What Are Fleas?
Fleas are the most common external parasite found on dogs. Flea infestations can cause itchy, painful skin conditions on your dog. Fleas feed on your dog’s blood to reproduce. Once they have infested a host, fleas begin feeding almost immediately. The female fleas begin laying eggs (starting about 24 hours after feeding began). These eggs will fall off and land in the infested dog’s environment. The eggs eventually become adult fleas that are ready to find a new host and begin the life cycle all over again.
When Are Fleas Most Active?
Some people may think you don’t need to worry about fleas in the wintertime. However, this isn’t the case. While the risk of flea infestations may be lower during the winter, they can occur at any point throughout the year, regardless of the weather. Outdoors, fleas can survive in microenvironments that maintain the right conditions, and they can survive indoors year-round.
It Only Takes a Few Fleas to Cause an Infestation
Flea families grow fast. A single female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day, and it doesn’t take long for a few fleas to become a full-blown infestation.2 NexGard chews kill adult fleas before they get the chance to lay eggs, preventing an infestation.
Looking for Flea Dirt
You can also examine your dog’s skin for “flea dirt,” or flea feces.3 To know if what you’re seeing is flea dirt and not just actual dirt, you can perform a flea dirt test. Pick up some of the black flecks with a flea comb. When smeared on a damp paper towel, flea dirt will turn red.
How to Prevent a Flea Infestation
Flea infestations can be costly, frustrating, and time-consuming to treat. Adult fleas can lay up to 50 eggs per day. As a result, it doesn’t take long for one tiny flea to turn into a huge problem. However, you can prevent infestation if all the pets in your home are treated with flea protection. It means that, even if a flea finds its way to your dog, the flea will die before it has the chance to lay eggs.
Ending infestations is a long and difficult process, but preventing them can be easily done in one delicious, beef-flavored dose. Administer NexGard flea protection every month to kill adult fleas before they have a chance to reproduce.
Telltale signs of fleas in your home include:
Connect With Your Vet
NexGard chews are #1 vet-recommended for a reason.4 Once you have a prescription from your vet, you can purchase NexGard chews from them in clinic or through their online pharmacy. Use our search tool below to start the NexGard chewable conversation.
Search to see if your vet carries NexGard chews
Make Monthly Flea and Tick Protection Delicious
Get NexGard Chews From Your Vet
Ask your vet about NexGard chews—they’re the flea and tick protection vets recommend most.4
Give Your Dog NexGard Chews
NexGard chews are bite-sized doses of beef-flavored deliciousness, and dogs love them.5
Enjoy Protection
Each dose of NexGard chews lasts for a full month of adventure, and you’ll love how easy it is to protect your pet.
The Fleas on Your Dog Are a Fraction of the Total Population
Adult fleas—the ones that live on an infested dog—make up only about 5% of the total population. Flea eggs, larvae, and pupae make up the other 95%, and they live in an infested dog’s environment. NexGard chews offer systemic protection for your dog, protecting them from tip to tail and killing adult fleas before they can lay eggs and cause an infestation.
Fleas Can Be Found Almost Anywhere
Fleas are resilient. Outdoors, they prefer areas that are shaded and sheltered, such as under or around shrubs, decks, and fence lines. Indoors, evidence of a flea infestation can be found anywhere—in carpets, dog beds, furniture, and even the cracks of your wood floors. A monthly dose of NexGard chews will protect your dog no matter where the two of you go together.