Luka-pop Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 My friend boarded her dog at a kennel and thinks that her dog brought home fleas. Her quetion and mine is whether there is a definite way of teling if a dog has fleas or not. Here's the email she sent me asking this, and I could really use your help. Thanks! I think my dog brought FLEAS home from the kennel! She kept on scratching herself after she got home, so I gave her a bath with a flea shampoo, then put on some CHEAP Hartz Flea+Tick control....2 days later she's scratching herself AGAIN! So I called the Vet and they said I should have used Frontline...but I can't now cuz you have to wait at least 30 days after you apply a pesticide before you apply any more. The vet recommended that I treat my house with flea "bombs" which you set off in your house to kill all fleas. After I set the "bombs" off, my family and all of the pets have to leave the house for 2 hours, come back -open the windows (so everything airs out, then leave the house for another hour. I also have to put some Hartz powder stuff on my dog while the house is being "bombed". It's the only way to make sure I get rid of all of the fleas. By the way, every flea bomb costs $10, and I'm going to need at least 3. Also, I'm still not 100% sure that she even has fleas...I didn't see her scratch herself at all today, but she was scratching last night. Do you know of any ways I can check if she definitely has fleas? I have a flea comb...but I'm not exactly sure how to use it (I got it a while ago). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 fleas leave "flea dust" on the animal. if you comb her, and it comes up a thin, dark grey almost wispy material (not like fur, but thinner and finer) then she has fleas. Flea combs are supposed to leave fur but comb out the "flea dust"....if your comb comes out with this fine wispy material, she has fleas. hope that helps. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 also, she could have allergies. Dogs do develop allergies, so if you find no flea dust that may be the next avenue to investigate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 Ick Ick Ick! I hate Hartz, every vet I've known hates Hartz, every rescuer, boarder, shelter worker, trainer, etc. I know hates Hartz. Hartz is known for not regulating safely enough the amount of active ingredients they put in thier products. Years ago, before anyone told me this, I used Harts flea shampoo on my cat, moments later he is foaming at the mouth and having trouble breathing. Vet had me re-bathe the cat thoroughly to get all the Hartz off, then bring him in. Nasty stuff. Only after that did I start asking people and find that SO many people hate the stuff. Have your friend call the vet and see if it is safe to apply flea treatment after using the Hartz. For future reference, Advantage and Frontline work great and are pretty darn safe. I use Advantage myself and have never had a problem. Flea bombs might work, but I wouldnt rely on them. The carpet powder I wont use because I hardly ever come across any made by a company other than Hartz. If her vet isnt as helpful as she would like, have her consult another vet. Never hurts to get a second or third opinion:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peng1zrule Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 you know, the "wispy stuff" was never something I noticed...but now that you mention it...yeah, there IS wispy stuff. I can always FIND fleas. Also, they leave "flea dirt" little black specks that are hard but easily crushed and, when put on a wet papertowel, dissolve into red nothingness (because it's the blood they got off the dog) Also, look at the dog's stomach, the crease of his legs, his tail, his ears, and his throat--major flea hang outs. A flea (or lice) comb taken straight over the back, or one leg, or down the throat, etc should return some white specks (flea eggs) black specks (flea dirt) or brown bugs (actual fleas) if they are present. I would suggest treating the yard with sevins dust as well...fleas spend only a portion of the time on the dog...the rest is on the ground or the floor, making homes for themselves. yee-uck! If the dog has been in the car, take no chances...treat it too. getting rid of fleas is all out warfare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luka-pop Posted August 14, 2003 Author Share Posted August 14, 2003 Yikes! Now I'm nervous about Luka getting fleas! Thanks for all the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luka-pop Posted August 14, 2003 Author Share Posted August 14, 2003 Oh, and BTW, Luka's got some black stuff in his pores on his inner tighs where he's got no fur. It's kinda like dirt or black oil embedded in his pores. Does anybody know what that might be from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted August 14, 2003 Share Posted August 14, 2003 sounds like he has fleas Luka.....when the Hartz stuff wears off, get him on Frontline or Advantage - Iknow Frontline kills everything in the house as well.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luka-pop Posted August 14, 2003 Author Share Posted August 14, 2003 But he doesn't sratch or have it anywhere else, and it's embedded into his pores, as if he had blackheads or something. Kinda like what Chinese Cresteds sometimes have around their necks. And I looked through his fur, but there was nothing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted August 14, 2003 Share Posted August 14, 2003 Both Kavik and Zaphod have been itching and shaking their heads since we came back from the beach last week - crud. Which flea treatment was it that had a poor record with BCs (not Hartz - it has a bad record with all breeds.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luka-pop Posted August 15, 2003 Author Share Posted August 15, 2003 Has anyone heard of Bio Spot? Why is it so incredibly cheap? Is somethingwrong with it? In the product description, it says it repels more that Frontline or Advantix (fleas, eggs, larvae, ticks, mosquito). And the customer reviews are all saying that it works great. But there's got to be a catch behind the cheapness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted August 15, 2003 Share Posted August 15, 2003 It could be ok - if it's a new product on the market they will often undersell the competition to get their name recognized. The Hyundai was a good example - they now cost as much as a lot of US cars... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 15, 2003 Share Posted August 15, 2003 Biospot and Hartz products are both not trustworthy. [url]www.hartzvictims.org[/url] [url]http://www.elversonpuzzle.com/biospot.html[/url] Personally I would NOT put anything on my dog that contains Permethrin, regardless if it is a monthly preventive or a shampoo or whatever. Frontline and Advantage have a better reputation and there are far less reports of ill side effects. Personally I use half the recommended dose of Advantage on my pets, and every 45 days instead of every month, and it still protects them just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.