How to check your pet for fleas
No one wants to discover their pet is infested with fleas. The sooner you discover you have a flea problem, the sooner you can begin to get on top of it.
Fortunately, checking your pet for fleas is very simple. All you need is a flea comb and a damp, pale sheet or kitchen roll (preferably white). And your pet of course.
Check your pet for fleas in 4 easy steps
Step 1: Lay the wet sheet or kitchen roll on the floor. We suggest a room with tiled or solid flooring, such as the kitchen or bathroom.
Step 2: Stand your cat or dog on the sheet. This ensures any dirt that falls from your pet’s coat will land on the sheet.
Step 3: Use the flea comb to firmly but gently comb deep into your pet’s coat. Be sure to do this all over, but pay particular attention to the groin, armpits, neck and behind the ears. These are warm, moist areas which provide fleas with the ideal environment to reproduce.
As you comb through your pet’s fur, specs of dirt will fall onto the sheet. If needed, remove any hair or debris that gets trapped in the comb and place this on the sheet as well.
Step 4: Check the sheet. If pink/red circles form around the dirt and debris from your pet’s coat, this means it is flea dirt. Flea dirt is flea faeces (poo), and the pink/red circles that form are undigested blood from feeding on your pet.
My pet has fleas, what do I do now?
Once you’ve identified a flea problem you should act immediately.
Depending on the severity of the flea infestation, it could take up to 90 days (3 months) to get completely on top of it. In order to effectively fight a flea infestation there are two key things you need to remember:
1. Treat your pet AND your home
95% of a flea infestation is in the home. This includes flea eggs, flea larvae and flea pupae. Only 5% of the problem is on your pet; the adult fleas. Using an on-animal flea treatment will kill the fleas on your pet. If you don’t treat your home too, your pet will become reinfested from fleas living in the environment.
During an active flea infestation, we recommend using Beaphar FIPROtec® Spot-On to treat your pet, and DIMETHIcare Environmental Spray to treat your home. Beaphar FIPROtec® Spot-On kills adult fleas on your pet. DIMETHIcare Environmental Spray physically immobilizes ticks, fleas and other parasites such as mosquitoes, mites and lice in your pet's environment. Ideal for use on carpets, fabric furniture, baskets etc.
Once you have got your flea problem under control, you can continue to use Beaphar FIPROtec® Spot-On and DIMETHIcare Environmental Spray as a preventative measure. Alternatively, you can use a combination flea product such as Beaphar COMBOtec®. This kills adult fleas, and prevents flea eggs and flea larvae from developing, getting the job done in one treatment.
2. Follow the instructions on your chosen flea treatment carefully
In order to conquer your flea problem you must use the products correctly. If you don’t, the treatment will not be as effective, and it will take longer to solve your flea infestation. This is particularly important when it comes to on-animal flea treatments. Do not repeat an on-animal treatment sooner than advised. Doing so could result in an overdose and cause your pet serious health problems.
