Shaving coat to the skin in summer because of ticks, fleas, etc
 

Does anyone here shave their yorkies as close as possible so to get to the god awful little fleas or ticks that your fur baby keeps biting but you can't see them because the hair it is too thick?

Well I did it this year just with a good mens Phillips beard trimmer and I was able to get a really short cut just like a summer cut at the groomers. And this time it was great because when all the hair is gone, I was able to see the nasty little critters like look like specs of black pepper.

And they are strong has hell and super smart as they go under any hair to escape and you can't just pinched them they won't die. What I found out was to squeeze and hold on them and put them in a bowl of water and they just sink to the bottom and die.

I feel great sense of accomplishment as my benny skin has blisters and pimples from their bites it's quire damaging but they're all gone. I was able to kill about 8 of them. :coolsmile

NOTE: I actually did this about a month ago and only shaved his body and left the legs alone and was able to find and kill about 7 of them so I thought it was the end of that. Well, today I had to shave his legs too because for the last weeks he keeps biting and licking that area but I can't seem to find anything until today after I shaved this legs, a bunch of them scurried around and I was able again to catch them and put them under water.

If you don't do that, they will escape and hop away like a super bug and you'll lose them. So right now he's shaved to skin from neck to foot so any fleas or ticks I will able to catch them at least until this hot and muggy summer is over I probably won't have to this again next summer. But I will if I have to because it's totally worth it.

Poor little guy :( Do you have him on a flea preventative? Also, if you bathe him in dawn dish soap, that will kill them. I hope you get rid of the fleas... We had an issue with them last year but haven't had any problems this year. They are horrible!

:thumbup: This is so true. I learned this back years ago when I had ferrets. We had a flea problem and no shampoo worked. I tried dawn just to try it and all the little fleas just came right off.

To get the fleas off I would use dawn to bathe them in and keep them on a flea and tick preventive.

I give my dogs flea preventitive only in the summer months and do not have an issue with flea's at all - even during winter or spring months.

Poor little man i use frontline spot-on for fleas and ticks it lasts 3 months between applications, you can get it on-line,hope this helps :)

If I were you, I'd ask the vet about this, hopefully he can give you something. You can't possibly find all of them, they are in his bed and blankets and elsewhere in the house. Some people have to treat their yards as well. Here's some more information: Getting Rid of Fleas in the House

flea/tick prevention
 

we have successfully used a tea tree oil spray for years on all of our animals (horses and dogs) and have very rarely dealt with ANY ticks or fleas. We buy the tea tree oil from walmart (I think its about four dollars) and mix it one part tea tree oil to 10 parts water in a spray bottle. You can spray the animals, the carpet, the curtains, furniture whatever and the great thing is it is completely safe. You don't have to worry about it getting on your skin and being harmful or around kids either.

I don't shave down to the skin, but I use a 1/2 to 3/4 inch clipper often in the summers (except for his head). He hates to be groomed, so it's just easier and it gets very hot and HUMID here, so he loves it. It also lasts 2 or 3 months before I need to trim him again. I never used a flea/tick preventative (didn't like the thought of putting things like that on him) until a couple years ago when ticks got really got bad here and lyme disease became prevalent. I use frontline now and he does fine on it.

Yes I did, advantix II, Frontlne,etc but it's just so freakin expensive for a box of 3 vials at $60 and it might work a while but the summer's are getting longer. Also I read on some of the amazon reviews that they're toxic so I rather NOT have to apply every month.

And those wondering if I wash or soak in Dawn or flea shampoo yes I've done that too but as long as he still has a good coat of hair the darn fleas/ticks would find their way back fast and lay eggs.

Plus you know it's always hot n muggy in the summer time anyways so why not save some money and shave his coat too. Lastly, it just feels so darn good to actually see those buggers and grab them and know you got them all as they no longer can hide without any hair. It's a good feeling.

The 1st time I did this, my benny he freak out and started to run around the house and yip and little bit as if he was naked or something. But after I let him soak in a soothing tub of water mixed with Show season's Sooth shampoo he calmed down. I think his skin was just hot and irritated from the shave.

And no I don't let him run in grass or heavy shrubs anymore either. When ever we and he goes near any small patch of plants, weeds, or any kind shrubs I shout out NO and he knows to back away. The flea people told me here in So Ca in the hot months they just wait on the weeds plants with their mouths open and jump on your dogs as soon as they even rub or come close enough for them to hop on your babies.

It sucks because he loves to run on grass and right now once in a while if we're in a park I'll let him do it only because right now he's shaved to the skin so if any hops on I'll see them right away when he starts biting and licking certain areas. I declared war on them buggers and will not let them suck and bite my benny and make him suffer no more leaving him ghastly bitten and blistered skin.

If I find a flea I use the old fashion "roll 'em and pop 'em" method. Roll the little buggers between you thumb and finger to stun them, and then pop them with your thumb nail. That little popping sound is very rewarding. (gee this makes me sound a little unbalanced :eek:)

Expenses like these are a part of responsible pet ownership. None of us want to use toxic products on our babies, but clearly, you have a flea problem and need to find some kind of a solution that works long term. Did you know that your pup can bite their skin, inadvertently injest a flea, and develop tapeworm?

That's because the fleas are in other places. They can be in the house, the dog bedding, the yard, etc. You may pick them off your dog, but if they are everywhere, new eggs will hatch, and they will just come right back. One single flea bite can cause a dog to itch, scratch and be miserable for days. Poor Benny shouldn't have to suffer with blisters or pimples. I swear to you, I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just concerned for your sweet Benny.


Except that they WILL come back!

I have my boys shaved down real short in the summer also. I use Frontline also. I have them shaved mainly because they spend a lot of time in the pool and are wet so much that their coat just mats and tangles up. it does help to see the small critters, but the Frontline usually works to take care of that stuff.

Great post, I forgot about fleas giving tapeworm, to the OP, you need to check the feces and look for any white pieces that look like rice. Tapeworm can cause many problems for a dog, it sucks all the nutrition out of food. By the way, you can also catch this from your dog.

Treating them for fleas and ticks is so much better then having them suffer from them in my opinion. I have heard frontine is not working in many places but we use advantix II here and no problems really. If he runs around yelping you should make sure the clippers are not getting hot and causing him razor burn.

If you are finding fleas on your dog then they are in your house. You will NEVER get them all! Also, you will have issues year round because they will continue to feed and breed in your house....no killing frost going on in there!

Talk to your vet. You need to treat your house and your dog. You also need to treat your dog for tapeworms. Like a previous poster said, fleas carry tapeworms and as your dog grooms and itches, they swallow some fleas. Plus, the blisters you describe could mean your dog has an allergy to the flea bites or has developed skin infections from scratching and chewing because of the flea bites.

All of my dogs are on Advantix for fleas and ticks. I have zero issues because I prevent the problem before it can start. My Yorkie weighs 7 pounds....I buy Advantix for her in a 4 pack for $43. That is 4 applications.....that's just $10.75 per application. Seems a small price to pay for my baby's health and well being......

Thanks all for the great advice. The thing is that here in So ca it's only during the hot months is when they come out. Benny doesn't have the fleas in the cold months which by then he has a nice thick coat. But in the past when summer comes I bring him to the groomer anyways and have him cut really short anyways.

But now that I've gotten really good at grooming I "think" I do a better job than they do. And I give him a good bath with my own shampoo's not theirs. I also don't like the way they shampoo him 1st, then cut which makes him not smell so good. I like to cut 1st then shampoo after. So for the 3-4 mos I shave him anyways and catch them by hand. There's not that many, and when I do catch them I can tell because he doesn't lick or bite anymore.

He's in my bed 24/7, so if there's any "other" fleas I think they would have bitten my on my leg or something. But then I also wash and change the sheets every week anyways.

As for the tapeworms, I don't think it's that bad. He eats like a pig and is very plump as you can see in the pics there. Like I sd, I'm in S ca not in the midwest or east coast where there are serious fleas/ticks, tapeworms and heart worms. Ive seen those crazy buggers on Animal police shows. The ones we get here are always those tiny specs that are about the size of crush black pepper.

No, fleas don't infect humans, so you not having any bites is no indication that they aren't in the bed. Fleas and tapeworms are everywhere; it's not dependent on where you live.

They can get tapeworms from eating a flea that's infected. What they're allergic to are the flea saliva...you must treat your house, kill them all (spartacus loll)!

I too only use a preventative during the hot months (once a month) or whenever I see fleas on them. You can save $ by buying the dose for the largest dog (frontline in this case) & giving the right dosage. I use a syringe to draw up .67ml (for dogs 11-22#'s), save the rest in a glass jar & store in a cool dry place. You can get a small glass vial from the beauty supply store.

When fleas start biting humans that means the infestation has become pretty severe. So them not biting you is no indication of them not being in the house. This is what happens...a flea jumps on dog and takes a blood meal. Then she lays her eggs. The eggs are not sticky..they roll off the dog into your carpet, furniture, wherever dog is. The eggs hatch out into larvae and the larvae will crawl to dark places. They will then go into the pupa stage. They can stay in this stage a long time if there is no meal nearby. The adult flea hatches from the pupa. So, if fleas are biting your dog then they are laying eggs and the eggs, larvae and pupa are in your house. The life cycle continues.


Tapeworms....yes, your dog may be fine now. If left untreated, Tapeworms will continue to get worse. By the time you see outward signs your dog is in trouble. There are fleas, tapeworms and heartworms everywhere! Actually, warmer climates(like southern Cali) have more serious problems with these pests because there are no true seasons...there's no killing frosts and cold winters to help kill off the pests and what they carry. And I don't know what fleas you saw on TV but the ones I've seen here on the east coast are pretty tiny!!

My opinion is that it's always better to prevent a problem than treat it. Especially heartworms!!!! The treatment for that has risks and it is very expensive......not to mention the damage that may be done by the heartworms before treatment is received.



ETA-I use flea and heartworm preventative from April until the first really good killing frost. Southern or other warmer climates should use year round. I know some people who use year round in my area because we can get the occasional freak warm spell......

Winter new hairdo?
 

So, My dog is 11 months old. I just finished her last dose of flea and tick control. It was the drops that I had to apply onto her back. Today, I found a flea. Not sure how they look like because I have ever encounter one. It was reddish in color. It was pretty quick at hiding but I caught it in time. Did hours of research and I thought it's best if I start by trimming her poor hair. It's very knotted due to butting and scratching. Would it be okay if I trim her hair for the winter? I guess I should really talk to my grooming salon but I would like to see pictures yorkie hair cuts :) Share some please and any ideas of how to prevent Fleas? :mad:

That flea could have just jumped on and not bitten yet. Also, it depends on your flea control med.....some merely sterilize the flea that bites so she cannot lay viable eggs and breaks the flea life cycle that way. So you may still see live fleas. Other meds work by actually killing the flea that bites.

I would think you could keep your Yorkie shaved during the winter if she's kept indoors and only goes out potty. Or wears a sweater or coat to go for walks in the cold weather. I keep Tink long year round so I don't have first hand experience there....

You can buy Advantage II and Frontline for a much better price online. There is a sizable markup at the vet's and certain pet stores. This time of year many online places have the stuff discounted even more. Buy it up now so you are ready for next year. Many vet offices will sell you just one vile at a time if you cannot afford to buy a whole box.

All you have to do is bathe your dog and use a fea comb on it after you take it outside. It sounds like your home is full of flea eggs by now and the fleas will continue to jump on your dog in this situation. You need to read up on how to get fleas out of your home.

Your pet can get a bad skin infection from having fleas on him for that length of time. He needs a trip to the vet to deal with his skin issues and the fleas as well as the tape worm that he has gotten from the fleas.

Getting a once a month flea preventative would be far less expense than what happens by avoiding the issue.

Comb your dog out. Give her a bath. Get a flea preventative. Advantage II is a good one. If your home does not already have flea eggs all over it you should be fine. Many times you cannot see the fleas because they are down close to the skin. They lay a lot of eggs all over the house very quickly. Vacuum in and under your furniture as well as the floors and edges of rooms. Clean all bedding. You cannot usually see a flea egg. They are kind of translucent and like a grain of sand. Fleas do infect your pet with tape worm. The vet cannot always see tape worms. After they have been in the body for a long time they will start letting out segments that you will see in the stool or on the back end of the animal. They dry to look like grains of rice. If you tell the vet your dog had fleas he/she will more than likely treat your dog for tapeworm.

I buy Frontline from Sam's Club. All sizes are about $38 for a 3 pack. I live in Virginia, so it might be a little more in CA. However, PetSmart here is around $58, and the vets office is more, so Sam's Club is definitely a better price. I also only treat Columbo every 2 months. My primary concern where we live is ticks. I have sort of "tested" it on him and it is consistently about 7 or 8 weeks of protection for him. You could try the same thing for fleas. Maybe you could give him a treatment to break the flea cycle and then see how many weeks until you see them on him again. During the time the Frontline is effective, the fleas and ticks will try to bite him, but they die if they do. You might find that you can avoid treating him monthly and stretch it farther like I do. I was afraid of putting it on my boy, but the ticks have gotten so bad here and I was afraid he'd get lyme disease.

heres my thought, if you had lice you would treat yourself, you would have to...dogs, albeit these Yorkies are our little babies, still need treatment. Its a rare case when they don't.

Miss Mini, because of allergies doesn't go out very often at all, she truly defines the indoor dog! She goes visiting to everyones house with me but rarely goes in grass etc.,, and yet she still pops up with fleas now and then...she is on the pill every month. I wouldn't risk putting her through it. please see your vet and talk in depth to him about it, please.

Hi,
I was wondering, how did you cut your dogs hair? I started to catch a few of my dogs fleas and it's horrible how the fleas can hop away, I was able to catch it and kill it with my hands. It is a lot of work. Instead of going to the grooming salon, I'd like to know how you cut your dogs hair? I'd like to get rid of the fleas :(