Introduction
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A lot of pets, especially dogs and cats, are prone to ticks and fleas invasion all around them. The risk is too high and this has made pet owners have sought many solutions to keep their pets safe and free from these attacks.
Although a variety of topical spot-on and oral medications are more used to combat fleas, flea collars are still great alternatives and very preventive against the fleas troubling your furry friends.
These collars are mainly used on pets that aren’t yet infested. It serves as a preventive measure taken to keep fleas off your pet’s body.
Flea collars are good choices for averting pest attacks, but they’re not that powerful in curing an already infested pet.
With no idea of how these flea collars work, picking out the one suitable for your pet may be a complicating thing to do. Understanding how it works and its application can help you make the right choices when getting one for your pet.
In this article, we will be explaining much about flea collars, the way it works and how safe it is to use. Also, you can read on about your pet’s hygiene, especially a guide on how to brush the teeth of your cats and dogs easily.
Flea Collar Designs
The evolution of flea collar has been geared towards improving your pet’s safety and their owners. Older flea collar designs aren’t a good fit for the well being of your pets. The strong chemicals it comes with are coated on the surface of the collars which is not quite safe. This way, the strong ingredients don’t spread consistently and may not last long.
However, newer collars have been built with much consideration. The strong elements are embedded in the flea collars instead of being coated on the surface. The spread of the chemicals is consistent till it’s used up. The chemicals used in these newer collars are not that harsh. Moreover, they are highly effective in protecting your pets from fleas for up to 8 months.
The way Flea Collars Work
Owing to recent developments, the flea collars built are able to last for months and effectively. However, these collars serve two main purposes:
To Repel: These collars are particularly active at repelling pests. They keep fleas off your pets via the gases they emit.
To Treat: These collars don’t repel, instead, they treat on contact. It has some strong elements present in it that circulates via your pet’s natural skin oil to other body parts.
This treatment collar is of two types; one kills the fleas on contact when it bites. The second doesn’t give room for any flea to bite before it kills them. It emits the strong elements in it instead, which kills on contact. Fleas don’t need to bite.
Why Should You Use a Flea Collar
You can afford them than most spot-on medications. But watch out for pretty inexpensive ones, they might not be quite powerful.
Unlike the spot-on treatments for fleas that stay active for 4 weeks or a bit more, most flea collars can last for up to 8 months or more.
Are flea Collars Safe? The Risks and Safety Tips
This depends on the kind of collar you use, the way you use the flea collars, or how long you make use of it. They sell these collars with the right dosage of strong ingredients that will suit the weight of your pet. Do not be tempted to overdose your larger pets thinking their large size requires more. The absorption of the excess chemicals by the skin can cause severe side effects, especially skin irritation around the collar area of such pet. Read on how to shed a dog.
Generally, there are chemical reactions that come with any medication. This is also applicable to flea collars. Your pet’s neck area can begin to have certain reactions. However, you should closely watch your pet’s neck area for some days for any reaction. Below are some tips that can help you when using a flea collar.
- Steer clear of flea collars containing a neurotoxin called “tetrachlorvinphos TCVP”. Undoubtedly, these chemicals are powerful flea killers but are proven to be very unsafe for pets and humans. They are carcinogen chemicals which doesn’t just attack the central nervous system of fleas, but that of humans too.
- Let every collar used on any pet be meant for that particular pet. The collars meant for dogs can be very fatal to cats. So, don’t use them on cats.
- Try as much as possible to keep kids away from these collars no matter which type it is. If you happen to touch these collars with your bare hands, have them washed before you touch any part of your body, especially sensitive parts like your eyes, noses, etc.
- Make sure you regulate the usage of these collars on your pets. You shouldn’t have your pets wear them the whole day. Moreover, if your pet takes spot-on or oral medications, you should limit the collar usage as you won’t want to overdose it which may be harmful.
The Effective Hack – Turn Your Vacuum Cleaner into a Flea Killer
Aside from having your pets put on these collars to ward off fleas, a great way to use flea collars is with your vacuum cleaner when tiding up your surroundings. Have the collars chopped into pieces and placed in a vacuum bag of your vacuum cleaner. When this is done, you can begin your normal cleaning. What happens is that the presence of the flea collar in the vacuum would help eliminate the fleas and ticks lurking around somewhere in your home.
Conclusion
With this article, hopefully, you now have an understanding of the way flea collars function. When getting them for your pets, it should be with the right dosage of chemicals that will be okay for your furry friends. If you get too confused about this, you should meet a veterinarian for help. Also, make sure you use them safely to ensure your pets stay safe as well as your household.