Not treating often enough
Regular treatment is the key to keeping fleas at bay, but bathing your pet does nothing to prevent fleas. While many adults will wash away, the eggs will remain. As soon as you finish rinsing the soap, more fleas will jump right back on (and more will hatch).
Often even after treating with a suitable flea treatment you will still see flea's on your animal. However, this does not mean that the treatment has not worked or that the fleas are immune – the reasons are fairly simple: Fleas are hatching in your home and re-infecting your pet.
Thoroughly bathe pets with soap and water, then comb them with a flea comb. Pay careful attention to face and neck regions, and the area in front of the tail. Soap will act as a gentle insecticide to kill adult fleas.
Citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, and rosemary will all naturally repel fleas. If your dog doesn't mind a spray bottle, dilute a few drops of your chosen essential oil into a 300ml-400ml of water and spray directly onto your dog's coat.
You might be asking yourself will fleas eventually go away? While some could last 2 – 3 weeks, they could also live for up to 12 months on the host it finds, so it is unlikely they will go away on their own. Fleas can also reproduce very quickly by laying eggs in carpet, bedding, or garden prolonging the infestation.
Bathe your cat or kitten with a specially formulated flea shampoo to kill fleas on contact. Flea sprays can be a good option for water-averse cats. Repeat treatment as needed and recommended on the label.
Your pet could be flea-allergic, it could have a skin infection or a hormone imbalance, or other conditions which can lead to itchiness.
Seeing fleas after treatment isn't really about how long it takes for flea treatment to work or for fleas to die. It's about the number of life stages in the pet's environment that develop into new fleas and jump on a pet.
If you suspect it is not controlling your pet's fleas, you may, in certain cases, be able to reapply it in as little as two weeks and try again. Speak to your veterinarian about this first if your flea medicine is not working.
Unless the infestation is extremely minimal, cats will not get rid of fleas on their own. The population may vary depending on the weather/season, but they will always be present at some level in the house, until it is properly treated.
Many cats are distressed not just by the biting, but by developing an allergy to flea saliva. This is known as flea allergy dermatitis and is the most common type of allergy found in cats. Just one or two bites will cause misery for a cat with this allergy.
Try a shampoo with a low concentration of natural oils known to repel fleas, such as cedar, lavender, eucalyptus, or citrus. A diluted solution of apple cider vinegar may also help get rid of fleas.
It is also important to remember that the majority of the flea population is in the environment. If you are still seeing a large number of fleas a few days after starting treatment it is possible that there is an infestation somewhere in the home.
The standard time frame for applying topical medications is usually every 30 days, but this can depend on the brand used. Climate and lifestyle play a large role in determining how often you should use a flea prevention or flea treatment. Warm and humid climates tend to have a higher risk of fleas.
Common signs of toxicity from flea products containing organophosphates are diarrhea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, small pupils, muscle tremor, weakness or falling over, and drooling. Organophosphate toxicity can be rapidly fatal, depending on the ingredients and dose the pet is exposed to.
Are flea allergy dermatitis home remedies available? Bathing your cat in cool or lukewarm water or with mild oatmeal shampoo may help soothe the skin. If your cat's skin is ulcerated or has scratches, it is best not to bathe them.
Dish Soap. Believe it or not, even the most gentle formulations of dish soap have proven to be very effective at exterminating fleas. The dish soap breaks down the flea's exoskeleton and kills them within minutes, even after it's been diluted in water.
Baking soda does not kill adult fleas and will do nothing to protect your pets. It is excellent at absorbing smells and has been suggested by some online pet sites for use as a flea killer because it “may” dry out flea eggs and larvae. But there is no evidence that using baking soda to kill fleas is effective at all.
Selamectin kills adult fleas and larva and prevents flea eggs from hatching by attacking the flea's nervous system. It is also used to treat ear mites and roundworms and as a heartworm preventative. Revolution is FDA-approved, meaning it has passed more stringent safety guidelines.
Steam cleaning your carpets, furniture and pet beds is a brilliant idea if you have a flea infestation. Thanks to the combination of high heat and soap, the fleas will be gone in no time.
If you do see fleas and they are moving slow enough to catch – success – they are busy dying!
It can take up to 3 months to break a total flea life cycle by using monthly flea treatments. For indoor flea control, vacuuming all floors, carpets, baseboards, pet bedding and furniture will help remove adult fleas and eggs.