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If your dog has fleas, don't worry, it's an experience that just about all dog owners have to deal with at some point. That's because it is so difficult to prevent pets from getting fleas, and so flea treatment is nearly always required at some point in the life of a dog.

Chemical Treatments

One of the options you will have have available to you is to get a chemical flea treatment to treat your dog with. These come in various different forms. There are sprays, lotions, even tablets. Which one is going to be best for your pet is something that you should discuss with your vet.

The advantage of using chemical flea treatments is that the effect is going to be fast, it doesn't require much effort to apply them, and they are going to last a long time. For example, the way the tablets work is that it puts a substance in your dog's bloodstream which affects the nervous system of the fleas which then suck the blood.

While it is very effective to use chemical treatments though, it is also potentially dangerous. There is a concern that if you are putting something in the bloodstream of your pet which is going to affect the fleas' nervous system, that it will also affect your pet's nervous system. Indeed, this is something that has happened occasionally, so it is a risk.

Given the risks involved then, you might wonder why any pet owner would subject their dog to such a treatment. What you have to remember though is that the negative side effects are not definitely going to happen, in fact they don't happen very often. And with a more long-lasting treatment you are giving your dog a longer-lasting relief to the fleas.

Natural Treatments

If you are concerned about the dangers of chemical treatments though, it's also an option to go for a natural flea treatment instead. While this is going to take longer, require more effort and not last as long, you can at least be sure that it is going to be safe.

One of the main natural flea treatments is the flea bath. This is something which is only really an option for dogs though as most cats hate water and would not allow you to give them a bath. For dogs though it is quite simple. You don't even need any special shampoo, just a simple dog shampoo will do.

After a flea bath has been given, if it has been thorough enough, then all of the fleas should have been eradicated from your pet. However, if you have not also treated the rest of your house for fleas then that is unlikely to last for long. That's because there are probably going to be fleas waiting around, ready to jump on to your pet and continue the infestation.

Treating the Environment for Fleas

To understand why it is so important to treat the environment as well, you have to know how flea infestations grow. What happens is that the female fleas on your dog will lay eggs. However because they are not adhesive, they are going to fall off. It is therefore in your house and garden that you can expect to find fleas growing in to adults.

If you are going to get rid of these growing fleas then you are going to have to treat the environment as well. Vacuuming everywhere should be enough to get rid of the eggs, however the larvae can cling to the tiny strands in a carpet so a deeper clean will be required for them. This can be accomplished with a steam cleaner, for example.

In order to get the best results though, not just in your house but in your garden as well, it's a good idea to get in pest control experts to get rid of the fleas.