How to Kill Fleas on Animals

Any pet owner who has cats or dogs worries about fleas, ticks and other pests that can harm their precious animal. During the summer months or in areas with warmer climates, fleas are a concern because they can cause sickness, discomfort and allergies in a pet. When pets have fleas, the house inevitably becomes infested and pet owners have to deal with the parasitic creatures in the house and on their pet. Killing the fleas on the animals prevents the spread of fleas through the house and avoids pet health problems like allergies and anemia.

Things You'll Need

  • Pet shampoo
  • Oral flea medication
  • Topical flea medication
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Instructions

    • 1

      Give the pet a bath. Use a pet shampoo that is appropriate for the specific pet, such as cat shampoo for a cat and dog shampoo for a dog. Some shampoos have flea killing formulas, which are good for an initial attack, but they do not kill all the stages of fleas when used alone, so other products are necessary.

    • 2

      Feed the pet an oral flea medication. Talk to a vet about the best product for the pet to avoid giving the wrong flea killing product. Some oral medications are designed for dogs, but can cause unpleasant reactions in cats, like Comfortis tablets. Oral medications are often expensive, but they are usually effective long enough to kill the fleas in all stages.

    • 3

      Apply a topical flea killing medication. There are several topical medications available for various pets. These are fast acting and kill fleas quickly. Many topical medications kill most of the flea stages, including the larval stage which other medications might miss.

    • 4

      Kill the fleas in the house and yard. The only way to prevent further infestations on the animal is to kill any other fleas in the house, yard or building where the animal lives. Vacuum the entire area and then put down a flea powder to kill fleas in the house. Spray a flea killing yard spray in areas where there is shade and where the animal sleeps or spends time. It is not necessary to spray the yard in areas where there is unimpeded sunlight all day.