4 Steps to Get Rid of Fleas and Ticks on Your Pet

Fleas and ticks on dogs and cats can occur nearly anytime and anywhere — causing problems for your pet, from an annoying itch to infections to more serious and costly health issues. That's why taking steps to prevent parasites is such an important part of your dog's and cat's overall health and quality of life.

Read on for steps you can take to protect yourself and your pets and minimize the risk of a flea and tick infestation.

How to Get Rid of Fleas and Ticks

Removing fleas and ticks from your home — and your life — is a four-stage process that requires diligence and patience. Here's what you'll need to do.

Stage One: Treat your pet for fleas and ticks

Not only is it likely that fleas and ticks are hitching a ride into your home by hiding in your pet's fur, but fleas also lay eggs there. So if you want to rid your home of fleas it's best to start with removing them from your pet. Here is how to treat your pet for fleas:

• Bathe your pet with a flea and tick shampoo that's formulated to kill flea eggs, as well as fleas. This will help prevent eggs from hatching and causing future infestations. If your cat or dog has sensitive skin or a skin condition, ask your vet to recommend a flea and tick shampoo that's safe for their skin.¹ "There's also a product out there, available from your veterinarian, that is very effective," says Dr. Jeff Werber in an interview with CareCredit. "It's almost like a flea bath. Within 30 minutes, every flea on that dog is dead."
• Use a flea comb, which has fine teeth designed to catch fleas and separate them from the fur, and comb your pet to remove dead fleas and ticks. Inspect them as you go for any that survived the bathing process.¹ Use fine-point tweezers to remove any ticks that are still attached to the skin.²
• Wash your pet's bedding in hot water to kill any parasites or eggs hiding there. Dry it on the hottest heat setting if using your dryer.¹

Stage Two: Remove fleas and ticks from your home

In addition to treating your pets, it's also important to treat their environment. Even in pet-free homes, parasites can gain entry by hitching a ride on your shoes or clothing. Visitors can also carry fleas and ticks into your home.

Keep parasites like ticks and fleas from taking over your home with these steps:^1,3

• Brush and bathe your pets frequently.
• Vacuum the furniture and floors, including baseboards.
• Wash your pet's bedding and toys regularly.
• Steam clean carpets and upholstery to kill fleas at all stages of life.

Stage Three: Treat your yard for fleas and ticks

Reduce the risk of your pet picking up fleas or ticks in your yard with these tips:

• Trim grass, trees and shrubs frequently so parasites have fewer areas in your yard to live and breed.³
• Keep your yard free of piles of tree and plant limbs, leaves and other debris.¹
• Treat your lawn with a pet-friendly and non-toxic flea and tick yard treatment; consult a pest control expert about options that will be safe for pets.
• Vacuum the inside of your car frequently if you give rides to your pets.⁴
• Keep pets indoors during the height of flea and tick season.⁴
• Spread cedar chips in areas where your pet likes to hang out, to help repel fleas.¹
• Consider fencing your yard, or patching holes in current fencing, to help keep other parasite-carrying animals out of your backyard.¹

Stage Four: Flea and tick prevention strategies

It's important to treat your dog or cat with a parasite preventive product that's designed to kill fleas and ticks before they can potentially cause serious health problems in your pets. The best type of parasite preventive treatment can depend on your climate, your pet's breed and their overall health. Talk to your veterinarian about the most effective options for your cat or dog.

Tick and flea treatments are available as both prescription and over-the-counter products and can include:

• Oral medications: Typically given once a month or once every three months, oral flea and tick medications require a prescription from your vet and come in the form of a tasty treat. They kill ticks and flea larvae and disrupt the flea life cycle to prevent them from breeding, although they don't kill adult fleas.³ Some flea and tick meds are combined with heartworm prevention for a convenient all-in-one parasite solution, so ask your vet about what's best for your pet. Depending on the size of your pet and the brand of medication you choose, you can expect to pay anywhere from $20 to treat cats and small dogs to $170 or more for large breed dogs.⁵
• Topical medications: Topical flea and tick medication is applied once a month to the skin on the back of your pet's neck, underneath the fur. These come in both prescription and over-the-counter varieties. While less convenient to use, unlike oral medications, they work to kill adult fleas.³ It's important to purchase the right formula for the size and weight of your pet and closely follow the application directions to prevent harm to your pet.¹ Again, depending on factors such as your pet's size and which medication you choose, prescription topical flea and tick treatments can run you anywhere from $30 to $130.⁶
• Flea and tick collars: Collars can provide inexpensive flea and tick prevention, although their effectiveness depends on the severity of the infestation and on how well the chemicals in the collar transfer to your pet's skin. Some pets have allergic reactions to flea and tick collars, so if you use one, watch for excessive scratching at the site of the collar. If you think your pet might be having an adverse reaction to a flea collar, discontinue use and contact your vet.³ For cats, you can find flea and tick collars starting at around $3, with some brands running as high as $63.⁷ You'll find a similar price range for dog flea and tick collars.⁸
• Flea and tick repellents: While they don't kill parasites, repellents in the form of powders, sprays or wipes can prevent fleas and ticks from attaching to your pet in the first place. Sprays and powders can irritate the eyes, mouth and lungs, so take care not to apply them near the eyes, nose or mouth.³ This is another affordable option that typically costs between $5 and $20.⁹

At What Age Should Puppies or Kittens Begin Flea Treatment?

Because puppies and kittens are especially vulnerable to anemia caused by fleas, it's important to stay vigilant in preventing flea infestations in very young pets by combing and bathing them regularly, and starting them on flea prevention as soon as they're old enough.¹⁰ Most flea and tick medications are safe for puppies eight weeks and older, although some are safe for pups as young as four weeks, so if fleas are really bad, talk to your vet.¹¹

Kittens shouldn't begin oral or topical flea treatments until they weigh two pounds or more, which they typically reach between eight and ten weeks of age.¹⁰ In any case, you should always discuss it with your vet before administering insecticides to infant pets.

How Long It Takes to Get Rid of Fleas

Getting rid of fleas can take time. The combination of a topical medication on your pets and a thorough cleaning of your home can vastly reduce the number of fleas you're dealing with in just a day or two, but it may take weeks for all the remaining fleas in your environment to die off.¹

Because the life cycle of the flea takes approximately three months to complete, you'll need to be vigilant with your pet's medication and environmental management of your home for at least this amount of time. It could take longer depending on various factors, including:

• The size of your property
• The number of your pets
• Type of treatments
• Severity of the infestation

Only patience, persistence and diligence will keep fleas and ticks at bay for good.

Common Flea and Tick Health Concerns for Pets

They may be tiny, but if left unchecked, fleas and ticks can have a huge impact on the health and well-being of both the humans and animals living in your household. Apart from itching and discomfort, here are just a few of the health problems presented by fleas and ticks.

Flea allergy dermatitis

Many dogs and cats have an allergic reaction to the saliva contained in flea bites, which causes an inflammatory response that can lead to severe itching, redness and hair loss.¹²

Anemia

Severe flea infestations on your pet can result in enough blood loss to cause anemia, a condition resulting from an abnormally low level of red blood cells. This condition can be fatal to puppies and kittens. Senior pets, as well as cats and dogs with compromised health, are also at risk if fleas are left unchecked.¹³

Zoonotic diseases

A zoonotic illness can affect both animals and humans.¹⁴ While ticks carry several disease-causing organisms that can infect your dog or cat, they also carry serious illnesses, like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,¹⁵ that can infect humans. Fleas can transmit plague to humans.¹⁶

Parasites

While fleas are themselves a type of parasite, they can also carry even smaller parasites, like tapeworms, and transmit them to both pets and humans through their bites, usually in the form of eggs or larvae.¹⁶

Be Proactive About Flea and Tick Prevention

Be sure to notify your vet if you think your pet might be suffering from any type of parasite. It's also a good idea to talk to your vet about a year-round prevention plan to help keep your pets free from fleas and ticks. By taking steps to reduce the chances of an infestation, you can save time and money and maintain the good health of your pet.

CareCredit Financing for Flea and Tick Treatments

Taking good care of your pet's well-being from nose to tail is essential. Make sure to stay up to date on their regular checkups at the vet to help keep your pet happy and healthy for a lifetime of love. You can use your CareCredit credit card for pet care throughout the year for routine veterinary services as well as emergencies and surgeries.* Apply today  and use our Acceptance Locator to find a veterinarian near you that accepts CareCredit.

CareCredit is there for you and your pet every step of the way; continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your account, find a provider on the go, and easily access the Well U hub for more great articles, podcasts, and videos.

Author Bio

Jean Marie Bauhaus is a freelance writer and novelist with eight years of experience. Her work has appeared on Hill's Pet, Chewy and AKC.org, and more.

Our Experts

Dr. Elizabeth Racine is a small animal general practice veterinarian and freelance writer. She covers both human and veterinary medicine with a special interest in nutrition, internal medicine, and veterinary behavior.