Q: I treated my dog, Sassy, for fleas last month with a topical product, and they seemed to be gone for several weeks. However, she is starting to scratch again, and I can see an occasional flea. Once you treat a pet for fleas, shouldn’t they be gone?

A: For such tiny creatures, fleas can cause huge problems in our pets and sometimes with us. They are everywhere, and in Oklahoma are a year-round problem. Even with the best prevention, a single hitchhiker flea can frequently be seen on a pet.

Today we have the best and safest preventatives ever. Your veterinarian can recommend the best product for your pet, and the easiest one for you to use safely.

The No. 1 rule of flea product usage is to use the product exactly as directed. You should NEVER use a dog product on a cat. This can result in the death of the cat.

The large numbers of veterinary products currently available are safe, very effective if used correctly, very easy to use, and come in all sizes for your favorite pet. They can be somewhat expensive but are certainly worth the money if you think about all the problems that can come with a flea infestation.

Fleas will bite us around the ankles, on the legs and anywhere else they may have access to. Humans can have allergic reactions similar to our pets. Flea allergy dermatitis in a pet is extremely uncomfortable. The saliva from a single flea bite on an allergic animal can set off a roller coaster of ailments, itching, scratching, biting and chewing, sores secondary Staph infections and bleeding, as well as sores with pus to name a few. These symptoms can last several weeks from a single flea bite.

It is important to check pets or have them checked by your veterinarian at the first sign of a problem. Hair loss or chewing on the back near the hips is textbook for a flea problem. A simple, inexpensive flea comb, is probably the easiest way to find a flea. As with all such things that affect our pets, prevention is key.

There are a number of products that are available over the counter from feed stores and department stores. Many of these products must be used with caution, and specifically to the label. Most do not function as efficiently or for the duration of most of the flea products available from your veterinarian.

Products are available as tablets or topicals. Some get only fleas, some get fleas and ticks, a few prevent heartworm disease, mites, intestinal parasites, fleas and ticks all in one. Various products, especially the topicals, may be recommended to be applied differently, so be sure you ask your veterinarian about it.

If you have a flea infestation it will require that all pets, indoor and outdoor be treated, along with the yard and house. Several safe products are available for treating the environment. Treatment must also be year-round in Oklahoma due to our humidity and mild temperatures. Most products from your veterinarian will last at least a full month. Treating once to get rid of the fleas will only welcome new fleas the next month if everything and everyone is not protected. Vigilance in prevention with reliable products is key. Visit with your veterinarian.