Your dog or cat has fleas? Oh, dear. This needs to be fixed, and right away, for your pet’s sake as well as yours. If you’re planning a move, the urgency is even greater because the last thing you want to do is give those nasty fleas an all-expenses-paid trip to your new home. Besides, if you’ll be moving overseas, your pet will have to prove themselves flea-free before they will be welcomed in a new country.
Every country has different animal import regulations that outline which treatments dogs and cats must have. Many of them require pets to be treated for internal and external parasites (think ticks, fleas and worms). So let’s get busy with that.
1. Rid your pet of fleas.
Hustle that sweet cat or dog off to the vet for a consultation regarding the most appropriate medicine to accomplish that, based on their size, health, and whatever pests are prevalent in your area. (Keep in mind that what may be problematic where you’re headed could be different from what your pet faces now.)
Flea treatments are usually formulated to eliminate ticks, too, and some also kill mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can be hellish for dogs with very short coats, as it’s easy for the insects to get to their skin. And, like fleas and ticks, mosquitoes can transmit diseases, such as heartworms.
You want a product that kills instantly and also continues to deflect/kill pests on an ongoing basis. Take care of this first step right now. If your pet is on a preventive flea and tick medication for several months prior to your move, you can be exponentially sure they are flea-free when it’s time to go. It's also a good idea to check them regularly to make sure they don't have any critters hanging around on them.
When your pet goes outside, it's typically recommended to keep them on a regular tick & flea preventive treatment all year long.
2. Rid your home of lingering fleas and their eggs.
When your dog has fleas, they carry them into the house and distributes them from room to room. Fleas love this – they’re happy to hang out in your carpet or other cozy hiding places, hopping back up onto your dog (or your cat, or the humans in your family) for a quick bite as needed. Worse, they’re also busy producing new generations of fleas. You’re running a flea bed and breakfast, but it’s time to close it down to cut the reproductive cycle.
You can hire a pest control company to fumigate your home, or purchase products from your vet or favorite pet supply store to get the job done. Your entire family – human and furry – will have to stay away for a few hours during this process, but when you return, those awful fleas will be dead.
If you’re doing the job yourself, note that fleas like to hide where it’s dark, so in addition to “foggers” for each room, consider also using flea spray on crevices and other potential hidey-holes, such as around baseboards.
3. Give your yard a once-over, too.
To keep new fleas from hitching a ride into your home from the outdoors, use a yard spray on your lawn and other plantings. Industry experts suggest you’ll get the best results if you wait 3-4 weeks and then re-treat your home and yard a second time.
4. Finish the job with a wholesale clean-up.
Mop your floors and vacuum your carpets thoroughly, to remove any pesticide residue as well as – how can we put it delicately? – deceased fleas, larvae and eggs. Vacuum upholstered furniture, too. Wash your pet’s bedding (both the pad and cover), and wash your bedding as well if your pet ever gets on your bed. Wash your pet’s toys and your pet, so they’re fresh and clean, too.
There’s an added benefit here – all these things will be freshly clean when it’s time to pack for your move. That’s good news, because there are other important things on your to-do list to prepare your pet for a move.
By taking early and thorough action to eliminate fleas, you are efficiently checking things off your moving to-do list. Not only will you be able to leave those awful fleas behind when you move, you can all stop scratching. What a relief!
Starwood Animal Transport has rebranded to Starwood Pet Travel. We are still the same great company with the best team, just now with a slightly different name.