What are ways to get rid of fleas?

Question

I am going to get a dog and I want to make sure the dog doesn't get any fleas and I don't want fleas either.

Fleas can suck my blood only if they get really hungry.

Answer 1

Flea bites can be treated with Calamine lotion or 0.5-1% conc. hydrocortisone cream. Lufenuron is a veterinary medicine that attacks the larval flea's ability to produce chitin. See also Frontline (medicine).
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Breaking an infestation

If an animal lives in the home, one should treat it monthly with one of the long duration products as recommended by your veterinarian. In general, at least in the United States, one should avoid grocery store or pet shop products which are less effective than the prescription strength products from a licensed veterinarian (or the equivalent in Commonwealth Nations veterinary surgeon). These products will keep the fleas off the pets, not off the owners or out of the furnishings. More drastic measures are required to protect the owners or unlucky non-pet owner with these unwelcome house guests.

To deal with an home infestation one needs to break the life cycle of the fleas and kill off the breeding age individuals which will otherwise produce a new generation within about 10-18 days, so repeat this technique about every two weeks, at least three times.

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Area or room treatment

The goal with this method is to create a vapor cloud of a common inexpensive household pest-control (poison) above which the breeding population cannot avoid by jumping. This method uses the ubiquitous anti-moth products available at many retail stores, especially hardware stores (certain) and perhaps grocery stores.

The best area method would be to place moth crystals (flakes) and moth balls in the infested areas periodically for several hours at a time; this needs to be done thoroughly, placing moth balls about the floor and on couches, beds, and wherever there are fabrics within a foot or so from the floor. In particular, large area items like couches, and beds need to be individually sprinked across more than 50% of their surface area. Moth flakes are more volatile and would be the better product on these furnishings. Exact placement of the material is not necessary (e.g., some flakes fall into cracks), as the vapors spread both outwards and down.
One should block off the area's (or room's) egress with towels under doors or sheets (bedding or plastic types) taped across the doorways. All ventilation (forced hot air furnaces and air conditioners) should be shut off until after the treatment.
The area should be vacated by humans and pets and the area allowed to 'soak' for two to three hours.
Before use, the vacuum cleaner should be cleaned. Then, the vacuum cleaner should be used to vacuum up the flakes or balls and transfer them into a plastic bag or container for reuse for the next treatment in two weeks. Leaving moth balls or flakes under beds in closets, behind dressers, etc. is recommended, as any leftover fleas may be sickened or killed. As the vapors stay low, this should be safe if performed in moderation. Anything that is likely to inhibit the growth of hatchlings will aid the eradication effort.
This cleaning process should be repeated two to three times, with each cleaning two weeks apart. If the home being treated is in a sub-tropical clime subject to a higher humidity like the American south (say below the Mason-Dixon line), then the number of treatments should be increased up to five or six times overall. If a flea bite occurs anytime afterwards, the treatment process should be performed again.
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Whole home treatment

For a particularly widespread infestation, one should follow the above strategy with insecticide bombs. Chain home stores sell four packs at a cheap price compared to singletons purchased from hardware stores. The objective is to kill the immature hatchlings before they mature and lay more eggs. The first downside to this method is that it requires vacating the premises for several hours. However, the main downside to this method is the need to protect foodstuffs; therefore, the user is strongly urged to read all directions carefully. This method is generally practiced in commercial restaurants once or twice monthly, so some due caution is warranted, but managable with appropriate safeguards.

If the home is carpeted throughout, whole home treatment would generally be preferred, as there is no way of knowing where the fleas may be at any moment. However, if the home contains mostly hard flooring, the using mothflakes/mothballs would be the better method, as problem areas that need to be treated can be specifically targeted, although it is possible that some infested areas could be missed with the targeted method.

With the first method, one can leave the barriers in place for a few weeks if necessary, and naturally, the two methods can be used simultaneously.
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Individual treatment

Aged garlic is a natural flea repellant, as the fleas do not like the different taste of blood it creates. Treatment may take far longer than conventional methods. It should be noted that un-aged garlic can kill some household pets, so caution should be used in choosing the correct product.

Apply Frontline or lufenuron (Program) as directed.

Baking soda mixed with equal amount of salt kills fleas. It is rubbed into pet's fur, pet's bedding, and the carpet. It causes death to all adult fleas, or makes them too thirsty to breed. Wash/rinse pet after to avoid a skin problem. Do not dust the carpet on a rainy day, as the salt pulls moisture out of the air, causing the carpet to become wet

Answer 2

Start by treating the carpet, the running boards, and the apartment with Bio Flea Halt! powder, and then spray the edges in your apartment with a spray by the same name. This will keep the fleas from entering. Take your rabbit and tape everything up, and then FLEA-BOMB your place! Come back in a couple hours or so, air out the place, and then start vacuuming. The only natural way I can think of to deal with fleas, is being on Coumadin. They bite you, they DIE. They don't come back for seconds.

Answer 3

Well, Frontline is the best thing. Just get some (it's expensive but works) and apply it immediately when you get the dog. It's even fairly safe.

If the dog already has the fleas, take him to a flea-dip before you take him home. A lot of the bigger pet stores do flea dips.

Answer 4

Put a flea collar on the dog or wash it in flea shampoo. Fleas don't live on humans.

Answer 5

If you don't want to have your pet exposed to harmful chemicals, use tea tree oil diluted in his/her shampoo. Just a few drops, 8-10 for a full bottle of shampoo. A little goes a real long way with this essential oil. Also, you can mix several drops in a spray bottle with water and spray all of the areas your dog lays to protect it's area. If you go the conventional way, Frontline or Advantage are good. Check with your vet. Good luck

Answer 6

Get a product from your veterinarian called Revolution. It's a once a month application that not only prevents fleas but prevents heartworms and some kinds of intestinal worms too. Great product, a bit pricey, but worth it.

Answer 7

I have 2 puppies and I get them Frontline Plus. Its easy to use and it only has to be put on the dog once a month. You can go to any vets office and ask for it.

Answer 8

on a dog use flea dip

Answer 9

Front line treatment works well. You can also minimize exposure to other animals with fleas.

Answer 10

you have to buy a formula fitted for your dog. hairy dogs need milder shampoos, but skinny ones needs care too!

fleas are innevitable among dogs, but, if you can take it to the minimal, much better!