint oils help. They are considered powerful repellents. For treatment, a solution is made based on water and a few drops of oil, used through a spray bottle. The method helps protect the litter and remove fleas from already infested puppies.
3. For a bitch that feeds offspring, you need to use a collar or simply a cloth soaked in a solution with oils, it is tied around the neck.
4. On sale you can find drops, sprays and tablets for bitches. Recommendations for selection are provided by a veterinarian. He will recommend medications that are optimal for the animal.

It is very important to monitor dogs during feeding. The mother of the puppies should not be itchy or restless, otherwise she should be checked for fleas and measures taken to eliminate them.

Removing pests from older puppies

It is much easier to remove fleas from older puppies. Any method for home treatment is suitable, and after the procedure you should monitor your pet to ensure there are no side effects from the drugs. For treatment, experts advise using shampoos, but their effect is short-lived and the method is more suitable for prevention. The collars repel parasites, the effect lasts up to three months and can be combined with shampoos.

Sprays are also used, but the treatment should be done outside, and the dog should be put in protective clothing and left in it for 5 hours. Drops are applied pointwise, they have a strong effect on fleas, but you need to work strictly according to the instructions. There are powders on sale that, after application, are washed off with shampoo. Tablets are rarely used because they are ineffective and cause side effects: vomiting, problems with the liver or kidneys.

Precautionary measures

Given the instability of the immune system and the sensitivity of the nervous system of small pets, insecticides against fleas should be used in compliance with safety rules.

Each drug comes with instructions that must be followed unconditionally . It indicates the methods and places of application of the product, its dosage taking into account the weight of the dog, as well as age restrictions.

Particular attention should be paid to side effects and contraindications to the use of the selected drug.

When using sprays, the pet is treated outdoors. If the procedure was performed indoors, it must be ventilated.

Ridding your home of fleas, eggs and larvae

It is important not only to treat puppies, but also to treat the dog’s home, where the parasites themselves and their larvae gather. Female fleas lay many eggs, which fall on the floor, litter, and after a few days cocoons appear. They turn into adults and move on to people and dogs.

Attention! Fleas are localized on the dog, and their larvae and eggs remain on carpets and other objects in the house.

For treatment, special drops, sprays and regular vacuuming should be used. Pharmaceutical preparations contain substances that stop reproduction, which provides long-term protection against re-infection. After treating the puppy, you need to apply the product in places where the animal frequently rests (bedding, kennels, floor crevices and baseboards). After a couple of hours, open the windows for ventilation and clean the surfaces with a vacuum cleaner.

At what age can you start removing fleas?

Babies still have a weak immune system, unable to resist not only flea bites, but also drugs used to remove insects. The effectiveness of insecticides is ensured by the presence of potent toxins in the composition that can poison even a puppy.

Therefore, the optimal age from which it is recommended to use chemicals is 1 month from the moment the baby is born. But here, too, not everything is so simple: when choosing funds, you need to take into account their features. A number of insecticides are dangerous even at one month of age.

Age restrictions

The restrictions apply not only to these drugs, but also to their analogues. Such insecticides should not be used on young puppies.

Rating of the best flea remedies (2019)

Pharmaceutical preparations are effective against fleas. They are sold in different forms and can be used if the problem has become very severe.

Shampoo

The products are created from natural substances, to which an insecticide is added that destroys pests. The effect is mild and can be used even from a few weeks of life. The effect appears after several baths and improves the condition and quality of the skin and coat.

After soaping, you need to leave the foam on your body for 15 minutes or more. Rinse with water. The main disadvantage is that there is no protection against re-infections.

The best flea shampoos for dogs:

• Argan Oil Shampoo from the manufacturer Espree.
• "Phytoelite".
• 8in1 Tea Tree oil Shampoo.
• Doctor Zoo.
• Espree Bright White Shampoo.
• Hartz Rid Flea & Tick Shampoo.
• Herba Vitae.

Drops

Such drugs are considered effective, but the effect does not appear immediately, but after a couple of days. The main condition is that it is forbidden to wash the dog before and after applying the drops. The medicine is distributed from the back of the head to the withers from a small tube. The fur needs to be parted so that the active substances get on the skin. Apply according to the animal's weight and age. Recommended for use from the second to third month.

Rating of the best flea and tick drops for dogs

The most effective flea drops:

• Frontline Merial Combo S.
• "Bars" from AVZ.
• Advantix Bayer.
• IMMO Shield Line-on Beaphar (Beafar)

Spray

Preparations of this form are the fastest method of controlling fleas in puppies. The effect is immediate, the result lasts up to a month. You need to spray the product over the body, except the head, straightening the hair. After this, walk the dog and distract it, excluding licking its fur. Some products can also be used on puppies.

The best sprays for dogs:

• Aerosol Bayer "Bolf".
• OMERIAL Frontline Spray.
• Trixie BIO Liberator.
• Beaphar Bio Spot On Spray For Dogs.
• Protecto Plus spray against Beaphar parasites.

Collar

Flea collars for puppies are safe methods of control. They help eliminate parasites at home and are used for prevention daily. Such products are made of plastic, which is impregnated with repellents, so the dog is under constant protection.

Collars must be worn and not removed. Their action is gradual. If you do not wear it constantly, the effect may disappear. The exact time is indicated on the packaging and in the instructions. Depends on the concentration of active substances. Selection is carried out according to the breed and weight of the puppy.

What to do if you find a single flea

If at least one bloodsucker is detected, everything necessary must be done immediately to prevent further reproduction. Unfortunately, it is rarely possible to quickly detect insects. This is explained by the unexpressed symptoms of the first infection, so the parasites easily spread throughout the house and penetrate into furniture.

It is quite difficult to remove them, and therefore there will be a high risk of re-infection for a long time. Measures to help prevent the spread must be applied in combination:

1. Treat the entire room, booth, enclosure with chemical or folk remedies.
2. Choose a flea medication for dogs according to age, size and health characteristics. If difficulty arises, you should seek advice from a veterinarian.
3. During treatment, limit contact of the infected person with family members and other pets.

Timely measures taken to prevent reproduction and spread will help save your pet from health problems for a long time. A large number of methods of control and preparations for disinsection will save the house or apartment where the injured dog lives from being completely populated by unpleasant individuals. If you do not carry out the treatment on time, you will have to contact a veterinary pharmacy or veterinary clinic and find out how to get rid of fleas on your dog.

Folk remedies

The use of folk remedies does not give immediate results, but can be used for puppies. To work you need soap, a comb and making your own shampoo. Processing progress:

1. Bathe the dog in soapy water with intensive soaping for up to 10 minutes. Rinse the coat with plenty of water to remove most of the fleas. It is best to use tar soap.
2. Carefully comb the animal with a brush or comb.
3. Make your own shampoo, for which you need a few drops of celandine, equal portions of eucalyptus, tea tree, and cedar oils. Rub the mixture over your body and rinse after 15 minutes. The product is considered ideal against fleas for puppies.

The described recipe is effective, but to secure it, you can also apply flea drops, buy a collar, or use a spray.

The best folk remedies for fighting fleas

User reviews

Marta, 32 years old: “I was advised to use a collar for my Marsik as a preventive measure. However, for a long time I wondered: “When can I put a flea collar on a small puppy?” The internal struggle in me was resolved by a pharmacist who also has a pet. I’ll be honest, I changed collars several times over the course of a year, but I never regretted my choice.”

Oksana, 28 years old: “With the advent of the little Rottweiler, I was interested in only one question: “Can one-month-old puppies be treated for fleas?” And if so, then with what. I chose the best option - Beaphar shampoo. To be more reliable, I used it twice, and now there are no insects on our baby.”

Anti-flea treatment of premises

To solve the problem of infecting four-legged animals with blood-sucking parasites, it is necessary not only to cure the animal, but also to destroy all the fleas that remain in the house. If this is not done, the reappearance of insects cannot be avoided.

How to get rid of dog fleas in an apartment and private house

Disinsection of premises is carried out in one of four ways or a combination of them:

1. Chemical. Using preparations based on insecticides - permethrin, fipronil, organophosphorus compounds - you can independently destroy insects in the house. They are available in the form of sprays, powders and concentrated solutions. Aerosols act quickly, but only on contact with fleas. All surfaces in the room are treated with solutions, and powders are scattered in all places where parasites live - under baseboards and window sills, in animal bedding, in furniture, in all corners. The most effective remedies are sprays against crawling insects Raptor and Reid, Karbofos concentrate, Phenaxin powder and others.
2. Mechanical. Fleas will die if you open the windows and doors in the house a little often when the frost outside is below -20 degrees. The danger of this method is that utility lines may be damaged. If you know where parasites accumulate, you can simply scald them with boiling water. Another option is to increase the room temperature to +50 degrees. This can be done using a heat gun, but renting one is not cheap.
3. Professional. Such processing involves calling specialists who use the hot or cold fog method in their work. The principle of their operation is to generate tiny drops of insecticidal solution, which penetrate into the most inaccessible places and ensure the rapid destruction of a large population of parasites. They resort to the help of specialists when there is a very strong flea infestation, when household methods do not give the expected effect.
4. Folk. Many people prefer to first try safe, inexpensive, although not always effective, folk methods, and only then buy chemicals or call specialists. To combat fleas in a house or apartment, use soda, salt, herbs (wormwood, tansy), kerosene, pine sawdust, and garlic. Concentrated decoctions or solutions are made from them; dry substances are simply rubbed into carpets and other surfaces. Their action is based more on repelling insects than killing them. Although fleas will die from kerosene. The main disadvantage of such methods is the inability to reach every individual in the room, which reduces efficiency. But they are good for prevention.

   
   Combine traditional methods of getting rid of fleas with the use of chemical insecticides to quickly drive blood-sucking parasites out of your home

Permethrin-based insecticides affect only adults and larvae, while organophosphates also kill flea eggs.

Photo gallery: chemical and folk remedies for controlling fleas in the home

Spray insecticidal aerosols in areas where parasites are most concentrated

Phenaxin powder is scattered in corners, under baseboards, behind furniture and in other places where fleas may live.

Karbofos is one of the most effective means for combating fleas

Garlic repels fleas and other blood-sucking parasites from the home

Rub soda and salt on floors and carpets to get rid of fleas

A decoction of tansy is used to wash surfaces in a house infested with fleas.

How to treat the booth

If a dog lives in a country house or in a private house, its house is also treated for fleas. For this purpose, the same means are used as for human habitation. Replace the litter, as pest larvae often live in it. To prevent them from infesting, scatter pine sawdust around the booth or plant wormwood bushes nearby. This will repel insects.