Having a newborn puppy at home is exciting. It is experiential, and you learn how to care for them each day.
However, having a newborn puppy also means a high risk of them contracting various infections. Therefore, you must take good care of them so that they stay healthy and disease-free.
Newborn puppies are susceptible to getting infested with fleas due to their soft and fluffy coats. Fleas bite and irritate their skin, making them feel uncomfortable.
So, how do you keep your puppies safe from fleas? How to get rid of fleas on newborn puppies? Here’s an in-depth explanation of how to deal with fleas on newborn puppies.
What To Do Before Getting Rid Of Fleas On Newborn Puppies
Fleas can be a terrible nuisance, especially for puppies. Their delicate skin can easily get irritated due to this.
So, you must take adequate measures to keep their skin from getting irritated due to flea attacks.
Here are the steps you must follow before getting rid of fleas on newborn puppies.
Separate The Puppies
The first thing you need to do when you identify that your newborn puppies have fleas is to separate them. Remove them from the area so that they are away from fleas.
You can temporarily place them in the bathroom while you tend to the fleas. Ensure that the place where you keep the puppies has no carpeting.
While the puppies are away, you can tend to the fleas and keep the area free from them. So, once everything is cleared and things get back to normal, the pups can come back to the same place.
Wash The Bedding
Once you separate the puppies, the next thing to do is wash the bedding. It ensures that nothing in it would attract the fleas again.
Once you remove the puppies from the area, collect the bedding and put them to wash. If the fabric can handle it, it’s better to wash it with hot water. It ensures that all remnants and traces are cleaned thoroughly.
However, even if you don’t use hot water, the detergent should be strong enough to kill the fleas and clean the bedding well.
Finally, run them through the dryer or hang them to dry outside. It will help eliminate any remnants that made it through the wash.
Put Baking Soda.
Once the bedding is washed and dried, sprinkle some baking soda. It will help to dry out fleas and kill flea larvae effectively. Let it sit overnight and vacuum in the morning for the best results.
It will ensure that the bedding is thoroughly cleaned to eliminate any traces of fleas and remnants. The bedding will be completely dried out and ready to use.
Cleaning the bedding well is essential to keep your puppies safe from any new flea attacks or from getting traces of the remnants.
Treat The Mother
If you have a newborn puppy with fleas, then the mother is likely to fall under this category. So, you need to treat the mother as well.
It is advisable to treat all dogs above eight weeks of age with flea remover medicine. These medicines work from the inside out to help get rid of fleas before they get on your dog and start to multiply.
They can also help reduce ticks and prevent parasite infections, like heartworms, that your dog can get from mosquito bites.
You may need to reapply for the medicine every month. It is effective for both indoor and outdoor pets.
How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Newborn Puppies
Now that you have done all the background work required before getting rid of fleas on your newborn puppies, it’s time to get into action.
Now is when you start getting rid of fleas on your puppies. Here are the steps that you need to follow.
Make-A Homemade Flea Shampoo
Newborn puppies are delicate and prone to allergies and show reactions to various chemicals used in commercial shampoos.
Some of these products are not environmentally friendly and use harsh chemicals to eliminate fleas. They may not be the best option when getting rid of fleas on your newborn puppies.
These shampoos also dry out your dog’s coat, especially if you wash it frequently. Therefore, the best option is to use homemade flea shampoo.
Homemade flea shampoos are simple to make with easy-to-find ingredients like baking soda. You may also create DIY dog shampoo with natural essential oils for dogs with fleas infestation.
You must combine a few drops of essential oils such as lavender, lemongrass, or citronella in a spray bottle and a teaspoon of mild dog shampoo. Then, shake it well to mix the components.
Apply shampoo all over your puppy’s body. Take care not to allow the foam to get into your puppy’s eyes, nose, and ears.
Wash The Puppy’s Fur.
The next step is to give your dog a proper shower to get rid of everything on their bodies. It is a challenging task to convince your dog to have a bath.
Using warm water to help your puppy feel comfortable during the bath is best. However, remember not to make it too hot because your newborn puppy’s skin is extremely sensitive.
The water should be the same temperature as the warm water you use to bathe a newborn baby.
The warm water forces fleas and parasites out of your puppy’s coat. It also helps wash your puppy’s hair better.
You can use a portable dog washer or kitchen sprayer to wash your puppy’s fur.
Prepare The Sink
Next; you need to prepare your kitchen sink to wash your puppy. Fill your kitchen sink with warm water to wash your puppy. If your kitchen sink is too small, you can use a big clean basin.
Add a few drops of essential oil to the water in the sink or basin and mix it thoroughly. It helps kill fleas that come off the puppy during its bath.
Apply Shampoo On Your Puppy
Spray the solution thoroughly onto your puppy’s fur using a spray bottle. Apply it all over your puppy’s body and work it into a lather using your hands.
Ensure the solution doesn’t come into contact with your puppy’s eyes while washing, as it could sting.
Remember to thoroughly wash hard-to-reach areas like the base of the tail, down the spine, and the skin under the forearms and chest.
Let the solution sit on your puppy’s fur for five minutes to eliminate as many fleas as possible. Also, ensure your puppy doesn’t ingest the shampoo residues, which can become toxic in large amounts.
Rinse And Dry Your Puppy
Gently pour cups of warm water or use the kitchen sprayer to wash all over your puppy’s body. Rinse your dog well in warm water.
Towel dry it and place it on a wrapped heating pad to help make it feel comfortable after the shower. As the heating pad keeps your puppy warm, it will prevent hypothermia while its fur is still wet.
Remove The Fleas
You can use a flea comb to brush through your puppy’s fur. Adding petroleum jelly to the comb helps fleas stick to it. Remember to concentrate on the tail, armpits, and between the puppy’s toes.
You must use combs with delicate spikes when removing fleas and other parasites. Start combing at the neck and do one section at a time until you have combed and eliminated all the fleas.
Remember to be gentle and not force the comb into your puppy’s skin, as it could cause damage. You must kill the fleas as soon as you remove them from your puppy’s fur.
If you don’t do so, these fleas will go back into your puppy’s fur or go to another dog.
Dipping the comb in rubbing alcohol will also help to comb off the fleas effectively. Fill a bowl with rubbing alcohol and soak the comb to destroy the fleas and their eggs.
Use blunt-tipped tweezers to remove fleas from around your puppy’s ears and face. Soaking the tweezers in a glass of rubbing alcohol will help to kill the fleas effectively.
Change The Bedding
Finally; you need to change your puppy’s bedding and replace it with new ones. It’s essential to eliminate the insects in their environment to avoid re-infection.
Change your puppy’s linen, including blankets, pillows, and towels. It will prevent fleas and other parasites from re-infesting your puppy when you put it back on its comfortable bedding.
Why Can’t You Use Flea Treatment On Young Puppies?
Although many flea treatments are available for adult dogs, these will not suit newborn puppies. One of the primary reasons for this is the delicacy of their internal organs. Newborn puppies are more prone to experiencing side effects than adult dogs.
Some side effects they may experience include vomiting, breathing issues, and oversensitivity to sound and light. They may even become lethargic due to low energy levels.
Most flea products have not been tested on young puppies, and warn against using them on the same.
A newborn puppy’s metabolism is also not developed well enough to break down the chemical, which can then build up in its system. It could lead to life-threatening symptoms, including nerve damage, paralysis, and seizures.
How Do Dogs Get Fleas
The most common way dogs get fleas is from the grass in your backyard or local park. They could be transmitted from other animals, like raccoons and foxes, who may have trespassed the area and transmitted fleas to the ground.
Another way your dog might catch fleas is from other dogs and pets that come to the local park.
Since newborn puppies are more prone to catching fleas, avoiding such exposure is best. We can do this by introducing indoor puppy games that provide excellent physical and mental stimulation.
Conclusion
Fleas can be highly irritating to the delicate skin of newborn puppies. You can eliminate fleas on newborn puppies by using a homemade flea shampoo and combing its fur.
Ensure to thoroughly clean and replace your puppy’s bedding so that there is no way for the fleas to get back into it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Get Rid Of Fleas On A Three-Week-Old Puppy?
You can groom them using a flea comb or use a pair of tweezers to get rid of them manually. Also, clean and replace the bedding and treat the mother dog.
At What Age Can You Start A Flea Treatment On A Puppy?
Topical flea treatments can be started on a puppy from six to eight weeks.
Can Fleas Kill Puppies?
Fleas bite puppies which can cause skin irritation due to scratching. However, if there are many fleas, newborn puppies can become anemic due to blood loss which can prove fatal.
