Now that we are approaching the end of July, flea season is upon us. I always thought the best way to deal with fleas is to stay one step ahead of them, by having your pets on an effective flea preventative before a problem occurs. Most of the reliable products require a prescription but *Advantage which is OTC for cats or dogs, is an excellent choice for your first line of defense to prevent the distress caused by the discomfort of itching.
Along with possible anemia, hot spots, and skin infections, tapeworms are also a concern when chewing and biting occur to releave itchiness or cats who may be ingesting fleas while self grooming.
A good old fashion flea bath with a quality flea shampoo keeping the suds lathered for 8 to 10 minutes is also a good idea, but if your pet is not keen on baths, *Capstar is also available OTC and will kill every flea on them but it only works for 24 hours and it is not meant for cosecutive daily use. Be sure to read the instructions.
In addition to *Capstar I also recommend reapplying *Advantage every 30 days. Also a natural flea spray (*Vets Best is my go to) for spraying inside the house as well as putting all bedding through the washer and dryer. Vacuming the carpets and getting rid of the dirt you just vacumed up, by putting it into a bag, tying it in a knot and getting it out of the house and into the trash as quickly as possible, is also very important.
You also want to repeat the flea bath, doing laundry and vacuming again every 7-10 days until the fleas are successfully eradicated.