Would Your Pet Pass The Flea Comb Test
The best way to detect fleas on the skin of a dog or cat with a thick coat is to run a flea comb through their hair at the skin level. You might pick up fleas on the teeth of the comb, or you may only see small black specks the size of grains of sand, which are the fleas droppings. If there is evidence of fleas on your pet, theyve failed the flea comb test.
Fleas are small and yellowish to dark brown in color depending on whether they have recently fed or not. Fleas bodies are flattened from both sides so that their shape from the front appears tall and narrow.
Fleas have no wings and do not fly. The back legs of the flea are very long and strong compared to their other four legs and are designed for jumping. The fleas back legs are also designed to propel the flea forwards through the animals fur at high speed, which helps to evade the teeth and claws of the animal host as it attempts to remove the flea through biting, chewing and scratching. Fleas are very mobile and are usually only seen by pet owners as brief glimpses of something brown scurrying through the animals hairs.
At the moment our vets are working their flea combs hard, and finding plenty of fleas! It was a warm winter, so numbers didnt drop off as much as usual, and now its Spring, when fleas and ticks are even more prevalent.
Bravecto given every 3 months, and Nexgard given once a month, are recently released flavoured chews, and very effective products, protecting against both fleas and ticks.
When To Use A Flea Comb
A flea comb is a pet care device with fine tines or teeth, which well use to find and remove fleas from cats, dogs, or rabbits. But why not use your regular human hair combs? you ask. Well, flea combs are special as their closely spaced times will remove fleas, eggs, and flea dirt more effectively. So, when should use a flea comb:
1. To Find flea dirt: Flea dirt is the bugs feces, and if found on your pets fur thats a sign that the pet has fleas.
2. To Remove adult fleas: Flea combing will stick the adult fleas on the combs finely spaced tines.
3. Remove flea dirt and eggs from adult pets and small pets with sensitive skin and thus cannot use chemical-based flea control methods.
De Flea Your Cat: Catch Kill And Prevent Cat Fleas
We love our pussy cats, but not their fleas. After years of trying different chemical free methods of flea control, Mrs Everybody and her 19 year old cat, Boudi have arrived at a simple and effective solution.
This solution takes just minutes involves no chemicals it is low tech and even ancient the cat likes it it builds the bond between cat and human it is calming to do and it is satisfies our human urge to care for and stroke our furry friends.
Moustache, Cat or Fine Hair Horn Comb
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Prep Everything Before The Bath
You don’t want to start your cat’s bath only to realize you forgot something, so set up everything in advance. Trim your cat’s nails a day or two before the bath to reduce scratching.
Have several towels ready. One should be on the bathroom floor to soak up spilled water, and one will be used to blot your kitty’s fur after his bath. Some people even put a towel or rubber mat at the bottom of the tub so their cats have more of a grip while they stand.1
Brush your cat’s fur before you bathe him. Matted fur can be tough to detangle once it’s wet, which might hurt when you’re applying the shampoo.2
Have the flea shampoo near the tub so you can reach it easily. Adams Flea & Tick Cleansing Shampoo is a great choice for cats. It kills fleas, ticks, and lice while preventing new flea eggs from hatching for 30 days.
Flea Combs Vs Lice Combs What Is The Difference
Flea and lice combs are more or less similar. The comb you use for removing fleas from pets can also be effectively used to remove lice. Lice and flea combs usually have a plastic or metal body with closely packed teeth. You can also buy fully plastic or metallic made combs. Both types have closely spaced teeth which capture tiny critters like lice, nits , fleas, as well as dandruff flakes from the hair. Lice combs also catch nits, which prevents re-infestation. However, you must also use a good shampoo to get rid of lice and prevent eggs from hatching.
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What Do Rabbit Fleas Look Like
Rabbit fleas look just like fleas that are commonly seen on dogs and cats. You may see live fleas running around your rabbits head. This is the most likely place to see fleas on a rabbit. You may just see the flea dirt. This would look like pepper flakes in your rabbits fur.
If you put these flakes on a white sheet of paper and add a drop of water to the small pile of flea dirt, you will see the water drop turn a dark red color. Flea dirt is actually flea poop. Since a fleas meal consists of blood, what they poop is digested blood.
Alternatives If Your Cat Just Won’t Tolerate A Bath
Some cats simply won’t tolerate a bath, no matter how much you try. In those situations, there are other flea products that get the job done. Adams Plus Flea & Tick Spot On for Cats is a treatment you put on the back of his neck every 30 days to kill adult fleas and eggs before they hatch. The Adams Plus Flea & Tick Collar for Cats kills fleas and ticks for seven months.
Make sure you treat your home so fleas don’t hide in your carpet. Try a carpet spray, carpet powder, or fogger. If you ever let your cats outside, even on a harness, consider treating your yard with Adams Yard & Garden Spray.
The best time to teach a cat to tolerate a bath is when he’s a kitten. He’ll get used to it and realize it’s just part of life. But if you missed the kitten window, you can still successfully bathe your kitty if you have some patience, plan ahead, and remain calm through the process.
1. Shojai, Amy. “How to Bathe Your Kitten or Adult Cat.” The Spruce Pets, 8 October 2019, .
2. Conklin, Lisa Marie. “How to Bathe a Cat Without Getting Scratched.” Reader’s Digest, .
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What To Look For In A Cat Flea Comb
Ergonomic handle: Your cat will automatically feel more comfortable if you are too. Investing in an ergonomic handle that allows for a strong grip is better than deeming this feature unnecessary, choosing one without, and accidentally hurting your cat if the comb slips.
The right amount of teeth rows for your cat: The myth that flea combs with a double row of teeth are invariably superior to those with just a single row must be cast aside. In fact, short-haired cats will benefit much more during flea removal if you specifically select a comb for cats with a single row of teeth.
Closely packed teeth: Similar to how a sieve wouldn’t drain food if it’s holes were too big, a flea comb with teeth spaced too far apart wouldn’t be of any use. Why? The fleas would slip through the gaps and continue to thrive and breed all over your cat’s fur and your home. Therefore, any flea comb worth its salt will have teeth that are closely-packed together to ensure that no flea is left to continue damaging your cat’s health.
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Types Of Flea Combs For Cats
Metal Flea Combs: If you’re searching for quality, metal flea combs are the way to go. Their durable nature means you won’t have to replace them for at least several years.
Plastic Flea Combs: Regarding the durability of a plastic comb for cats in relation to a metal comb, there isn’t a competition. Plastic combs may be cheaper, yet you’ll end up paying more in the long run when it inevitably breaks a couple of months down the line.
Electric Flea Combs: The anticipated rise of the electric flea comb, a notable example being Epilady’s Flea Zapper, isn’t much of a surprise. These types of flea combs have customers drooling over their chemical and hassle-free operation. Yet are these conventional products worth splashing the extra cash? Unless you’re a sucker for the latest trend, the potential that your cat may be scared of the noise these electric combs make, we deem it best to stick with the conventional manual flea comb and bowl of soapy water.
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S On How To Use A Flea Comb
Should you get the hang of grooming your pet with a flea comb, you will understand what a useful thing it is to do! So, what should you start from?
STEP #1. Before doing anything else, make sure that the coat of your cat or dog is dry, otherwise, it will be hard to comb. If it is wet, first use a conventional brush with wider gaps between the teeth.
STEP #2. Now, you move to a flea comb for cats and dogs. Put your pet on a firm surface so that it sits comfortably with a newspaper spread under the animal. In case you do it indoors, laying newspaper or something similar is crucial because fleas can jump and are very fast. Once on the carpet or floor, they are more likely to get away and infest the room. For this reason, using a flea comb outside the house is a safe solution to the problem.
STEP #3. Then, put a bowl with the soapy water nearby. Fill a small container with water and add a few drops of dish soap. Comb your pet and when you see fleas getting caught, plunge the comb in the water. The fleas will drown and sink to the bottom, specialists with the University of California suggested in a guide. Such container is where you will rinse the flea comb and destroy the parasites. The container should be deep enough and half-full so that the fleas cannot jump out of it.
How Often Should I Use These Combs
If you have a bad flea problem in your area , you may need to do this on a daily basis.
However, I usually comb my pets at least once a week to ensure that I am proactive with my flea control and I have found this to be perfectly sufficient. Just remember that your dog may pick up fleas during an outdoor visit to the park or during a long run so it may be worth checking its fur afterwards to make sure there are no fleas. If you are using a monthly spot on treatment , the requirement to consistently brush your pets for fleas is reduced but I still recommend a checkup from time to time.
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The Life Cycle Of A Flea
Fleas have multiple stages they go through to become adults.
Top Best Flea Combs & Grooming Accessories
Below you will find a review of three different types of flea combs: metal, plastic and a flea zapper. We have compared advantages and disadvantages of a double-row comb, explored customers experiences in using combs with plastic and metal teeth regarding their sturdiness. Learn how fleas are killed by electric shock in the flea zapper and what downsides this appliance has. Also, we have included in the review two related products a spray based on natural oils that kills fleas on contact and coconut oil making the fleas attach to the comb during the grooming.
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Tips For Riding Your Cat Of Fleas
Fleas are more than just an itchy irritation to your cat. They can cause a lot of stress and bald patches where they are licking and scratching. Not only that, but flea bites cause skin irritations and infections. Worse yet, the parasites can carry other issues to your pet such as tapeworm.
When it comes to fighting fleas, there are a few important steps you should take to reduce the likelihood if your furball ending up with this ailment:
How To Use A Flea Comb For Dogs
Is your dog itching and scratching? There is a good chance that dog fleas are the culprit. If your dog has fleas, getting the fleas off your dog will not only help your dog feel better, but will also lower your dogs chances of suffering from health issues caused by fleas, like flea allergy dermatitis or a Bartonella infection.
If your dog is playing host to these annoying blood-sucking parasites, then a dog flea comb is a great tool to use in conjunction with anti-parasite treatments to aid you in your fight against flea bites.
Read on to learn how to get rid of dog fleas with a flea comb.
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Flea Treatments Available For Cats
There is a vast array of flea treatments available from vets, pet shops and supermarkets for use in and on cats. It may not be obvious, but these products vary markedly in their compositions, mode of action, effectiveness and safety.
Many older products contain products that may be less effective or less safe . It is important to always read and follow instructions carefully, and wherever possible, talk to your vet first and seek their advice they will have access to the best and safest products for use in cats.
Many newer products are available as spot on preparations that only have to be applied every few weeks. Again, it is important that instructions for use are followed carefully for the products to be both safe and effective. Never be tempted to use a dog product on a cat some of these can be highly toxic to cats .
Some flea treatments are also available as tablets, which may be easier for some owners to give, and some effective flea collars are also available. However, many of the products available from pet shops or supermarkets may have very poor efficacy. These are generally not the same as you would get from your vet, and veterinary advice is always best. Some sprays and powders should not be used near fish tanks because they are toxic to fish.
Always check if a product is safe to use on kittens, and pregnant or suckling cats if treating such animals.
Use Warm Water And Consider Small Tubs
Cats tend to be calmer if the water they’re in is warm and comfy. The water shouldn’t be too hot, but it also shouldn’t be so cool that it might leave your cat feeling chilled.
Some people bathe their cats in a bathtub with a low level of warm water, just enough to reach their cat’s chests. Others may set up smaller plastic tubs in a sink or tub to keep their cats a little more confined. Fill one with soapy water and one with clean water to wash out all the flea product.
Whichever method you choose, your cat might be a little calmer if he’s used to a harness and wears it during the bath. But this only works if the harness is the thinner kind that still lets you work the flea shampoo into his fur.
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Flea Medicine For Cats
Your cat has fleas. Now what?You shouldnt let fleas in your home in the first place, and prevention is key, but well discuss that later. Right now we need to get those fleas off your cat.
Flea combs: For a basic removal you could literally start tracking fleas down one by one, so to speak. Get a flea comb with very dense teeth that are designed to comb fleas out. If you try this, you need to be extremely thorough, and comb the entire body of your cat.
A chemical approach : In the past people usually resorted to covering cats with various powders, which meant the cat is not to be touched by anyone for a few days.
The powders were somewhat effective but today weve advanced a bit. The powder treatment is outdated because it causes the cats fur to dry out and could be inhaled by the cat, which can lead to problems. Not to mention the cat licking its own fur while its covered in this chemical.
Collars: Although you dont want to take your cat to the vet, go visit the vet anyway. Get a collar that is designed to kick the fleas off your cats body. Most flea collars will get rid of the adult fleas as well as the eggs. Theyre quite effective in taking out fleas in the area around the neck and the head, but some fleas may survive on the other body parts.
The chemicals attack the fleas until they die, causing them to bite in defense. Slight cat hyperactivity is nothing unusual.