Flea Killer
Most dogs will at some point in their lives or another attract the dreaded flea. And it usually doesn't need a trained eye to spot a heavy flea infestation. If your dog is often to be found scratching or biting its coat, or showing some other signs of discomfort then it probably has fleas. A quick run through the coat with a fine comb metal will often reveal the offending little blighters, but sometimes you may not find them because pets (especially cats) will groom them out of their coats. In this case, a simple check is to sit your dog on a large piece of white paper and rub its back vigorously for a couple of minutes. Any flea droppings will fall onto the paper. Transfer these onto some damp cotton wool and leave to stand for a minute or two. If you can then see red spots on the cotton wool, your dog has fleas (as flea droppings contain blood from the dog). Treatment is then required, and quickly before they spread!
Treatment for Fleas
It is better to prevent a flea infestation in the first place than to try and eliminate one later. However, it is often difficult to know the source of a flea infestation until you already have one. Most treatments work either by killing adult fleas or by weakening the larvae. Because treatment usually only affects fleas in one of their life stages it is important to supplement any treatment with diligent cleaning of your dog's bedding.