I’ve been snooping around on different groups today and the topic of flea prevention is coming up a lot. One person made a comment I don’t agree with. That indoor pets don’t get fleas and therefore don’t need a flea preventive.

A lot of my friends have indoor only pets and their pets still get fleas and they have to use flea prevention. I won’t go into brands because that’s a good way to start a major fight on social media. I will caution pet owners to do a LOT of research on any product they decide to purchase and to stay away from the cheap ones (and even some of the not so cheap ones) because there have been many deaths reported.

We start prepping for flea season in late March or early April. We begin by treating the outside of the home with lots of diatomaceous earth (DE). This can be purchased at low cost at most Tractor & Supply or other farm stores. The DE has sharp edges and the diatoms cut through the insect’s waxy outer layer during contact, allowing moisture to escape from the insect’s body.

So, how do the fleas get into the home if the pet never leaves the home? There are several ways. One is to catch a ride in using a human for transport. Fleas can latch on to clothing. They can attach to bare skin or they can hang on to those cloth canvas bags many of us use when we go to market. That’s why treating the outside area is important because the more you can kill before they can get inside, the better off you and your pets are.

You must keep your home as flea-free as possible because so many dogs and cats suffer from flea dermatitis. Only one or two flea bites can make a pet miserable because it sets off a chain reaction.

We have tile throughout the house now and haven’t had nearly as much trouble out of fleas since the carpet was thrown out. Floors are vacuumed twice daily and mopped with a steam mop. It’s also important to wipe down counters to keep flea eggs from hatching. If you use a paper towel and have black dots tinted with red then you have flea eggs.

Be sure to read up on DE as well. I’ve used it with the colony cats to prevent/kill internal parasites. It’s better to put into canned food because breathing in the dust can harm the lungs. It can also be used externally on your dog or cat (again, be careful of the dust).

This time of year you should research

• • heartworm prevention (which is actually a year-round issue)
  • flea treatment/prevention (including flea combs-they come in handy)
  • spay/neuter (kitten season is year-round these days and so is dumping animals no longer wanted)
  • ticks

I’m keeping this article short because there’s really nothing else to add. Please comment either in the Facebook comment section directly below or in the moderated comment section.

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