Recently, a colleague lamented that her dog had terrible flea problems, even though she had applied a topical flea treatment. She gave him baths and used a flea comb religiously in an attempt to alleviate the problem. As a last resort, her husband and she thought they may need to treat the backyard with a flea chemical.
I cautioned her against the use of chemicals before the topical treatment had “ran its course.” Exposure to flea pesticides can create very serious problems for your pet. Topical treatment, followed by a flea dip, followed by exposure to a backyard treatment, and so forth can overload your poor pet. If he or she survives the experience, you will be lucky. At best, he or she will be very sick.
Fortunately, she was already aware of the dangers. Her tale is good one to share, though, because not everyone is aware of how potent these treatments are. As painful as it is, you cannot continue to layer flea treatments on your pet and around his or her environment.
If you have a serious flea infestation, talk with your vet about the best course of action to take. Be sure to tell him or her about any treatments you have applied to your pet. Maybe it is something as simple as switching to a different flea treatment product. It is worth the health and safety of your pet to have that conversation. Do not try to solve the problem on your own.
Eliminating fleas usually does not happen overnight. With help from your vet, you can create a plan to deal with the problem.
Rescue Mommy
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