Help, my dog has fleas!!!

StarSong

StarSong

Awkward is my Superpower
Location
Los Angeles Suburbs
I'm in a quandary. My dog picked up fleas from I-don't-know-where, but he has them. His beds are currently in the dryer at the hottest temp, and am laundering his blankets in the washer at the moment, they'll go in the dryer next.

Problem is, the insecticides in flea medicine and shampoo make Ozzy-dog sick. I'm talking very loose stools and lots of accidents, a seriously reduced appetite and occasional vomiting. :cry:

We'll try an oatmeal bath in a few minute to soothe his skin some, but other than vacuuming the house with the real vacuum, not Roomba, I don't know what to do.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 

You want to kill the eggs as well as the live fleas. Baking soda and diatomaceous earth are desiccants, meaning they will dry out the fleas and the eggs as well. You can sprinkle both on your dog and your carpets, but the caveat is that you need to leave it on for about 24 hours for it to do an adequate job.

Fleas can be killed in several days this way, but note that flea larvae can survive for months as long as it’s in the presence of organic matter, like dead skin cells, flea droppings etc and favorable environmental conditions like not too hot or cold.
 

Use a flea comb and comb the dog thoroughly focussing on the neck , head , ears and tail. Shampooing the dog, like you are doing. Shampoo until you see no more fleas. Comb directly after shampooing. Purchase a flea collar. Try to get an all natural one considering your dog is sensitive to harsh chemicals

I second the baking soda and diatomaceous earth. That’s an excellent suggestion.
 
Ronni said:
You want to kill the eggs as well as the live fleas. Baking soda and diatomaceous earth are desiccants, meaning they will dry out the fleas and the eggs as well. You can sprinkle both on your dog and your carpets, but the caveat is that you need to leave it on for about 24 hours for it to do an adequate job.

Fleas can be killed in several days this way, but note that flea larvae can survive for months as long as it’s in the presence of organic matter, like dead skin cells, flea droppings etc and favorable environmental conditions like not too hot or cold.
Click to expand...
I'm willing to do whatever it takes, Ronni. Thanks for the suggestion. DH is vacuuming now. I'm laundering everything possible, including high heat dryer cycles. Will sprinkle some baking soda on Ozzy-dog after he dries from his bath.

PeppermintPatty said:
Comb directly after shampooing. Purchase a flea collar. Try to get an all natural one considering your dog is sensitive to harsh chemicals
Click to expand...
I wish, but no can do. He's a schnauzer mix with fur can barely be brushed, never mind combed. He gets clipped every 6-8 weeks and is due for the next haircut soon.

Flea collars contain insecticide, he has no tolerance for that. 😢
 
StarSong said:
I'm willing to do whatever it takes, Ronni. Thanks for the suggestion. DH is vacuuming now. I'm laundering everything possible, including high heat dryer cycles. Will sprinkle some baking soda on Ozzy-dog after he dries from his bath.


I wish, but no can do. He's a schnauzer mix with fur can barely be brushed, never mind combed. He gets clipped every 6-8 weeks and is due for the next haircut soon.

Flea collars contain insecticide, he has no tolerance for that. 😢
Click to expand...
Here is an all natural flea collar that lasts up to two years. The reviews are good too.
Pet Protector | Flea & tick tag | Flea Prevention | 4 Years Protection

You skipped over diatomaceous earth which is probably your best suggestion yet.
Please look up diatomaceous earth for flea and bug control.
 
Oh my! Been there, done that.

Fleas can get out of control fast, and really hard to get control of things.

I had a pro come over three times, just slowed them down. This happened just before we separated. Dad bombed the house nearly 10 times after it was empty before they were under control. Two fleas can mate and make 10,000 in a month.
When you sweep the carpet, afterwards take the bag out and burn it in the trash. We used to take the dog to the lake on weekends and let it swim, this brought the dog some relief for a few days, until the ones in the house (or outdoors) got after him again. They can breed and spread outdoors too. When the dog plays or poos outside. And he brought them to bed at night. These things will keep you awake at night!

Fleas are an absolute abomination. Good luck.
 
My dogs heartworm medication contains a flea/tick medication as well. You can also get a pill that is for flea/tick prevention alone. I would call the vet and at least get that for a couple of months to get the dog relief as you deal with the problem. I have never had a problem with pests due to these medications.
 
spookycat2 said:
We got ours at the groomers. Of course, they sharply denied it. We got a groomer kit and did it at home afterwards. I highly recommend this as a preventative measure to begin with.
Click to expand...
Sounds good. I was going to suggest taking him to the groomers straight away, but your suggestion is better.

My short haired dog would start frantically scratching in the night and the only thing that would sooth her would be the fine toothed comb. So getting this little schnauzer mix's coat short enough to comb seems like a plan for now.

So sorry, StarSong. It's awful.
 
May I suggest that you also keep a close eye on your dog's stool/feces. Fleas often carry tape worms, which are passed onto the dog when it ingests the flea. Personal experience.

Had a flea infestation some years back. The inside of the house was cleaned (like you are doing now) and a pest control company came out and sprayed the house. He also sprayed the yard. Came back a week later and sprayed again. He is the one who told me that we would never get them under control unless some kind of repellent was used on the animal. We used Revolution, the liquid you place on their skin between their shoulders. There are many different kinds; maybe ask your vet?

Wishing you the best. I hate fleas!
 
Blessed said:
My dogs heartworm medication contains a flea/tick medication as well. You can also get a pill that is for flea/tick prevention alone. I would call the vet and at least get that for a couple of months to get the dog relief as you deal with the problem. I have never had a problem with pests due to these medications.
Click to expand...
The meds make him sick.
 
StarSong said:
This might work for him... We can control the dose and it'll be where he can't lick it. I'll look into this - thanks for the suggestion.
Click to expand...
I had one dog (the one who got the fleas) who couldn't stand the dog shampoos and was sensitive to many medications, but later on did tolerate the Revolution behind the shoulders that GoodEnuff mentioned. So that may be the thing that works going forward.

That dog would get very sick from her rabies vaccine until I told the vet and he gave it to her along with something else to help her tolerate it. Maybe the vet can give your little one a sedative along with a flea bath?

I had carpet and I didn't bomb, but I vacuumed a lot with some sort of powder.
 
Della said:
I had carpet and I didn't bomb, but I vacuumed a lot with some sort of powder.
Click to expand...
That's the route we're taking. Diatomaceous earth - an inert powder. Our toddler grandchildren are here on a regular basis so spraying poison throughout the home would be our last resort.

I should be clear that we are not talking about a heavy flea infestation.
Della said:
I had one dog (the one who got the fleas) who couldn't stand the dog shampoos and was sensitive to many medications, but later on did tolerate the Revolution behind the shoulders that GoodEnuff mentioned. So that may be the thing that works going forward.
Click to expand...
I'll try this, thank you!
 
I go the med route, so I can't help. I use a once a month pill that kills fleas and ticks. Ticks are the big concern around here, and I go to great lengths to protect my dog and myself from them. It's rather costly too. But I don't know what else to do.

But in thinking about it, have you tried that external application where you squeeze a tiny about onto the back of your dogs neck deep down directly on his/her skin? It works fast and they claim it lasts a month. I tried it once. It didn't last a month, but more like two or three weeks for my dog. It did seem effective and ticks were falling off him within minutes.

Of course fleas in the house are a different matter. I have no experience with that.
 
Oh, poor you!! If you buy from Amazon, look up the lighted sticky traps for fleas. There are several different kinds and pricing. They are not expensive. After I did all that you are doing, I put one on every night. When it did not have any new catches for a few days, they were most likely gone.
Good luck.....a terrible task.
 
Thanks to all for taking the time to share your flea battles. Experiences by people whose opinions I trust (including SFers) carry far more weight than product reviews by strangers.

Fortunately, we're early in the process with the fleas apparently limited to some on the dog and some on his bedding/adjacent areas. I washed and max-heat dried Ozzy's bedding and our bedding yesterday, though neither DH nor I have been bitten.

The house isn't infested and we surely don't want it to get that way. We're taking the route of spreading diatomaceous earth (powder), letting it do its magic by desiccating fleas and eggs, then vacuuming it up, first with the shop vac, then regular vacuum. Repeat the process 7 days later to catch any buggers who were missed during the first go-round.

Diatomaceous earth is inert, non toxic to humans or pets, inexpensive, and we happen to have it on hand.

I'm also investigating topical liquid flea killers that are applied between the shoulders so the dogs can't lick it.

@JustDave, ticks aren't an issue for us. Thank heavens.
 
Fritz said:
I once didn’t own a cat but the strays had fleas so bad they hitched a ride into apt and BAM I was infested. I mixed dawn, apple cider and water and sprayed the carpets 3 days straight and no more fleas.
Click to expand...
I forgot about apple cider vinegar. That does work good and can be applied to the entire dog as well as carpets and furniture.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top