Effective Flea Control for the Family Pets

The heat wave has broken, for now, but the dog days of summer can be problematic for our K-9 and feline family members with increased flea activity.

Rose Kachadoorian with the Oregon Department of Agriculture said there are some basic steps that can help.

“Keep checking your animal, vacuum a lot, launder the bedding. If you need to use a flea control product, use that but do that in conjunction with all of these other practices. And definitely work with your veterinarian on product selection.”

Kachadoorian also noted it’s important to know that some pest or flea control products are pesticides so it’s important to read the label and use them as instructed.

“We need to read that pesticide label very carefully and make sure we are applying it to the right animal. For example, you might have a product that says for dogs only. We have products that are not toxic to dogs but they can actually kill cats.”

Kachadoorian said veterinarians are great resources for finding the best way to handle your pet’s flea problems.