Battling Fleas Continues Into Fall: Do You Have A Plan?

                                  Who me? Fleas?

Lots of you humans think that your pets suddenly become immune to fleas just because spring and summer have faded to a lovely autumn hue. No so, my human friends! But we have some ideas to help you cope with those flea infestations...

Your dog has fleas, now what?

So you've noticed your canine has been scratching himself, he looks a little uncomfortable, and you have never dealt with a flea infestation before. What do you do?

First, be sure 

If you notice that your dog is scratching solely behind his ear, it could be a case of ear mites, or even an ear infection, according to Pet Care Rx. If you think it may be fleas, look for a small insect anywhere between half the size of an apple seed to a grain of rice. Dogs have been known to scratch themselves almost bald in spots where fleas are particularly persistent.

Fleas, because they don't have wings, jump around on the surface of your pet's fur using their strong back legs. This makes them more visible than burrowing pests, like Demodex or Scabies mites. Because fleas avoid light, the best place to look for them is on your dog's stomach or inner thighs, or anywhere on your dog's body where there's a large amount of fur.

One surefire, though unfortunate, sign of fleas is the appearance of what is called "flea dirt." This substance looks like small flakes of pepper scattered throughout your dog's coat, and is actually the insect's feces, which contains undigested blood. If you think you spot flea dirt, PetMD suggests wiping it off with a damp paper towel and letting it sit for a few minutes. If after that time the specks spread out like a blood stain, it is definitely flea dirt.

Taking action by treating your pet

There are many pet supplies that can assist you in eradicating these annoying pests. For instance, there are sprays can be applied to spots of heavy infestation, bringing comfort and relief to your dog by killing fleas for up to seven days. Sprays can also kill the eggs fleas leave behind for up to 30 days. There are also many collars on the market that will leave your dog free of fleas, as well as ticks, for up to seven months.

Or soaking your dog in a flea or tick shampoo will effectively eliminate fleas from his fur. You may want to be on the lookout for products that contain a soothing oatmeal element to help your pet be even more comfortable.

Treat your home

Only after you take care of your dog can you begin to tackle the issue of fleas in the house. You should vacuum the rug and vigorously clean the hardwood floors. Since fleas have been known to make their homes in carpets, PetCareRx suggests sealing up your vacuum bag when finished and throwing it away.

Your dog's bedding and bed need extra attention because he spends a decent amount of time there. You may want to wash your dog's bed in warm water and then dry it in the dryer, if possible. However, experts note that some synthetic beds can melt in the dryer, and if this is the case you may want to consider replacing the whole bed. 

Prevent future infestations

If you've been through one flea eradication, then you may be more inclined to take the proper measures to prevent it from happening again. Treat your dog monthly with a spot-on flea repellent or invest in a flea collar. Groom your dog daily with a fine-toothed comb to check for fleas.

Hopefully your flea extermination process goes smoothly with the help of these tips, and both you and your canine friend will enjoy relaxing hikes in the fall woods, without worry.

Note: This is a compensated post. 

Author bio: Jennifer Dombkowski - Jen has worked at Hartz for more than six years. In that time she has worked on Dog Pads, Flea & Tick products and digital marketing. In 2007, she adopted the love of her life, Bosco the Chihuahua mix, from Ramapo Bergen Animal Refuge. 

Share

And The Winner Of The Hartz Angry Bird Dog Toys Is...!

Well, it's that time again...time to utilize the mysterious Random Sequence Generator to choose a winner for our latest giveaway! So let's see who was lucky enough to win the Four Angry Bird dog toys from Hartz. There were seven  entrants so we entered the numbers one through seven in the sequence generator and...

Random Sequence Generator

Here is your sequence:

5
2
3
4
6
7
1

Timestamp: 2012-12-20 02:51:49 UTC

The first number in the sequence is number 5, and the person who left that comment is Shiloh and Shasta from the awesome blog, teambeaglewbratz! Let's all put our paws together in a round of applause for our lucky winner!

Thanks to all who pawticipated! 

P.S. We encourage you all to enter our ASPCA Gift Pack Giveaway that ends tomorrow evening-check it out here: www.boccibeefs.com/2012/12/aspcas-no-pet-store-puppies-campaign.html

Share

Hartz Holiday Angry Birds Dog Toys: Win All Four Toys For Your Four-Legged Friend!

                       Ho Ho Ho! Holiday Toys from Hartz!

Have you heard that Hartz has launched a new line of limited edition, holiday-themed Angry Bird dog toys for your favorite four-legged canine? It's true! Each of the four birds is rotund, dressed to the nines and "angry" in his or her very own way. Gotta love all of those Angry Bird toys!

    Check out the set that Parental Unit and I received below.

And this year, you've got two different ways to win these furry and squeaky toys-read on to learn how!

First,  Hartz is running a Facebook contest for four weeks (the contest started November 26th, so you still have lots of time to enter). Here are the details for the Hartz Facebook game and contest.

• There are four unique holiday Angry Birds^TM toys that will be shown in four different holiday locations that will be slowly revealed throughout the course of 4 weeks.
• Each week (Monday-Sunday) a photo of one of the toys in a distinct setting, will be featured on the Facebook application with only a small amount of the photo visible.
• As the week progresses, more and more of the photo will become visible and ultimately be fully revealed each Sunday.
• You can submit your guesses as to the location where the toy is hiding out as many times as you'd like throughout the week for a chance to win your own limited edition set of all four characters. 
• 
  
• Here I am playing with one of my very own Angry Birds. Can everyone say "What happened to the flash"? 

           Note: Please supervise your dog at all times with these and all other toys!

Now,  here's how to win the same set of four Angry Bird Dog Toys right here on Bocci's Beefs:

This giveaway will run from today, Monday December 10 through Wednesday December 19 at 8:00 pm EST, so you and all of your friends will have plenty of time to enter. The one winner will be chosen by computerized random drawing and announced on the evening of December 19.

Here are the requirements to enter:  No anonymous comments, please!

1. Sign up for our e-mail blasts and newsletters-see very top of left sidebar for the sign-up form.

2. Give this giveaway a shout-out on your Twitter or Facebook page by using the buttons below this post-easy!

  3. Comment on this post and indicate in your ONE comment that you'd like to enter this giveaway.

Note: if you choose to enter, please promptly check back to see if you won and if you're the lucky one, please send us your home address ASAP

                                                                     Good Luck!

And while you're shopping for your furry friend, check out the Hartz Holiday Gift Guide for the perfect present!

Disclosure: Hartz has kindly provided Bocci's Beefs with four Angry Bird toys and our giveaway prize. All opinions expressed herein are our own.

Share

Ho, Ho, Ho! Hartz Holiday Give-A-Way Round #2!

We're really excited about this toy from our friends at Hartz! It's called the "Tuff Stuff Nose Diver" and it's part of their family of tough durable toys that, according to the information provided by Hartz, is "made from ultra-durable ballistic nylon, and designed for serious tugging. The tightly braided cotton rope runs the length of the toy for added maximum durability."

Now, I'm not one for destroying toys, but Parental Unit is very familiar with that problem from 16 years with my predecessor, Carson, and she can't imagine this toy being destroyed, ...or even slightly maimed.

Parental Unit is particularly enamored of the design of the Nose Diver: Besides being really good looking, it's extremely well-made, very lightweight, and we think, perfect for many games of tug-o'-war!

You can check out the Hartz website right here to get the details on all of their toys: www.hartz.com.

By the way, here's a picture of the Nose Diver.

And here's a few more pictures of me playing with my Tuff Stuff Nose Diver that was sent to me as a gift for purposes of this review.

And now I've really got it!

As you recall, we'll be picking three lucky winners to receive the Tuff Stuff Nose Diver. As usual, we make it real easy to enter-that's all you have to do is comment on this post!
But do remember: You have to be an official Follower of this blog and live in either the U.S. or Canada to be eligible to win. 

Just leave your comment between now and 5:00 pm EST on Wednesday December 1st. We'll pick three numbers between one and 25 (or however many comments we receive) and circle those numbers on a calendar. Those comments that match the circled numbers are the winners, which we will announce on Wednesday evening.

And... if you enter the contest, please check back to see if you've won. When I announce the winners, I will of course head to the winners' blogs to congratulate you and ask that you send me your snail mail address to pass on to the Hartz representative. But believe it or not, not every blog has room to comment, and not everyone who will comment on this post has a blog!

Thanks and good luck to one and all!

Share