How To Get Fleas Off Of Newborn Puppies

Flea Treatment For Puppies Under 12 Weeks

How to Get Rid of Fleas on a Puppy’s Head : Your New Puppy

Just as puppies grow considerably with each passing week, the most effective flea treatment for baby canines changes rapidly. Preventing fleas is the best way to keep them off very young puppies. Mother dogs should remain on flea preventives throughout their pregnancy. Some flea control products are safe for pregnant and lactating dogs, and your vet can advise you on which preventives to use. Once your puppy passes the 12-week mark, you can use most commercial flea preventives on him, but always consult your veterinarian beforehand.

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Flea And Worming Treatments

Worms are unpleasant at the best of times, but for puppies, they can be quite dangerous. Worms feed off the nutrients in a dogs food, or even from the host themselves. In small puppies, high worm burdens can easily lead to illness. Always talk to your vet about suitable treatments, as many are unsuitable for very young puppies.

We recommend a standard protocol using a worming tablet or liquid at either 2, 5, 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age, or every two weeks depending on the drug used. After this, they can be wormed every 1-3 months depending on the specific risk .

Fleas are less of a problem in puppies, but can still be a problem in high numbers. We usually dont advise treating for fleas unless there are fleas present, until they are vaccinated and starting to go outside. Again, this will vary depending on the individual vet and puppies.

How To Get Rid Of Fleas From Newborn Puppies

Fleas can lay up to forty eggs in just 24 hours, and newly produced fleas can survive without food for up to 14 days. Because of this, I recommend you take a three-prong attack when treating newborn puppy fleas. That includes treating the mother, the puppies, and then actual home environment.

What you will need

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Tips To Get Rid Of Fleas On Newborn Puppies Naturally

There are many natural ways to kill fleas from newborn puppies. These methods do not involve using chemicals and other toxic substances. You need to follow specific steps to make sure your baby gets rid of fleas without causing any damage to its sensitive skin. Here we have listed six effective home remedies to treat fleas from newborn puppies:

When Should My Puppies Receive Vaccinations

Ask the Vet: How to Get Rid of Fleas From Newborn Puppies

Puppies are protected against many canine diseases before and shortly after birth by passive antibody transfer from their mother. Some antibodies cross the placenta and enter the puppies’ circulation. However, the majority of antibodies are provided in the mother’s first milk known as colostrum. These maternal antibodies protect the puppies against the diseases to which the mother is immune during the first few weeks of life. This explains why it is often recommended to booster the mother’s vaccinations within a few months prior to breeding.

Although very protective, maternal antibodies last for only a few weeks after this time, the puppy becomes susceptible to disease. The vaccination program should be started at about six to eight weeks of age. This is the age when many maternal antibodies are beginning to die and the puppy becomes susceptible to infectious disease. Puppies should be vaccinated against canine distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza virus, and rabies. Other vaccines are also available for certain situations, and will be discussed at the time of the first visit for vaccinations.

Maternal antibodies are passed in the mother’s milk only during the first one to three days after delivery. If, for any reason, the puppies do not nurse during this important period of time, their vaccinations should begin earlier than six weeks of age, depending on likely disease exposure. A veterinarian can make specific recommendations for each particular situation.

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Fleas In The Backyard

Just because you cant see them doesnt mean theyre not there. If your dog has a case of the fleas, there is a very good chance theyre lurking in the darkest, moistest areas of your backyard too. When it comes to outdoor flea remedies natural methods are always the best, and here are our top tips for treating fleas in the backyard.

What Do I Do To Care For The Newborn Puppies

The mother should spend most of her time with her puppies during the first few days after birth. For the first month of life, puppies require very little care from the owner because their mother will feed and care for them. In fact, in the vast majority of cases, the pet owner should not interfere with the mother’s care.

The puppies should be kept warm and should nurse frequently. They should be checked every few hours to ensure they are warm and well fed. The mother should be checked to make certain that she is producing adequate and normal-appearing milk.

“The puppies should be kept warm and should nurse frequently.”

If the mother does not stay in the whelping box the majority of the time, the puppies’ body temperatures must be closely monitored. If the puppies are cold, supplemental heating should be provided but caution needs to be taken to avoid burns as puppies do not have the same reactions to heat as adult dogs do. During the first four days of life, the newborn puppies’ box and external environment should be maintained at 85° to 90°F . The temperature may gradually be decreased to 80°F by the seventh to tenth day and to 72°F by the end of the fourth week. If the litter is large, the external temperature does not have to be kept as warm. As puppies huddle together, their body heat provides additional warmth.

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Frequently Clean The Bedding And Mother Too

Fleas do not directly attack the newborn puppies. The mother and bedding areas are also one of the fleas prime target areas. Therefore, it is highly advisable to clean the bedding areas and dog mother body thoroughly with an anti-flea method.

To clean the dog mother, use anti-fleas products from pet shops, such as nexgard or frontline, flea sprays or flea powders for carpet. Anti-fleas shampoos can help you greatly in getting rid of these tiny, blood-sucking beasts.

To clean your beddings, use hot water and insecticides as normal detergents wont be enough to get rid of eggs. Eggs are the most stubborn to get rid of. Use the insecticides according to the manufacturers instructions as each product differs in time to use their effectiveness.

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This article was co-authored by Ray Spragley, DVM. Dr. Ray Spragley is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and the Owner/Founder of Zen Dog Veterinary Care PLLC in New York. With experience in multiple institutions and private practices, Dr. Spragleys specializations and interests include non-surgical management of cranial cruciate ligament tears, Intervertebral Disk Disease, and pain management in osteoarthritis. Dr. Spragley holds a BS in Biology from SUNY Albany and has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. He is also a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist through the Canine Rehab Institute as well as a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist through Chi University.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 18 testimonials and 100% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 519,775 times.

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What Are The Signs That The Puppies Are Not Doing Well And What Do I Do

Puppies should eat or sleep 90% of the time during the first two weeks of life.

“If they are crying during or after eating, they are usually becoming ill, are not receiving adequate milk, or the mother’s milk has become infected .”

If they are crying during or after eating, they are usually becoming ill, are not receiving adequate milk, or the mother’s milk has become infected . A newborn puppy is very susceptible to infections and can die within a few hours of becoming ill. If excessive crying occurs, the mother and entire litter should be examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Puppies should gain 5-10% of their body weight daily. When the mother’s milk supply is inadequate to support this, supplemental feeding one to six times per day is recommended and should be performed routinely on any litter with greater than five puppies. There are several excellent commercial milk replacers available. They require no preparation other than warming. These milk replacers should be warmed to 95°to 100° before feeding. Its temperature can easily be tested on your forearm: it should be about the same temperature as your skin.

Any milk replacer that is used should contain optimal levels of the omega-3 fatty acid, DHA , a nutrient that is important for the development of the puppies’ brains and eyes. Goat milk is not recommended as it is far too low in protein and fat. Supplemental feeding may be continued until the puppies are old enough to eat puppy food on their own.

How To Get Rid Of Fleas

Since the 1980s, pharmaceutical companies have developed many new chemical treatments for controlling or preventing fleas. These medications are much more effective than the old flea collars. Based on how they act, those treatments can be divided in several categories:

  • Insect growth regulators available as collars, spot-on products and pills
  • Insect development inhibitors available as pills and oral liquids
  • Neurotransmitter inhibitors available as spot-on products and sprays
  • Naturally occurring neurotoxins available as spot-on products, sprays and shampoos
  • Monoamine oxidase inhibitor available as collar
  • Cell growth inhibitor available as shampoo.

The above listed treatment and prevention options are efficient for adult dogs but what about puppies? More precisely speaking, what about newborn puppies? Are there any safe ways of getting rid of fleas from newborn puppies? Fortunately, the answer is yes. However, before explaining how to get rid of fleas from newborn puppies, lets see why fleas are dangerous.

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How To Keep Fleas Off My Dog

Essential oil sprays are a great way to keep your dog free of fleas. Just mix few drops with water and use it as an insect repellent, avoiding their eyes so they dont feel irritated or get hurt by the spray! Essential oils such as citronella , peppermint rosemary eucalyptus work best for this purpose because there havent been studies indicating whether these types kill adult insects on contact but what we do know is that immediately after applying them both situations will most likely be discouraged due largely in part from how painful/irritating direct exposure would typically cause discomfort

Its Best To Wash Your Puppys Bedding Weekly Wash Everything Separately Including Blankets Sheets Pillows Toys Rugs Etc

How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Newborn Puppies  Treatment &  FAQs

If your dog only has flea dirt or minor flea bites, a combination of flea shampoo along with environment cleaning would be enough to get rid of those nasty insects. Do not forget to be gentle and give your newborn puppy your utmost care and love. Keep his sleeping spot, bedding and rugs clean by regular washing and have a flea collar on him.

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Check Your Puppys Coat

Check your puppys coat monthly. Inspect your puppys fur for signs of fleas. Look for red bumps or lumps on your puppys skin. These spots indicate that fleas have bitten your pet. Look at your puppys ears. They will appear pinkish when there are no fleas present. But if you see white flakes inside your puppys ear canal, then fleas might be hiding somewhere nearby.

Make A Homemade Flea Shampoo

Back in the day, people had old-fashioned treatments before the advent of commercial products. It was a common practice to use essential oils to repel unwanted parasites. For instance, if you wish to keep your home non-toxic but dont have fleas or ticks infesting your pets, you can use essential oils to help in that particular problem.

Youll find a lot of commercial flea shampoos in the market, but some may be unsafe for puppies under four weeks old. You dont have to use harsh chemicals to eliminate fleas and ticks. Some of these products are not environmentally friendly and are not particularly safe for your pup. So, if youre the type of dog owner who loves to wash a puppy more than once a month or so, maybe its time to reduce your pups bath time. While cleaning your dogs fur is a good practice, you should also know that you run the risk of drying out your dogs coat if you wash them frequently.

One excellent solution for this is the use of homemade dog shampoo with essential oils. These natural and homemade dog shampoos are not that hard to make and are not as complicated. Most of its ingredients are easy to acquire, some are readily available in your homes, such as baking soda. Since these are very quick and easy to make, you can try making a new DIY shampoo for your canine pal.

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How To Get Rid Of Fleas In Your Home

To treat your home for fleas, thoroughly vacuum your pups favorite spotsparticularly where they sleep. Vacuum daily to reduce the chances of an ongoing infestation.

Be sure to treat baseboards, windows, doorframes, and other areas where fleas may try to hide.

Wash your pet’s bedding, throw rugs and pillows to destroy fleas and eggs. Use foggers, powders, and sprays to kill fleas and inhibit their growth.

Dangers Of Flea Medication To Puppies

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While youre at the pet store, a bottle of flea medication or a flea collar doesnt seem harmful to you, but you have to think of things on a microscopic scale when it comes to newborn puppies.

Flea medication contains ingredients that are harmful to their bodies in more than one way.

Even after birth, puppies are still developing their internal organs, so they cant process the ingredients as well as adult dogs.

The main ingredients you want to avoid are permethrins, which challenge a puppys metabolism.

Newborn puppies dont have a strong metabolism to break down the permethrins, which leads to symptoms such as:

  • Paralysis
  • Shaking
  • Seizures

Permethrins are the most active ingredient in most flea medications, so any medication or product thats permethrin-free is most likely not going to be effective.

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