How do I control fleas and ticks in my dog’s environment?

We recommend a product called Sentinel, which every time a flea lays 30 to 50 eggs a day, those eggs never hatch out. That's essential for environmental control. If you come to us and you already have an infestation of fleas or ticks, what we're going to recommend is that you do a lot of vacuuming. You do not need to spray and bomb your house or spray your yard because very few adults are part of the problem. In the pupal stage, nothing kills it except fire, so I tell people not to bother with using poisons in the environment. Let them just hatch out, as there is a product that your dog or your cat is treated with so that, as they jump and hatch out and they get on your dog, they're going to die. Then again, using both that with a combination of a preventative product will get the problem under control very quickly.

The fact that you're using the flea preventative on a regular basis will help after two or three cycles. Regular use will control the environment, but because we take our dogs in and out all the time, there may be fleas that get on them when they come back from their walk, and they can be deposited back into the environment. So we recommend you treat the house. Sometimes there are sprays and powders that you can apply that can help you with controlling the environment and control those hitchhiker fleas. That's what we were talking about.

Controlling fleas and ticks in your environment can be done by using prevention on your pet. If fleas get into your house, vacuuming and laundering your pet's bedding and blankets are recommended. Avoid using fogging or insecticides in your home, as these can be harmful to both you and your pet. So we want to discuss preventing and treating fleas and ticks on your pet and managing your environment safely.