Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks: Pets Edition

Pet hair can be a real nuisance — especially if you have allergies. Vacuuming is, of course, the most effective method of managing the problem — you can even vacuum your pet! — anddust wipesare great for quickly and efficiently cleaning hair from hard surfaces.

But there are other ways to keep pet hair from having to be vacuumed or dusted at all. Covering furniture and floors with machine-washable covers and rugs can be a big help, as well as choosing furniture made out of leather (fake or real), canvas or ultrasuede, all of which are easy to wipe down.

Read here for more on keeping your home free ofpet hair.

Regular grooming and bathing of your pet can really cut down on the amount of housework your dog or cat creates. While cats and dogs groom themselves, some pets occasionally need a little human help keeping clean — for your sake as well as theirs.

Depending on the breed and lifestyle of your dog, they might only need to be bathed once every three months or so.

Here is some great information on how often you shouldbathe your dog.

And don't forget about your dog's oral hygiene. Regularlybrushing your dog's teethis a must, for the dog's health and longevity, as well as for your nose.

Fleas are not only unpleasant houseguests, they're terrible for your dog. These fur-infesting pests set up shop sucking Fido's blood, but some dogs even have an allergic reaction to flea saliva, making for one miserable canine. In addition to all this unpleasantness, fleas can also causetapeworm and anemiain dogs.

最好的办法是防止你的狗让他们in the first place. Flea and tick preventatives prescribed by your veterinarian are very effective, but there are all kinds of products from shampoos to collars that can be used to combat fleas.

If your dog has fleas, here is some great information onhow to get rid of them.

As with dogs, cats are vulnerable to fleas. It's more difficult to bathe a cat covered in the insects, but fortunately the veterinarian-prescribed topical medications work as well for them as they do for dogs. Cats often don't like the smell of flea collars, but if you try one, vets most often recommend ones containinginsect growth regulators (IGRs), which prevent larval fleas from maturing.

Here is a lot more information aboutgetting rid of the fleason your feline friends.

Killing the fleas on your pet only takes care of part of the problem — once fleas have set up shop in your home, it can takethree to four monthsto eradicate them because the existing eggs you don't find and clean up must cycle through all their life stages.

That said, the vacuum and washing machine are your friends — vacuum all furniture and wash all pet beds, blankets and rugs. Fumigate your house yourself or invite in a pest control service to treat your house and yard. Most important: be patient! Read here for more information aboutgetting rid of fleasif they've taken up residence in your home.

If you own a dog or cat, you may one day have to deal with the stink of your curious friend's encounter with a skunk. If you've ever had the pleasure, the smell is not easily forgotten, nor is it easily removed. The first thing to remember is this: Don't bring your stench-afflicted animal in the house or the odor will spread and you will be sorry. Do all the treatments outside. Here's information on what to do if yourdog is sprayed by a skunk. If it's your formerly sweet-smelling feline buddy with the new stinky scent,read on.