How to treat fleas in puppies that are too young to use conventional medicine

Video: Guide to Flea and Tick Medication - Ask A Vet

Content

Steps
Advice

Newborn puppies are an ideal host for fleas to parasitize and lay eggs on. Dog fleas (Ctenocephalides Canis scientific name) are obnoxious because they can cause the puppy's skin to itch and irritate. In severe cases, the puppy can develop anemia caused by the blood-sucking flea. Unfortunately, getting rid of fleas in puppies is often a bit difficult because the puppies are too young to tolerate flea products too hard. So, if you want to treat the puppies with fleas, you should keep the dog clean, and handle the fleas in the mother and the bedding or soft objects the puppies come into contact with. This article will guide you with more details.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Treating puppies with fleas

Understand why conventional flea products should not be used on puppies. The newborn puppy's body is the perfect environment for parasitic fleas because they are warm, moist, and very easy to absorb blood. Unfortunately, there are no flea products that are safe for newborn puppies. Puppies' internal organs are often more sensitive than adult dogs, and thus are more susceptible to side effects from flea medications.
- Depending on the drug, possible effects include excessive drooling, vomiting, breathing problems and becoming extremely sensitive to severe irritation or depression.
- Some anti-flea products also clearly recommend on the label that they are not suitable for puppies. Other products have never been tested on puppies, so the manufacturers are often contraindicated for use on puppies.
- In particular, you should avoid using pet products containing Permethrin as these are not safe for puppies. The dog's metabolism is too weak and it is difficult to break down the permethrin, so it can accumulate in the puppy's body and cause nerve damage, leading to excessive tremors, drooling, and paralysis. or even convulsions.
- Permethrin-free products are often inefficient and a waste of money.
Take a warm bath for the puppy. Since there are no over-the-counter or prescription products suitable for puppies, the only solution is to get rid of the flea by hand. To bathe your puppy, you need:
- Fill a tub or basin with warm water. A puppy bath water temperature is about the same as an infant bath.
- Place the puppy in the tub, holding her head off the water with your hand.
- Scoop out the water with your hands and rinse the dog's fur until it is completely wet.
- Remove the dog from the tub of water and place him in a clean, warm towel. Gently dry the dog with water.
Use a comb to brush the puppies' fur and remove fleas. Wrap the puppy in a dry towel and place it on a flat surface. Brush the puppy while it is wet and remove all fleas.
- Flea combs' teeth are usually very thick and can pull all fleas out of the coat.
- You should start brushing from the neck and over an area of bristles. Brush each patch of hair until the dog is completely brushed off and all fleas are removed.
Kill the fleas by crushing them or placing them in boiling water. You should kill all the fleas after you remove the puppy's fur to prevent them from returning and causing re-infection. You can kill fleas by holding them between your fingernails or by placing them in boiling water.
- Keep a cup of boiling water out of your puppy's reach to prevent the dog from hitting it and getting burned.
Keep the puppies away from infected bedding or animals. You should keep the puppy in a flea-free environment after you have helped your dog get rid of the fleas. However, do not spray the flea repellant on the puppy's fur. Instead, keep the puppies away from their mother or untreated bedding. This will help prevent reinfection of the puppies.
Know when you can start using a flea product in your puppy. As the puppies get older, the body can process the anti-flea components in the medication, and the medication becomes safer for the dog. Always follow the directions on the prescription label for the specific age the puppy is allowed to use. The following licensed flea treatments are available:
- Revolution (active ingredient Selamectin) can be used after 7 weeks of age.
- Frontline (active ingredient Fipronil) can be used for puppies after 8 weeks of age.
- Oral medications such as Comfortis (active ingredient Spinosad) are only safe for puppies after 14 weeks of age.
- Do not use the above products on puppies under the recommended age.
advertisement

Part 2 of 3: Treating the mother dog fleas

Understanding why it is important to treat the mother with fleas. If a puppy in the same litter is infected with fleas, it is likely that the mother is also infected with fleas. Therefore, you need to treat the puppies with fleas to avoid re-infecting the puppies.
- Keep in mind that other pets in the household can also come into contact with the mother or puppies, so there is also a risk of flea infection and should be handled.
Use only prescription drugs, avoid over-the-counter or "natural" drugs. While it is possible to use a flea product for the mother, it is important to choose it carefully.
- If the mother is breast-feeding, some chemicals in the medicine can pass into the puppies after breastfeeding and cause illness. Therefore, only use prescription products intended specifically for lactating mothers.
- Some over-the-counter products are often labeled "natural" or "drug-free", but that doesn't mean they are safe for puppies. And even without causing any negative side effects, these natural or herbal products are very ineffective in treating fleas.
Use Selamectin-containing medicines for pregnant or lactating mothers. Prescription medications containing Selamectin (such as Revolution and Stronghold) are generally licensed for use in pregnant or nursing mothers.
- According to the manufacturer's instructions, the drug should only be applied to the adult dog's skin and let dry for a few hours before the puppies come into contact with the mother.
- Selamectin-containing drugs should only be used in accordance with the recommended dosage and for topical use. When taken orally, selamectin was found to cause fetal abnormalities in rats.
Avoid using medicines containing Fipronil and Spinosad because it is not safe for nursing dogs. Some of the ingredients used to treat fleas are not safe for pregnant or lactating dogs. Therefore, you should read the label carefully or consult your veterinarian to avoid using medications containing these ingredients.
- The Fipronil ingredient (found in Frontline anti-flea) should not be used in pregnant or lactating dogs because its safety has not been proven.
- Ingredients Spinosad (found in the drug Comfortis) can be secreted in breast milk. It is not yet certain if Spinosad causes negative side effects in puppies, so avoid using this product to treat the mother dog fleas.
advertisement

Part 3 of 3: Handling fleas in the environment

Understand the life cycle of a flea. Adult fleas often find a host for the parasite. For each flea found on pets, it is estimated that another 20 are living on bedding, carpets and sofas.
- Be aware that female fleas often lay eggs on soft objects such as carpets and furniture. Flea eggs are usually very hardy because without a suitable host, they can sleep quietly for many years.
- When the eggs hatch, the larvae and nymphs will grow on carpet or bedding, eat dirt to complete their life cycle and become adult fleas.
- For this reason, remove eggs or larvae hiding in dog bedding, carpets and sofas if you want to prevent the risk of infecting the mother and puppies.
Wash the puppy's bedding to kill fleas. As explained above, a puppy's environment can be filled with fleas, larvae and pupae waiting to molt and mature. Therefore, bed sheets need to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to completely remove fleas.
- Since flea eggs have extremely hard protective shells, spinning the bedding in the washing machine is not enough to destroy them.
- Use a spray product or a bomb that contains an insecticide. These ingredients can spread and crept into each corner of flea eggs, larvae and nymphs. You should use pesticides according to the directions on the package.
- After spraying the pesticide and waiting for it to take effect, put the bedding in the washing machine and wash in hot water to remove the harmful chemicals in the medication (which can damage the puppies) and eggs. , larvae and fleas die.
Spray insecticides to kill fleas on carpets and other fabric objects. Finally, you will need to kill any fleas that are living on carpet or other soft objects. You should spray an insecticide containing Permethrin such as Staykill or RIP fleas.
- Insecticide manufacturers often recommend vacuuming before spraying. This will loosen the carpet fibers and allow the spray to penetrate deeper. In addition, the vibrating effect of the vacuum cleaner can awaken the larvae who are full of hope to find a parasitic host.
- Spray the insecticide on carpets, sofas, and other soft objects according to the directions on the label. The Permethrin ingredient in the spray works by paralyzing the nervous system, suppressing muscle function and ultimately killing insects. Insects are not able to dissolve Pyrethroids like mammals, and are therefore very sensitive to the action of the drug.
- Be sure to isolate puppies, other pets (including birds and fish) or children from the room before spraying pesticides. After spraying is finished, ventilate the room for a few hours by opening a window to blow the residue out of the room.
advertisement