Yes, washing your dog can help get rid of flea eggs. A regular bath with a high-quality flea shampoo can remove existing fleas and make it more difficult for them to lay new eggs. It’s important to work the soap into the fur and ensure that you rinse thoroughly at the end of the bath — if any flea eggs are left in the fur, they could hatch into more fleas after you’ve washed your dog. In addition to bathing, it is also important to use a topical flea preventative such as a spot treatment or monthly chewable. This will help prevent future infestations by killing adult fleas before they have a chance to lay new eggs in your pet’s fur.
Introduction: What are fleas & how do they affect your dog?
Fleas are really tiny insects that feed on the blood of animals, including your beloved pet. They’re most commonly found near a dog’s back and tail area and may be visible to the naked eye if you look closely. But don’t worry— fleas can also quickly spread all over your furry friend’s body without notice, causing skin irritation and inflammation.
Fleas are harmful to dogs because they can potentially bring a wide array of diseases to our four-legged friends such as Lyme disease or Heartworm. Not only that, but chronic flea infestations can lead to anemia if your pup is continuously exposed to large amounts of female fleas sucking his/her blood.
Flea eggs are equally dangerous and equally hard to detect as adult fleas. Flea eggs range in color from white/clear or yellowish shades. Unfortunately, once a single flea lays eggs on your pup’s fur it’s important to act quickly before the eggs hatch and more fleas start reproducing in rapid succession!
Different types of flea eggs & how can you identify them?
Flea eggs come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Most eggs are white or lightly colored, but some fleas lay darker colored eggs that can be harder to spot.
To identify them, look for tiny whitish-yellow oval shapes (about 1 millimeter) on your dog’s skin or fur. You may even see them near the base of seresto collar for cats the hair follicles or around their ears. They can also appear gray, brown or black due to dirt and other airborne contaminants accumulating on the egg casing.
In addition to visual inspections, you should also check your pet’s skin for adult fleas or larvae. Flea larvae will eventually become adults if they go unchecked so it’s important to take preemptive steps to eradicate them as soon as possible!
Does washing remove flea eggs from my dog’s coat?
Washing your dog does not guarantee that you will completely remove all of the flea eggs from their coat. While a bath can remove most of the flea eggs, it may not get rid of all of them. This is because fleas lay eggs within hard-to-reach places like behind your pet’s ears and between their toes. Even if you give them a thorough shampooing, some eggs may survive and hatch later on.
However, there are other ways to increase your chances of getting rid of the flea eggs from your dog’s coat. First, using medicated shampoos or topical treatments designed to kill fleas and their eggs can be effective in reducing the number of fleas on their body. Additionally, brushing or combing through your dog’s fur regularly can help remove any adult fleas or egg cases that could linger in their coat regardless of how often they’re bathed. It might also be wise to groom your pet outdoors if possible to prevent any potential infestations coming into the house when they go back inside.
What other effective home remedies remove flea eggs from a pet’s fur?
Beyond washing your pet to remove flea eggs, there are a few other home remedies that can work as well or better. Here are a few home remedies for fleas and their eggs:
1. Vacuum your pet’s sleeping area regularly. Vacuuming removes the fleas and their eggs from the sleeping area and reduces their ability to reproduce. Make sure to discard the vacuum bag in an outdoor trashcan when done, as indoor bags contain flea eggs ready to hatch.
2. Use diatomaceous earth (DE) around your pet’s bedding and in areas where pets sleep and roam, such as carpets or furniture. DE is extremely effective at killing fleas since it scrapes off their protective wax coating, leading them to dehydrate and die.
3. Choose herbal-based topical treatments like those made with essential oils such as cedarwood oil, lemongrass oil, rosemary oil, lavender oil, neem oil etc. Appling these directly onto your pet’s fur may help repel adult fleas while also killing any larva or eggs already on your pet’s fur.
Ultimately, maintaining a consistent bathing routine will be the most effective way of removing flea eggs from your pet’s fur in conjunction with some of these other home remedies suggested above!
When is it time to call the veterinarian for help with fleas?
If you are seeing signs that your dog is still carrying around fleas, even after a good bath, it’s definitely time to call the vet. They will be able to prescribe medicines and topical treatments designed to treat flea infestations. Some treatments are even approved for puppies as young as eight weeks old!
Additionally, a vet can help you diagnose any other skin issues your pup might have caused by scratching too much due to their itchiness. And if the fleas are severe enough, the vet may recommend medications such as Advantage or Frontline (and sometimes even Comfortis) to help control the infestation.
No matter what form of medicinal or topical treatment your veterinarian recommends, it’s important to follow their instructions carefully and continue regular bathing to keep additional fleas from returning.
