With July to September being the worst months for fleas due to the warm and humid conditions, you might want to get ahead of the game on protecting your fluffy housemates.
The tiny, jumping menaces seem to appear in their fur out of nowhere and thrive in the summer months. And we hate to break it to you, but all it takes is one flea to spark an entire infestation in both your pet's fur and your home.
What actually are fleas?
Fleas are minuscule, wingless insects and are a pet owner's biggest nemesis, causing discomfort and incessant itching for our pooches and moggies. They survive by feasting on the blood of their hosts, and unfortunately, our four-legged pals often make the perfect meal.
As such, prevention is better than cure. Enter: Itch’s tailored treatment subscription delivered to your door.
Itch is a pet wellness brand offering flea, tick and worm treatments in monthly subscriptions, as well as healthy pet treats, dog health vitamins and cat pheromones.
The brand’s philosophy? A tailored treatment subscription delivered monthly to your door, exactly when you need it, means worrying about fleas becomes a thing of the past, as you’re already ahead of the curve.
Itch Flea, which can be purchased for cats or dogs, is vet-approved and scientifically proven to protect your pet and home from fleas. It has a double action formula which is designed to kill all adult fleas within 24 hours, halt all other flea life stages and stop any new fleas tormenting your dog.
Itch’s USP is its hero ingredients of Fipronil, which attacks the central nervous systems of fleas and kills them within 24 hours and ticks within 48 hours, and (S) Methoprene, which directly penetrates flea eggshells, preventing flea larvae and pupae from developing.
Do fleas live in your home?
We’ve got bad news – 95% of adult fleas actually live in your home environment, not on your pet. They like to hide in crevices and unsuspecting areas too, like nestled in the carpet or in the cracks of furniture. Fleas are indiscriminate, too, and will happily infest any part of your home, including your bedding or even your hair.
Once settled in a warm environment, they seize the chance to reproduce, laying numerous eggs and establishing a perpetual infestation. This ongoing process, known as the flea life cycle, is challenging to interrupt but not impossible.
© Getty ImagesHow to get rid of fleas in your home?
Flea sprays, like the Itch Flea House Spray, can target fleas at all life stages and effectively banish them from your home. In one blast, it will kill all adult fleas lurking in your home for up to two months, while also preventing flea eggs and larvae from developing for 12 months after use.
The experts at Itch suggest spraying floors, carpets, under furniture and in cracks and crevices where fleas are likely to be hiding. But a quick precaution: always follow the instructions on the product as some sprays are not pet-friendly!
Why is my dog still itching after flea treatment?
Believe it or not, this is a good sign, according to Itch’s in-house vet, Dr Zoe Costigan.
“It’s fairly normal for there to be a period of hyperactivity amongst the fleas as the active ingredients in a flea treatment take effect and this can cause an increase in your pet scratching,” she says.
“It should settle down after 24 hours. If after 24 hours your pet continues to scratch, there could be other things going on. Your pet could be flea-allergic, it could have a skin infection or a hormone imbalance, or other conditions which can lead to itchiness.”
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