How To Get Rid of Fleas on Dogs

Despite their size, fleas are a big problem once they invade your home. These tiny, wingless insects feed on the blood of their hosts, causing enough irritation and itching to drive your dog crazy.

These pesky parasites can do even more damage than just making us itchy. Fleas carry dangerous diseases that can be transmitted to other animals and humans, and they can cause serious health problems for dogs.

So, what’s the best way to get rid of fleas?

Removing fleas from your dog is a multi-step process that requires medication, bathing, and lots of vacuuming.

Let’s look at how to get rid of fleas on dogs.

How To Know If Your Dog Has Fleas

The most common signs of fleas on dogs are:

• Flea bites—Small red bumps on skin, neck, back, and legs are the most common spots.

• Itchy skin—The base of the tail, hind legs, and groin are most common, but can be anywhere on the body.

• Your dog is biting at their skin or hind end—This biting can be enough to cause self-harm.

• Hair loss

• Excessive grooming

• Flea dirt

• Reddish brown insects present on the fur

• Dark spots on bedding or floor

• Redness, irritation to the skin—This can be minor or more significant, like hot spots.

• Scooting

• Restlessness

• Rice grains around the anus—This indicates tapeworms in dogs, which come from fleas.

• Muscle loss

• Pale gums

• Lethargy

How To Get Rid of Fleas on Dogs

There are several ways to get rid of fleas on dogs. Let’s look at the most common ones.

Use a Vet-Recommended Flea Treatment

Using a vet-approved monthly preventive flea medication protects your pet from harmful pests. Flea treatments can be taken orally, or applied topically. Your pup can also use a preventive collar.

A great flea preventive choice could be Credelio Quattro, which provides dogs with the broadest parasite protection of its kind. This chewable preventive is used to cover six different types of parasites in dogs:

• Ticks

• Fleas

• Heartworms

• Tapeworms

• Roundworms

• Hookworms

Quattro kills almost 99% of fleas within eight hours, and kills about 97% of ticks within 48 hours.

Speak with your veterinarian about which flea and tick preventive is best for your pup and their lifestyle.

Use a Dog Flea Comb

To get rid of fleas on dogs, you’ll still need to perform daily flea checks using a fine-toothed metal flea comb to remove them at every stage in their life cycle.

This isn’t a regular brushing—the goal of using a flea comb is to knock the parasites off your dog.

Use the flea comb in the bathtub, where flea eggs and flea dirt can be washed down the drain (and not take hold and hatch in your carpet later).

After every few strokes, dip the comb into soapy water to drown any fleas or eggs you’ve removed.

Severe infestations will require continued sessions with the flea comb to ensure all eggs are removed from your dog. Set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself when it’s time for your pup’s daily flea check.

Ask your veterinarian if you have questions about how to use a flea comb or how often you should perform flea checks, once your dog is on a regular preventive schedule.

Give Your Dog a Flea Bath

Along with a prescription medicine and flea combs, a flea bath can help get an active flea problem under control and bring your dog quick relief.

Many flea shampoos and sprays are available for you to choose from.

As you bathe your dog, use a flea comb in the bath to remove any flea dirt or eggs from their coat.

Active ingredients in medicated flea shampoos are designed to kill dog fleas instantly, but won’t necessarily provide lasting protection against reinfestation later.

Combining a prescription-strength oral flea medication with a medicated shampoo or spray will achieve instant relief, along with a long-term preventive power.

A soothing oatmeal dog shampoo may be just as effective (and less drying on the skin) than a flea shampoo.

Treat Your Home for Fleas

Just as you carefully treat and remove fleas from your pet, you’ll also need to clean your home frequently, vacuuming at least every other day.

Room sprays and other products may be used in combination with medication to help eliminate fleas and flea eggs in the places your dog hangs out.

Getting rid of all flea dirt, fleas, and flea eggs from your house requires several days of cleaning.

Vacuum all upholstered furniture (couch, chairs, mattress) and all floors, carpets, rugs, and baseboards to remove eggs that fall off pets and lodge in crevices.

Carefully empty the vacuum each time you finish into a sealed bag and dispose of the waste far from your house in an outside trash bin.

Frequently wash any pet bedding with hot water. Dry on high heat or in direct sunlight.

How To Prevent Fleas on Dogs

While it’s possible to get rid of fleas once they’re in your home, the best way to fight off fleas is to prevent their presence altogether.

Battling a flea infestation requires lots of time, energy, and attention to keep eggs from hatching and reinfesting your pup.

Keeping your dog and home flea-free requires regular monthly preventive medication that works continually to protect your pet from the inside out.

Though fleas tend to be more common during warmer seasons and in humid climates, keep your dog on a flea and tick preventive throughout the year to always protect them—especially if they’re prone to allergic reactions from flea bites.

Talk to your vet to determine what type of flea and tick prevention is best for your dog—they’ll be able to make a recommendation that’s right for your pup's needs.

While fleas are pesky little parasites there are many different options to help get rid of fleas on your dog.

Using a routine flea and tick prevention year-round is the key to not having to deal with getting rid of fleas and other parasites.

If you find yourself struggling with flea problem with your dog and over the counter supplies are not working, reach out to your veterinarian for advice.