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09-27-2009, 12:58 AM | #1 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: nj
Posts: 25
| Fleas back again! Help! Around Sept 13th, I was at home giving Dollar a good rubdown when i noticed this type of black sand on his back by his tail. i went online and sure enough it was a sign of fleas. i gave him a bath with flea shampoo (did not work) and took him to the vet on the following weekday. she prescribed me frontline, capstar and allergy medicine because she thought he was allergic to the bites. the vet applied the frontline on the spot and i gave him the capstar and allergy medicine and took him for a walk for 45 minutes to shake off the dead fleas from the capstar. cleaned the floors with a lavendar scented cleaner and spayed the areas my pet frequented with a spray(had to leave the house). The next day I saw him scratching again so i checked for fleas and there it was. I took him to the vet the following day and the vet who saw dollar gave him a shot for the itching and prescribed me sentinel. Then he started talking about how my dog should be neutered and that his baby tooth should be removed asap and that i should schedule a date with the receptionist up front. it seemed like he really didnt care about the fleas and was more concerned about making money from the surgery which made me furious. So anyways, Dollar has been good up until yesterday when he started scratching again and i found another flea. today i gave him another flea bath and killed 4 fleas. I've spent $370 dollars at the vet already and i do not have that kind of money to spend. If anyone who has had a similar problem could help me get rid of these fleas for good please let me know.Dollar absolutely hates the spray i use on him and any kind of collar around his neck unless hes going for a walk. I love my dog very much and it kills me to see this happening to him. the area below his stomach is full red bumps. P.S. sorry, i know its long. |
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09-27-2009, 01:41 AM | #2 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: united kingdom
Posts: 218
| our baby girl suffers from flea allergy too.. we front lined the end of august around 24th but by 5th Sept her back was near bare and she had sore red blotches on her stomach.. with no fleas to be seen!!! our vet prescribed stronghold flea treatment and some meds a week later her red sore spots were gone.. we usualy have to repeat a few times especialy during summer the problem with most flea treatment is that they have to actualy bite our babbies in order for the treatment to kill the fleas.. which for a dog with flea alergies is bad news as one bite is all it takes to cause sevear reactions if you have a dog with a flea allergy you really need to stay on top of it or your dog may well literally rip hair out in no time at all.. we have 3 yorkies and she is the only one who reacts soo soo bad between flea treatments we shampoo with medicated tea tree and lavender .. you also need to be aware of areas you walk your dog, fleas live in long grass.. and places frequented by other dogs we also ripped out all our carpets last summer from our home and replaced with hard flooring and hoover daily good luck ..would luv to know what others do for flea alergies so will keep an eye on your thread |
09-27-2009, 06:10 AM | #3 |
Love my Boys Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: w/ my boys
Posts: 5,056
| So your vet gave Frontline, Capstar and Sentinel all in the same month??...That would be a lot of toxic chemicals in a months time on your pet....The chemicals you put on Dollar don't repel fleas they work by putting toxins in your pets system, then the flea has to bite to be exposed to it, them they die..... Once the fleas come into the house the adults you see are just part of the problem. You now have eggs, larvae, and pupae stages to get rid of....Most of them are in the egg and larvae stage, probably around 80% of them. . I would not recommend bombs for your home. You will cover every surface in your home with an oily toxic chemical. After all they are made to kill. This would only have an effect on the adults. The best thing you can do at this point is to get out your trusty Hoover and get busy. This would be the most effective yet safe thing you can do.....It's important to do this daily and make sure you do along the base boards and under furniture, the larvae likes to get to dark places and hide, and everywhere Dollar sleeps. From egg to larvae, to pupae to adult you might be looking at 6 weeks of new fleas hatching, maybe longer. That's why it's important to get sweeping since you have only seen a couple.... Here are two studies on this..... Sciencedaily .com: Lead study author W. Fred Hink, professor emeritus of entomology at Ohio State and a longtime researcher in nontoxic controls of fleas on dogs, sought to test the effects of vacuuming on all flea life stages and whether any extra disposal steps or additional chemical controls are necessary. The study involved groups of 100 adult fleas at a time, as well as groups of 50 pupae and 50 larvae, by vacuuming them up from a tightly woven kitchen-type of carpet. Six tests of vacuuming the adult fleas yielded an average of 96 percent of fleas killed; three tests of vacuumed pupae and one test of vacuumed larvae (in their third stage of development) resulted in 100 percent killed. In comparison, an average of only 5 percent of adult fleas died after being held in paper vacuum bags to test for toxicity, and an average of only 3 percent died when circulated in moving air. “I did not include eggs in the vacuum study, but I'm sure they would not have survived,” Hink said. Dutch journal Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata: The old upright is not only lethal to adult bugs, but it completely wipes out their young. Scientists from Ohio State University had set out to determine what additional measures might be needed to kill a bunch of Hoovered-up fleas: burning, freezing, poisoning, maybe even a little good old fashioned stomping. But it turns out that getting sucked into a vacuum bag does the whole job. The researchers were so surprised by the results, they repeated the study several times. In each experiment, they sprinkled a kitchen carpet with 100 cat fleas, either adults or juveniles. And they found that the vacuum snuffed out pretty much all of them. Good luck!....
__________________ B.J.mom to : Jake J.J. Jack & Joey, momma misses you..... The joy found in the companionship of a pet is a blessing not given to everyone. The two most powerful words when we’re in struggle: me too.. |
09-27-2009, 08:54 PM | #4 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: nj
Posts: 25
| Yes, i found it somewhat odd myself but didnt bother to question the vet. I have wooden floors and so far ive sprayed the areas dollar frequents with a spray thats supposed to break the life cycle for up to 7months. so far the results havent been to great and it does leave a oily coat all over the floor. i dont know where i should vacuum besides the obvious. ive got boxes willed with sneakers in one corner next to where Dollar frequents, leather seats with cloth on the undersides, and i have a pile of clothes on the floor where he lays all the time and he lays on all the sofas and beds, rugs, pretty much antyhing you can think of. should i open up all 200 boxes of sneakers and look for any sign of infestation? Vacuum the seats regardless of leather? vacuum the beds? Im going to buy a vacuum tomorrow, does it have to have a bag in it? or can i puchase a bagless one? any suggestions? Ive read that people put flea collars inside the vacuum bags to kill them wile inside. can i do the same with a bagless vacuum? I have a closet and i always leave one side open. should i be worried about the clothes inside? thankyou for all the useful information. i would be lost wihout you guys |
09-28-2009, 08:55 AM | #5 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: united kingdom
Posts: 218
| ohh wow you getting in a state over this .. step back take a deep breath and look at your luvly little guy .. arghh cute .. never heard of fleas opening up boxes to live .. but it may be a good idea to remove them off the floor once in a while and hoover the area clothes on the floor ..hmm perhaps put them away or buy a laundry basket if its dirty clothes any hoover will do .. i have a Dyson hard floor hoover downstairs and a Henry for upstairs mostly because i don't like carrying them up/down stairs ..so have 1 with bag and 1 without personally i find just the fact Ive hoovered is enough so don't bother with flea collars ect in the hoovers if you have hard floors throughout get a hard floor hoover as regular hoovers tend to spit out junk rather then suck it up .. i don't hoover my sofa which is a white large corner leather thing .. i sweep it with a soft hand brush and wipe it with leather wipes and the junk that comes of it i hoover off the floor no need to hoover your bed but hoover your pet bed .. sorry the thought of somone standing on a bare mattress with a dyson gave me the giggles |
09-29-2009, 06:56 PM | #6 |
Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Council Bluffs IA USA
Posts: 44
| We had to take Smokie to the Vet today because of his fleas. They put him on a new medication for fleas called Comfortis Tabs. This is taken orally, and needs to be taken with a meal. I posted the details of the visit under the post Donnie has fleas - but tonight Smokie is calm, not itching and scratching, and MUST be feeling better. Also, unless you are just really attached to your vet, you might check around to see what other vets are in the area. Good luck to you and your baby - Reva - Smokie's mama |
09-29-2009, 07:15 PM | #7 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Laurel, MD, USA
Posts: 161
| I had the same problem last month and I was giving up hope! Then I read a wonderful wonderful post on another forum. DAWN DISH SOAP! I thought it was too good to be true but I used it and sure enough it worked! I gave them a good scrubing in it for about 5 min and got up to right above their eyes (careful not to get it in their eyes) then rinsed it out and used frontline. I then ripped the house apart and vacumed everything, pulled cushions off the couches and vacumed it all and washed every single soft surface they could touch, blankets, pillows, clothes that were sitting out toys everything. Since I did that we haven't seen one of this little buggers. Knock on wood! Deffinently try to soap though it made all the difference for me.
__________________ Amy, Shilo and Spike |
09-29-2009, 09:48 PM | #8 |
Shelby Rae's Mom Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Cypress
Posts: 815
| we had a terrible time getting rid of the fleas this summer..I think we finally are flea free! we had a professional exterminator come twice and had the babies on capstar once a week for like 6 weeks and then the flea preventative pill plus flea baths too ...It seems like they are some kind of super flea or something this year...hoping for a good freeze here in texas this winter..
__________________ Shelby Rae's Mom and Kaylee's Nana[SIZE=2][COLOR=Red] |
09-30-2009, 07:31 AM | #9 |
YT Addict | I found two fleas on Harley that I believe came from the Groomer. That's all it took for him to start itching all over. I had to end up taking him to the vet and they thought he had a flea allergy. They put him on prednisone (spelling??). He was already on Front line but I also gave him a Dawn dishwashing detergent bath. I washed all of his toys and bedding...also all of my bedding. I bought a spray from the vet called Knockout that I sprayed my carpets and furniture with....vacuumed real well. I have only seen one flea since then and that was when I gave him a bath and the flea was already dead. I hope I have solved my issue. It's alot of work trying to get rid of them but I wanted to nip that problem in the bud before it got out of hand. I wish you luck. |
09-30-2009, 08:33 AM | #10 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,447
| Giving Capstar and Frontline at the same time is perfectly ok! Capstar kills the fleas that are on the dog at the time. Then Frontline should work for a month. I am assuming you purchased six months worth of Frontline? It is cheaper to buy that way! I would ask the vet if it is ok to apply it again. Then, at the same time, you must get the fleas out of your home! I would not use a spray that is lingering on the floor...sounds dangerous to me with a dog in the house walking in it. Ask your vet for a suggestion about what you can use to kill the fleas in your home. Years ago, I know people would leave the house and set a bomb off. Not so sure how healthy that was, but it did get rid of the fleas. After doing that, you really should not have any more issues if you use a flea preventative religiously.
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09-30-2009, 03:14 PM | #11 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: nj
Posts: 25
| thanks for all the replies. So 2 days ago i bought 3 boxes of borax and sprinkled the whole house down (3bdrms and a living room) and let it sit for 3 hours. washed all the bedding, sheets, clothes, toys, curatins (anything made of cloth). i came home and vacuumed like there was no tomorrow. I started with my moms rooms because i figured that would be the least flea infested area. so while i was vacuuming there, i had my mother wash dollar with flea shampoo. after i was done with the room i kept dollar in there till i finished. i vcauumed the beds, the leather seats, under the couches, my pets bed, baseboards, pretty much anywhere i thought the eggs could be hiding. after 12 hours of cleaning. i felt a little better about the whole situation. I know this problem will not go away with one vacuuming session. But when i woke up this morning, Dollar had been bitten worse than ever!!! The fleas seem to be biting him closer to his neck/face. and he is more miserable than ever. ive caught about 10 fleas on dollar since this tragedy has happened. but never once have i seen a flea roaming around in the house. and now i cant seem to find any on dollar either, just bigger, redder, patches of pain are they getting smarter on me? lol am i doin something wrong? should i not worry as much and just keep vacuuming daily? do i have to be as thorough with vacuuming the house everyday? (lots of heavy furniture). Ive read somehwre that if you mix a gallon of water with 5 teaspoons of white organic vinegar and give that to your dog as his water source that fleas will never bite again. has anyone tried this? After hours of research online, I'm hesitant to "bomb' the house because dollar is very curious and i do not trust the chemicals to be safe even after it has dried up. or empty my pockets to an exterminator after reading other peoples stories of how they had 3-4 treatments and still had fleas. I dont think i have an infestation to the point where i see fleas around the house but it makes me wonder how bad it has to be for dollar to be bitten almost all over his body. i started to think that maybe i have fleas and bed bugs??? UGH. I am freaking out. all in all im losing sleep over this nonsense, and ive been frightened to take dollar out for a walk. ( he LOVES to run on grass). I guess ill just keep vacuuming and hope for the best. i also read that in 10 days i should reapply the borax and vacuum again. Sigh. i cant wait. im thinking i will mix in some table salt to help the process. should i vacuum the kitchen and bathrooms as well? elleandca, i ended up buying a regular hoover. i wish i had logged on and checked this thread before i went and bought a vacuum because this sucker spits the borax out like dogs kick dirt. would you recommend getting a hardwood floor vacuum? |
09-30-2009, 03:51 PM | #12 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Crofton, MD, USA
Posts: 1,522
| We just got news from the groomer that she found 3 fleas on Bandit and 1 flea on Nala. While they were there we used the spray on the carpets and left the house for an hour, cleaned their crates and harnesses and leashes and bedding, and vacuumed. They got a flea bath at the groomers on Monday, we used the Frontline today (one day early...we usually use it the first of the month) and the vet gave us Capstar as an extra preventative. Our vet tech thinks its is a possibility they got them at the groomer, which is what I am hoping, because then it will hopefully not be in our house! My question is can my dogs have fleas and I not even notice? I give them a bath every week after Bandit gets back from daycare or anytime we got to the dog park, and we give them their frontline and interceptor the first of every month religously. |
09-30-2009, 05:50 PM | #13 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: nj
Posts: 25
| just got done vacuuming and i noticed 2 whiskers from dollar, they seem to have fallen out from the root. could this be cause of the borax? or the fleas? ive never seen this happen. i just read that mineral oil (baby oil) is good for relieveing the itching and helps keep away the fleas? does anyone know if this is true? Last edited by TopDog01; 09-30-2009 at 05:53 PM. |
09-30-2009, 06:02 PM | #14 | |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,447
| Quote:
But...the trick is to prevent the fleas in the first place and imo the best way to do that is by using a flea preventative like Advantage religiously. Mineral oil is just going to be a mess on your yorkie imo.
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09-30-2009, 07:47 PM | #15 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Laurel, MD, USA
Posts: 161
| Ok so i have a question. You state that you haven't seen any fleas on dollar or around your house but there are mysterious red bumps, and she's loosing hair. Could it be an allergy maybe? It's odd to not see any fleas at all. Did you try a flea comb to see if there were eggs or anything?
__________________ Amy, Shilo and Spike |
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