Guide to Flea and Tick Control
Choosing the best flea and tick treatment for your pet can be difficult considering the wide selection of products available in the market today. It is not really an issue of the product manufacturer but the effect of the treatment in getting rid of the problem. There has been many treatments developed over the years and we just don’t want something that disrupts the life cycle of a flea or tick but products that are best for every scenario that we may be faced with.
A lot of companies today are coming up with different treatments for the flea and tick problem of our pets. Below are some of these treatments which include topical treatments, sprays and mists, flea collars, shampoos, dipping products, flea combs, and oral tablets.
Topical treatments are applied to your pet’s skin. In order to prevent your pet from licking the medication, you place it behind the head between the shoulders. It is easy to apply this treatment. They are effective in killing adult fleas within 24 hours. They also kill flea eggs and larvae.
A spray bottle is used to administer flea and tick sprays and mists. They can be used on cats, dogs, puppies, and kittens to control fleas, ticks, and flea larvae. They are able to kill adult fleas and ticks on contact. It also kills flea eggs on the animal so that the life cycle of the flea is broken. Re-infestation is prevented because of residual effects.
You can also use flea and tick collars on your cats and dogs. There are different sizes depending on the size of your pet’s neck. In order to kill fleas or ticks, these plastic collars release insecticide. However, it its effectiveness tends to be localized near the head area.
If you need to immediately kill all the fleas and ticks on your dog at a single moment, then using flea and tick dips are effective. If your outdoor dog is infested, then this is the best treatment to use. You simply immerse your dog in the dip up to its neck or sponge the solution all over their bodies, and then leave it on them to dry.
Another quick remedy are shampoos for relieving your pet of ticks and fleas. Shampoos, though have no residual effects. But they can get your pet really clean and help with skin conditions.
If you don’t want to use pesticides, then using a flea comb is a good way of removing fleas from your pets. With a pet comb, fleas can get caught in between its narrow teeth, and those that are not caught end up jumping off your pet. You simply need to run the comb through your pet’s coat. Dip the comb in the water after each run and leave the fur caught in the water. The fleas will be killed in the soapy water.