The Nuisance Know As The Flea

What do dogs hate more than being told to get away from the dinner table? Fleas crawling and biting all over them.

Fleas are tiny insects that live off the blood of their host. They have no wings but posses tremendous jumping ability, able to jump two hundred times there body length. There bodies have also adapted over time to withstand great pressure as you can see demonstrated when you try to squeeze a flea between your fingers only to see them jump away. The female flea will lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime, so the numbers of fleas on your pets and around your home can quickly get out of hand.

Dogs will bite and scratch themselves in an attempt to remove these feasting parasites. However, the appetite of a flea is not restricted to just dogs. Other mammals, birds, and even humans can become a host. Yet the problems with fleas goes beyond the skin irritation. Fleas can transmit a variety of viral and bacterial diseases, and have even been associated with epidemics such as the bubonic plague by spreading it from rodents to humans.

Anti-itch creams, such as calamine lotion, can be used to treat flea bites in humans. Dogs, however, require a flea medication such as Advantage, Advantix, and Frontline. Treatment, however, goes beyond just treating the host. The environment also needs to be taken care of. Frequent vacuuming will help, but you must dispose of the bag immediately afterwards. For real bad infestations you may have to consider using a fogger in the home.

Clean The Dog Waste. It's Important

Cleaning dog waste is never pleasant, and most people have other things they need to do in their daily lives. However, it is a very important part of being a responsible dog owner not only for your pet but also your family.

Dog waste contains bacteria, parasites, and viruses that can be harmful to pets and humans. In addition, accumulated dog waste can contaminate ground water, creeks, streams, rivers, and lakes.

Those that think dog waste is a good fertilizer like cow waste are wrong. As cows eat plants, dogs have a much more varied diet. Their waste is rich in nitrogen which is good for weeds, but not your grass. Left alone in your yard the nitrogen will be slowly released causing damage to your yard.

Aside from the health hazards and damage to your yard, dog waste is just unpleasant to leave sitting in the yard. It prevents you, your family, and your dog from enjoying your yard.

By having dog waste removed on a regular basis you can greatly improve the health of your yard, and the quality of life for you, your family, and dog.