by: Sylvia Einwechter
http://www.petstoreusa.net/
Summer is the hardest time of year for your pets. Not only do they have to deal with the heat but they have to deal with all those squirmy critters too. If you have a flea and tick problem I'll give you a few facts and remedies to deal with this problem. I don't recommend spraying your yard because dogs and cats tend to eat grass and other plants in your yard and also will get dirt on their pads and could get sick from the yard spray.
The first thing I would do is get rid of the fleas on my pets. Give your dog a bath, but not your cat. Cats don't like baths too much and they don't need it. Giving your dog a bath gets rid of a lot of the fleas on them. When you give your dog a bath make sure you use a plain dog shampoo not a flea shampoo because we don't want to double dose your pet. Make sure your pet is dry and then I recommend either Frontline Plus or Advantix or Revolution. These three work the best I promise you. I have six little dogs and believe me I know what works. Revolution is great because it also kills heartworms and other worms too. But you must be careful to get your pets tested for heartworm first and then you can use Revolution every month after that with no fear of getting your pets tested every month as long as you give them the Revolution every single month even in winter. Pests can hang around even in the winter months.
After your pets are all done now you must take care of your house. Vacum everything, rugs,
couches, chairs, anything that your pets sit on. Wash all blankets and pet beds every few days
until you get rid of the fleas. That includes your beds and blankets too. Then I would get a good
flea spray for the house, not the kind that go on your pets. There is a difference. If you don't have the money for a good spray then I recommend moth balls or moth ball flakes but you also have to be careful with these. Pets can eat them and get sick. I would put them wherever your pets can't get at them. I put them under all my furniture and in corners only if your pets don't go there.
Now that your pets are taking care of and your house is taken care of you should be pest free in about a couple of days believe me with six dogs I know what works. It's a good idea to keep giving your pets the flea treatments all year long especially the Revolution because of the heartworm medication. If you already give your pet a heartworm pill then you can just go with Frontline Plus or Advantix. Now your done and you can enjoy the summer with your pets.
