Fleas and Your Pet: Prevention, Treatment, and Home Care

Fleas are tiny parasites, but they can cause big problems for pets and families. Even indoor animals are at risk, because fleas can ride in on clothing, wildlife outside the home, or other pets. Preventing fleas before they become established is the easiest way to keep everyone comfortable.

Why fleas matter

Fleas feed on blood, which makes pets itchy and uncomfortable. They also reproduce extremely quickly. One female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day, and those eggs fall into carpet fibres, bedding, upholstery, and cracks in flooring. Once fleas are in the home, it can take weeks to fully eliminate them.

Fleas can cause: itchy skin, hair loss, “flea dirt” (black specks), tapeworm transmission, skin infections, anemia in young or small pets

Kittens, seniors, and animals with medical conditions are especially vulnerable.

Indoor pets can still get fleas

Even if a pet never goes outside, fleas can enter homes through:people’s clothing, windows or screens, dogs that go outdoors, wildlife in the yard or porch

We routinely diagnose fleas in indoor-only cats and dogs.

Prevention is easier than treatment

Modern flea preventives are: safe, easy to give monthly, veterinarian-recommended, highly effective

They work by killing fleas before they reproduce, which prevents infestations from ever starting. Consistent monthly dosing is essential.

What if my pet already has fleas?

Treatment usually includes: a veterinary flea medication for each pet in the household, treating all pets at the same time, cleaning the home environment

All pets in the home must be treated, even if only one is showing symptoms. Flea shampoos, home remedies, and over-the-counter products are often ineffective and may be unsafe. Prescription preventives are the most reliable.

Home cleaning matters

Flea eggs and larvae live in the environment. Cleaning supports treatment:

vacuum carpets, rugs, and furniture daily for 2–3 weeks, wash pet bedding and blankets in hot water, empty vacuum canisters immediately, focus on sleeping spots, use a pet-safe household spray if recommended

These steps break the life cycle. Stopping too soon can allow fleas to return, so pets should remain on monthly prevention.

When to contact your veterinarian

Call the clinic if you notice: scratching or chewing, black specks in the fur, hair loss or red bumps, tapeworm segments, pale gums in young pets (possible anemia)

Your veterinary team can examine your pet, recommend the safest preventive, and provide guidance for home cleaning. Early intervention prevents discomfort, avoids infestations, and protects pets and families.