How To Get Rid Of Dog Fleas (Without Being Bitten in The Wallet)

It is inevitable that at some point in your dog’s life you will experience fleas.

And getting rid of these annoying parasites known as fleas, that bite and irritate your dog (and then make themselves at home in your carpet and soft furnishings) will become your number one priority in life.

Getting rid of fleas becomes a kind of obsession for dog owners.

Every pet parent determines that come what may, they will win the flea war. They will rid their dog of fleas and get fleas out of their home.

For good.

And win you will. But only if you persevere and take note of the following flea control remedies.

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When you buy or adopt a dog, getting rid of fleas is not something you imagine yourself having to do.

Much more fun to choose a cute name and spend hours training your dog new tricks!

But like it or not, fleas come with the territory of owning a dog.

Along with getting rid of dog smell from the house, eradicating fleas from your pooch will be a niggle that every dog owner faces.

How To Get Rid Of Dog Fleas

Before we get into the ridding of the fleas from your dog, you need to understand the life cycle of the flea.

Many dog owners go to great lengths to get rid of the fleas from their dog but then forget to deal with eggs and larvae and so the problem never goes away.

The Flea Life Cycle. The 4 Stages (told as simply as possible)

1. Egg. The adult flea, which lives on your animal and sucks its blood, lays eggs. When your dog shakes or rubs his tummy on your bed or sofa the eggs fall off.

2. Larva. In your dog’s bedding or on your carpet, the egg hatches into larvae. Flea larvae are about 2-5mm long and a C shape. Larvae feed on the droppings (poop) of adult fleas which look like specks of black pepper. Larvae do not like light. it is for this reason that they go into the floorboard cracks, or bury themselves away into your carpet.

3. Pupa. The flea larvae spin a cocoon around itself in which it develops in the pupa. This is the tricky part. The pupa can lay dormant between two weeks and two months, leading the pet owner to believe that they have rid their home and dog of fleas. But unfortunately…

4. Adult flea. You guessed it. From the pupa, the adult flea emerges and uses its powerful legs to jump onto the nearest warm-blooded host (preferably your dog, cat or even your ankles) and the whole cycle begins again.

Fleas aren’t fussy. If there isn’t a warm-blooded animal to feast on then they will jump on you and bite.

5 (Simple) Remedies To Getting Rid of Fleas On Your Dog

The first sign that your dog has fleas will usually be that he is itching.

You may also see the fleas crawling through your pet’s fur when you look closely.

If you do not spot any fleas but your dog is scratching then make sure that you consult your local veterinary before proceeding with any flea treatment.

If your dog is scratching but you can’t spot any signs of fleas then see a vet straight away.

#1. Bath Your Dog & Use a Flea Shampoo (very cheap & effective)

If you plan on shampooing your dog with a flea shampoo treatment then please choose one without harsh chemicals.

This one is highly recommended. It is cheap and best of all kills fleas and eggs on contact.

Be gentle and patient with your dog when you shampoo her. Make it as fun as possible and avoid getting shampoo in her eyes or mouth.

(Using a bath brush such as this one will help get the shampoo deep into her fur — Click here for prices)

Begin by wetting your dog’s neck.

Keep the rest of the body dry while you work on one section of her fur at a time. Massage the shampoo deep into her skin (as you would your own). Rinse thoroughly and move onto the next section of your dog’s coat.

#2. Use a Flea Comb (super cheap & probably the most effective of all)

Make sure your dog’s coat is dry. If your dog has a long-haired breed then brush the coat with a dog brush first to smooth out any tangles.

Place a blanket or some newspaper underneath your dog to catch any jumping or dead fleas and ask him to lay down.

Have a deep of hot soapy water nearby to rinse the flea comb in between brushes.

Begin at your dogs head and neck and work your way down to his back and tail.

Go slowly and gently and be sure that after every stroke you remove the dirt, fleas, eggs and whatever other debris is on your dog’s fur, into the water.

Focus on the belly (be gentle!) under the chin and all down the tail. This is where the fleas tend to congregate.

Let the hot soapy water stand for half an hour, by which time the fleas will have drowned. get rid of the paper and water and be sure to give your dog lots of praise.

If you can train your dog into enjoying the flea combing session (let her know that she will get a homemade dog treat afterwards!) it will make getting rid of the fleas a whole lot less stressful.

The best quality flea comb we recommend is this one. It is cheap but sturdy — Click here for prices

#3. Soothe Your Dog’s Skin (With Natural Flea Remedies)

When wondering how to get rid of fleas on your dog, don’t disregard some homemade, natural remedies.

This natural method using coconut oil and lavender not only repels fleas but it is a good way of soothing your dog’s irritated skin after been bitten by fleas.

(Coconut oil and Lavender Essential Oil)

*Please note to be mindful when using the following essential oils to get rid of fleas. Essential oil must ALWAYS be diluted 80 – 90% with a carrier oil. Some essential oils are toxic to dogs. Lavender oil is not.

Take 1 cup of coconut oil or almond oil. Olive oil for dogs is also effective in this treatment.

Add five drops of lavender essential oil.

Rub the oil into your dog’s fur. This is easy if you have a short-haired dog. If not, dip your dog brush (preferably an old one that you don’t mind getting oily!) and brush your dog’s coat until the oil is evenly distributed.

While this natural remedy may not kill the fleas, they are repelled by the smell of lavender oil and are so more likely to evacuate any host that smells of it!

#4. Use a Soothing Shampoo

If you like the idea of the lavender oil soothing your poor dog’s itchy skin but do not feel confident mixing up the potion yourself, then we recommend this gorgeous Lavender oatmeal shampoo.

Takes the irritation out of your dog’s skin and soothes without chemicals.

Click here to check out prices.

#5. Use a Super-Effective Flea Collar for Prevention (pricey but worth it if you want an instant result)

This Seresto Flea Collar claims to kill fleas within 12 hours and keeps working for 30 days; giving you a chance to get on top of the flea problem around the house.

It is recommended by vets — Click here for prices.

How To Get Fleas Out Of Your Home. 4 Easy Tips.

It is pointless to spending time and energy getting rid of fleas from your dog if you don’t then begin ridding your home of fleas, eggs and larvae too.

Know that getting rid of fleas from your home is not a quick process. It can take up to three months for all traces of the flea cycle to be gone from your home.

Be patient and persist and you will be rewarded with a flea-free home.

#1. Machine wash all pet bedding in hot soapy water.

This includes soft toys that your dog may have and drying towels. If you can, give them all a blast in the tumble drier after washing – the heat of the machine will be sure to kill anything nasty.

If you are crate training a puppy it is super important that you wash her bedding regularly – corners of crates are the perfect place for fleas to hide.

#2. Vacuum the house. Pay attention to cracks, & under furniture.

Remember, larvae do not like light so tend to hide in dark places.

Do not leave any place unvacuumed!

If you would like a cheap and natural way to rid your carpets of fleas and eggs then try sprinkling the area with bicarbonate of soda (or even sea salt) before vacuuming. This dries up the eggs and fleas and kills them and also has the added bonus of getting rid of dog smell from the house too!

#3. Spray the bedding carpets and furniture with an anti-flea spray.

After washing everything spray everything (this effective flea remedy home spray is gentle enough to be sprayed directly onto pets over 12 weeks of age). It claims to rid your home and dog of fleas, eggs, larvae.

Click here to check out prices.

#4. Continue with this cleaning routine regularly until all traces of fleas are gone.

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To Sum Up — How to Get Rid of Dog Fleas.

Remember, getting rid of fleas from your dog and your home is a job for the determined. Stick with the above remedies that have been proven to work and you will see great results!

And try not to get too worked up about it; I know that seeing things crawling in your house is never pleasant and can be upsetting but set yourself a plan and you will see results in no time at all. Those fleas will be gone!

The key to ridding your home and dog from fleas is consistency.

If you know of any other dog owner who has a flea problem, please feel free to share this post with them and leave a comment below if you have discovered another way to win the war on fleas!

How to Get Rid of Dog Fleas in 8 (Easy) Steps