So, your pet has fleas.  As always, of course, prevention is the best medicine.  However, once the horse has bolted, the cat is out of the bag and the worms are busy squirming out of the tin, you have to do something to tackle the elephant in the room.

Well, the first thing you want to do is get a bird’s eye view of the options available (these animal-based idioms are going to stop now, it’s no good flogging a dead horse after all).  There are lots of different options for how to tackle an outbreak of fleas, and it is best to talk to a professional to choose the best one for your pet, but here a few things to consider about flea treatment spray.

Flea treatment spray is a relatively fast acting method of tackling fleas, and it is also relatively easy.  The manufacturer’s instructions should be followed exactly when you have the spray, however to give an idea of what is involved, here is the general outline of how to apply flea treatment spray.  Unlike other treatments that require all-over application, the spray need only be applied to the worst affected areas.  Remember that you want it to get all the way down to the skin, however, so it is best to pull back the fur in order to expose the skin underneath and then spray.  You may like to wear gloves for this.

Once the flea treatment spray has been applied to all the affected areas, it is important that your pet remains dry for a few hours so that the formula has time to act.  At this point, it can be washed off and you should be a decrease in the number of fleas on your pet already.  The spray does not immediately kill all fleas, however; instead, it works by disrupting the breeding of the fleas so that the life cycles cannot come to completion and they die out.  Protection of this kind will remain for about a month following the initial application of the formula.

In order to reduce the chances of your pet catching fleas again (prevention better than cure, remember!) it is important to maintain the cleanliness of their living and sleeping areas.  Proper disposal of their waste is also necessary.  Fleas rarely strike in areas that are kept clean.

Although equally suitable for dogs, flea treatment spray is particularly popular with cat owners due to the ease of application and the relative absence of water involved.  Since cats generally don’t like getting wet, flea baths or flea shampoos are sometimes not good options for them, whereas the spray is easy to use and only has to be applied to the affected areas.  Talk to a professional for advice more specific to your pet, however.

Remember not to mix flea treatment products, and not to use cat treatments on dogs or vice versa as there may be chemicals which do not cross over well.  They contain IGR, which is what disrupts the fleas’ life cycle and stunts the growth of their population.  Some of the manufacturers of flea treatment spray to look for are Gentle Touch, Biospot, Adams, Vectra and Frontline.  So put a cat amongst the pigeons with these fleas and remember, the early bird catches the worm!