In general, fleas prefer the furry parts of a dog--back, paws and face. However, this does not mean that the hairless parts, like inside the ears, are immune from the pesky parasites. While fleas pose all kinds of health problems for your pet, including anemia (fleas drink blood), fleas inside the ear can be particularly uncomfortable for your dog as he can scratch his ear canal raw trying to get them out. Clearly, a prompt, effective treatment plan is the best course of action for any flea infestation.
Things You'll Need
- Topical flea treatment Bathtub Washcloth Cotton balls or cotton swabs Peppermint castile soap Towels Flea spray
Instructions
Wash your dog. The best way to begin to eradicate a flea infestation is by giving your dog a bath. Use a castile-based soap (like Dr. Bronner's), as it doesn't "suds up" as much as regular dog shampoo. Find the kind that is peppermint-scented. Peppermint is a natural flea repellent. Use a washcloth to gently clean inside your dog's ears during the bath and immediately dunk the washcloth in the bathwater afterwards to drown all the fleas you just wiped from her ears.
Apply a topical flea repellent to the entire body. Flea repellents like Frontline are available at any pet supply store and are easy to apply. They're also quite effective.
Treat the ears. The topical flea repellent should take care of all the fleas on your dog, including the ones in his ears, but you can still help by thoroughly cleaning your dog's ears. Andi Brown, author of "The Whole Pet Diet," recommends a holistic ear cleaning solution consisting of 2 oz. of witch hazel, five drops of tea tree oil and five drops of clove oil. Use a cotton swab to clean out the "flea dirt." Saturate a cotton ball with this solution and squeeze the liquid into your dog's ear canal. This should not only deter flea residency, it should help soothe itchy flea bites.
Consider a cone collar. If your dog has scratched his ears raw and won't stop (and you're sure the fleas aren't crawling around inside his ears any more), consider putting him in a plastic cone or "Elizabethan" collar so he can't reach his ears with his claws. Continue the soothing witch hazel/clove oil/tea tree oil wash daily until his ears heal.