Can my Dog Catch Fleas in the Park?

A good friend of mine recently adopted her first pet dog - a puppy from our local animal shelter. The young Labrador, whom she has christened Bertie, is a boisterous fellow who can't get enough affection and loves to play outdoors. Susie, my friend, called me last night, sounding rather upset. She told me that she'd taken Bertie to the local park for a stroll, and that when she got home, she spotted fleas running around on his fur. Susie told me that she was surprised that Bertie had caught fleas in the park, and thought it was only possible for a dog to get infested through contact with another animal.

Yes, Your Dog Can Catch Fleas In The Park

Susie, along with many other pet owners, didn't realise that fleas are potentially a big problem. More importantly she didn't know that direct contact with another animal is not needed to pass them on and thought that keeping Bertie away from other dogs was enough to protect him from fleas. There are thousands of flea species around the world, but the one the dog owners need to worry about is called Ctenocephalides canis. This type of flea prefers to feed on dogs, however, it is not unknown for them to give humans a nasty, itchy bite too. What Susie didn't understand about fleas is that they are very widespread and can even lay dormant (in the egg stage) waiting to hatch when suitable prey is nearby. In parks, recreational zones and gardens, fleas can lurk in long grasses and shrubbery, waiting to jump on unprotected pets. A single female flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day, and this means dealing with flea control is an important part of caring for your dog.

How Can I Stop My Dog From Catching Fleas In The Park?

Knowing that I have kept dogs as pets for years, Susie chose the right person to phone for flea advice. I'm going to share what I told her here, to help any other pet owners out there with this problem. My top tip to prevent dogs from catching fleas in the park is to use a pet medication made to kill any fleas that get on your pet. My preferred product for dealing with fleas is Revolution for dogs. I explained to Susie that if she applied Revolution to Bertie's skin on a regular basis, it would prevent fleas from becoming a problem. Revolution is highly effective for getting rid of fleas, but it also helps to protect dogs from ticks, heartworm and sarcoptic mange, making it an excellent all-rounder. By applying Revolution, Susie can happily take Bertie out to the park again and not worry about the dangers of fleas and other parasites.

Using Revolution for Dogs to Prevent Fleas

No matter how much we love our pets, they're not completely domesticated. That is why one needs extra caution when it comes to medicating pets. Depending on the breed, some dogs are easily agitated or turn very violent, even if it's you who's dosing them. Thankfully, Pfizer has come up with Revolution for dogs which is so practical and easy to use. Revolution for dogs is the first FDA approved pet med that, apart from fleas, covers a host of infestations such as the American dog tick, ear mites, and sarcoptic mange. Revolution for dogs come in boxes that are classified according to weight and color so it's easier to remember when purchasing.

Some medications only come in suspension or pill form, but with Revolution, you avoid the hassle of mixing the med or using special applicators to get the job done. It's probably not the first time you'll hear of a pet owner complains about how it took too much time to medicate one's own pet, or how much medicine has been wasted while struggling to pop the pill or the liquid medication into your pet's mouth. With Revolution, this is not the case at all since it comes in a tube and is so easy to apply.

Revolution for dogs is a monthly dose that is simply applied to the back of your dog's neck, which should be dried for two hours. Afterwards, your pet is free to do water related activities. With that single application of Revolution, your dog is protected for the entire month from all those pests! You don't have to worry about buying separate medications for fleas, heartworm, ticks, mites, and mange because it's all there in that one small tube of Revolution. Revolution for dogs is guaranteed to eliminate those flea infestations in a month, true, but the possibility of re-infestation can happen if your dog socializes with other pets with the bugs, or if it runs into flea infested territories. Therefore, it's better to continuously dose your dogs with Revolution even if it seems like it's already pest free.

Another advantage that should be highlighted when it comes to using Revolution for dogs is it's absolutely safe to use. Revolution for dogs has minimal side effects, such as upset stomach and possibly fur loss in the area where the medication was applied, but this are only minor reactions which disappear eventually.

Now armed with such information, you know your pet will always be protected once you choose Revolution.