So your four-legged friend has fleas, huh? Dogs and cats alike are susceptible to these nasty little pests, but I'm mostly going to be focusing on dogs here - only because I have 2 of them, and I'm writing from experience. Not only can the process of controlling these little buggers be frustrating, but also expensive, time-consuming, and - oh yeah, did I mention frustrating?!

I'm broke. So, starting out, I wanted to try and buy the "bargain brands" to get rid of the fleas. DON'T do this! It's a waste of money, time, and it's only going to make you more frustrated when your fleas come back a week after you bomb and clean your house. Of course, every person and pet reacts differently to each and every product, but let me just say this - there's a reason Frontline can charge so much! If you want to rid your house and pets of fleas, you're going to have to suck it up and spend the extra cash for the hardcore products.

Here's what you need to remember :

• Amazon.com is your friend! They carry all of the same products as 1-800PetMeds and other pet medication websites, but you can buy them for a fraction of the cost. Big deal in the economy of today!
  
• When you give your dog Frontline (or whichever flea preventative you choose, I recommend Frontline), be sure to apply at least 48 hours after your pet has a had a bath and wait another 48 hours to give another bath. The medication in these products uses the oils in your dogs skin to get into their system.  Make sure you order the correct Frontline for your dogs weight.
  
• If you choose to use flea carpet powder before vacuuming your house, let it settle for about an hour. Also, use an old broom to really push the powder into the carpet. Be sure you and your pets are out of the house when you use any kind of flea-killing chemical, powder, or other products. They can harmful, or even fatal, effects!
• When you vacuum, pull out ALL the furniture. Make sure you get corners, closets, and under the cushions on your furniture. Just leave the furniture pulled out, because when you spray your fogger or spray you'll want to get the chemical behind and under furniture also. Then push back in and spray again where furniture was pulled to, and also spray on furniture, under cushions, and on cushions. You'll also want to let this product dry before you or your pet come back in the house.
• After you've got your house and pet de-bugged, make sure to spray your yard with an insecticide also! You can buy these at virtually any grocery or convenient store (Target, Walmart, Dollar General, etc). Spray the yard good, especially where your pet frequents!
  

Ridding your home and pet of fleas is a big job. Make sure you have an entire day to tackle this one. What worked best for me was making myself a schedule. There are so many steps in this process, it's best to have them in order before you get started. Goes a little something like this:

1. Make sure you have all of the products you need: medicated oatmeal shampoo (you don't need flea shampoo), an over-the-counter pill called Capstar, Frontline or a similar flea preventative, a flea spray/fogger called Knockout (this was recommend to be by my veterinarian), flea carpet powder (if you choose), and an outdoor insecticide or pesticide.
   
2. At least 48 hours before your flea-killing endeavor, give your pet(s) a bath. I recommend using a medicated oatmeal shampoo. Remember, you can buy any of your pet products from Amazon.com for less than what you would pay at the store, vet, or pet medication website. This type of shampoo soothes your dogs' skin, especially if they have flea allergy dermatitis (like my basset hound.)
3. The day you have set aside for the event, you may want to have 2 people. One to sit outside with your pet(s), and the other to do all the dirty work inside. Once you have your pets outside, give them the Capstar. (If your dog doesn't like taking pills, shove it in a piece of soft cheese or peanut butter. Always works for my guys.) The Capstar kills all of the adult fleas on your dog within 4 hours. In some cases, you can actually see the fleas falling off of your dog. If your dog is extra itchy during this - don't worry, that's normal. And if the fleas do come back, in which case that creepy vein in your head or neck will be about to explode, it's safe to use again in the next 24 hours.
   
4. While your dog(s) and partner-in-crime are outside enjoying the beautiful day, head inside to start your job. If you're going to use a powder, go ahead and throw that on the carpets now. (Make sure you pull out your furniture and get the powder under there too!) Let it settle for about an hour, and make sure you brush it into the carpet with an old broom. Go ahead, take a break and enjoy the great outdoors while the powder settles.
5. Your next step is simple and complicated in one word: vacuum. Your best bet is to use a vacuum with a new bag that you can dispose of when you're done; or if your vacuum is more modern and the canister can be emptied, be sure the trash bag you're emptying into is disposed of after you're done with the house. And don't forget to move the furniture around, making sure you get under everything! Fleas love to hide in and under furniture, so be sure you vacuum the actual furniture also. It doesn't hurt if your vacuum gets cleaned (filters, canister, extensions, etc.) to the best of your ability when you're finished, also. (I cleaned mine during the next step:)
6. The next product you need is your Knockout. This is a vet-recommended product that comes in 2 different sized cans. I would suggest getting the larger one, which also continues to kill fleas for up to 7 months. You may want to wear disposable gloves (just in case) and/or a mask if you have a fairly large house and you'll be inhaling the Knockout. Spray this baby wherever you can. On the furniture, under the furniture, cracks, corners...pretty much everywhere. Just make sure if you have any food sitting out (including dog food) to cover it or put it away, and if you decide to spray your bathroom (I did) to put your toothbrushes in a place where they won't be affected. Once you've obsessively attacked every inch of your home, go ahead and take another break while the Knockout dries.
7. Once the Knockout is completely dry (give it another hour), head back inside with your beloved pets and lazy friend or spouse that didn't have to a darn thing the whole time. When you administer the Frontline, you want to empty the 1-month dosage directly onto the dogs' skin. Also, probably keep the collar off until the stuff dries - it can be a greasy and messy. So, part their fur until you have some skin exposed, and apply in a circular motion until the pipette is empty. Once you've had fleas, you're more paranoid about them coming back, so I would suggest using Frontlne monthly to prevent another infestation - during flea season, at least.
8. Don't forget to spray the yard with pesticide or insecticide. All around the house, in the yard, and around trees. This also helps keep the fleas (and other bugs!) away.

Hopefully this comes in helpful to dog owners in need! I know when my dogs had fleas, I felt so bad for them I could just cry. It's tough to watch your pet in discomfort every day, and you'll feel so much better when your pet are no longer being pestered by flea bites. Don't forget to use oatmeal shampoo to soothe the bites, and you can even ask your vet what dosage of Benadryl you can give your dog to help relieve itching also. Good luck!