FLEAS ?! Help! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

YorkieKrazed · 02-07-2010, 09:44 PM

Hey everyone -- My 4 year old yorkie Tucker is chewing and scratching, he came and sat down in front of me 2 days ago and I looked down at the top of his head and there were these little black specks and a red spot. He was bleeding and right next to the blood was a HUGE fat flea -- boy I grabbed that sucker off his head and killed it with a vengence..but of course, there were more. I rushed to Petco and bought some 17 dollar Zodiac flea shampoo...now this has pesticides in it of course and fleas were dropping off in the tub. Now it is 2 days later and he is licking the side of his belly raw and keeps itching everywhere else...SO--- I ran to Target tonight and spent 60 dollars on Frontline Plus. NOW -- I am a worry wart, OCD-er and I want to make sure he isn't OVERDOSED on pesticides, do you think it is SAFE for me to give him the Frontline yet or?

Also - any opinions on flea bombing the home?

I have never had to deal with fleas...never thought he would get them but we moved down to San Diego from Seattle (where we never had a problem) and they thrive here I guess...

HELP HELP HELP please -- any input is so appreciated- especially from fellow experienced yorkie owners.

Thank you so much!

GizzysMom · 02-08-2010, 12:35 PM

How much does Tucker weigh? Using too many flea products can be bad if he is very small, but also the fact that he is bleeding and has an open wound means that you should seriously not be putting anything on him with pesticides. I would recommend calling your vet and asking what you should do in the mean time. There are many all-natural remedy's to get rid of fleas on your pet which might be the best way to go since it sounds like his skin is in pretty bad shape.
Here are some good site's:
Home Remedies For Killing Fleas on Dogs

Natural Flea Remedy

As far as flea bombing your house the chemicals that they use are toxic to humans and animals as well as the fleas and if your home is badly infested site's:
Home Remedies For Killing Fleas on Dogs

Natural Flea Remedy

As far as flea bombing your house the chemicals that they use are toxic to humans and animals as well as the fleas and if your home is badly infested to the point it needs to be flea bombed be sure that you have a hotel or some place for you and your boy to stay for a few days until your house can be ventilated. Before spending much time in your house after a flea bomb you should wash almost everything- your comforter on your bed, your dito the point it needs to be flea bombed be sure that you have a hotel or some place for you and your boy to stay for a few days until your house can be ventilated. Before spending much time in your house after a flea bomb you should wash almost everything- your comforter on your bed, your dishes, clothes, mop the floors etc...
It seems like a lot to do but if the flea's are bad then it will be worth it! Also before you try to get rid of the fleas in your home make sure that Tucker is free from fleas. I wish you the best of luck & please be careful with all of the chemicals.

YorkieKrazed · 02-08-2010, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GizzysMom

How much does Tucker weigh? Using too many flea products can be bad if he is very small, but also the fact that he is bleeding and has an open wound means that you should seriously not be putting anything on him with pesticides. I would recommend calling your vet and asking what you should do in the mean time. There are many all-natural remedy's to get rid of fleas on your pet which might be the best way to go since it sounds like his skin is in pretty bad shape.
Here are some good site's:
Home Remedies For Killing Fleas on Dogs

Natural Flea Remedy

As far as flea bombing your house the chemicals that they use are toxic to humans and animals as well as the fleas and if your home is badly infested site's:
Home Remedies For Killing Fleas on Dogs

Natural Flea Remedy

As far as flea bombing your house the chemicals that they use are toxic to humans and animals as well as the fleas and if your home is badly infested to the point it needs to be flea bombed be sure that you have a hotel or some place for you and your boy to stay for a few days until your house can be ventilated. Before spending much time in your house after a flea bomb you should wash almost everything- your comforter on your bed, your dito the point it needs to be flea bombed be sure that you have a hotel or some place for you and your boy to stay for a few days until your house can be ventilated. Before spending much time in your house after a flea bomb you should wash almost everything- your comforter on your bed, your dishes, clothes, mop the floors etc...
It seems like a lot to do but if the flea's are bad then it will be worth it! Also before you try to get rid of the fleas in your home make sure that Tucker is free from fleas. I wish you the best of luck & please be careful with all of the chemicals.

Tucker is AKC registered, purebred Yorkshire but he is what is known as a "throwback" he is very sturdy and svelte - he weighs 12 pounds and is very resiliant. When I said bleeding it was just a tiny little speck where the flea had just bitten him -- not an open wound.

Thank you for all of your information - What I ended up doing was contacting Frontline and they said it would be fine 48 hours after the flea bath to give Tucker the Frontline, with it having been nearly 60 hours after his bath I applied the Frontline.

He is doing fine now, still itching but the Frontline does take 24 hours to translocate. I am going to look into the home remedies for ridding the apartment of any flea eggs/larvae/or adult fleas hopping around in the carpet.

Thank you again for your help and all of the links with info

chestermama · 02-08-2010, 10:03 PM

I live up tacoma way and I had my condo sprayed with kill em quick and an igr insect growth regulator, I have heard the flea bombing is not great ,just because it does not get under the places it needs to be, under the bed in my case just goes up into the air. Dawn dish soap is good for killing the fleas without using the shampoo with stuff in it. I have vacumed until the cows come home, I do not like these things, they say you can spray your dog with 50/50 apple cider vinegar and water the fleas do not like the taste

QuickSilver · 02-08-2010, 11:03 PM

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. This stimulates the flea eggs and hatches them, so you can kill them all at once, rather than getting recurring infestations.

Also, I've been told that small dogs tend to be allergic to flea bites, so that may be why he is still scratching so much.

BTW -- isn't it creepy to find something living on your dog??? I've found one flea on Thor, but yeah, narsty. We used to get infestations all the time when I was a kid b/c our pets were indoor/outdoor. I will never put my family thru that. :P

YorkieKrazed · 02-09-2010, 10:27 AM

Thanks for the advice - Chestermama - I am from the South Hill, Puyallup area...born and raised! --
Thanks Quicksilver, what an absolute doll of a yorkie you have on your avatar!!!

I have been vacuuming like a hurricane....and yes it is Creepy that there is a little nasty bit of bugs feasting on my yorkie.

Last night my boyfriend was cuddling with Tucker on the floor and one jumped on his arm...he had never seen one before (not on a dog)..I told him to kill it between his finger nails...and he was screaming no you do it I dont have nails ( he was scared). LOL.

I grew up with lots of cats so fleas arent uncharted territory to me but I NEVER thought Tucker would get them. POOR THING!!! He lives indoors with us and we only take him out on walks and to parks...

I am going to get a flea comb, try the apple cider and vinegar, and also thinking about buying some clippers and cutting his hair...of course this happens right when we decided to let his hair grow out so it is super long!!

kjc · 02-09-2010, 11:29 AM

I wouldn't cut his hair, the Frontline should start working soon. Rather than bombing your house, you can sprinkle regular table salt on the carpets at night, it will cause the fleas to dehydrate and vacuum in the morning. I use Revolution topical Heartworm stuff on all my pets, as it does fleas, mites and ticks in addition to the HW, and it is one chemical, as opposed to 2 or more using other products. I would also get another kind of topical from my vet, and alternate on a monthly basis. Also talk to your vet, some products can be applied again sooner than 1 month to help with the initial knock out. I've used the products from the chain stores but never had much luck with them. The products from the vets always worked better. Also your pup may have an allergy to flea saliva, and your vet can give you something for that to make him less itchy until the fleas are gone. Most shampoos will knock out fleas at least temporarily, important to use a sink or tub sprayer to get them out of his coat when in the bath. Using a blow dryer on medium setting can aid in removal also as it will separate the hair for better visual inspection.

chestermama · 02-09-2010, 08:52 PM

make sure you either get rid of your bag if you have one, they will jump out of a bag. I bought a flea collar and cut it up and put it in the bag, I also vacum up the mule team borax and that will dehydrate them, they also do not like cedar, peppermint, euculyptsus spelling is wrong, a flat dish of dish soap with a light at nite and they go towards the light jump into the soap and they are dead. I runa flea comb through chester every day and petroleum jelly they cant jump off the comb or have a thing of dish soap to dip it in they are jumpers

chestermama · 02-09-2010, 08:53 PM

make sure the flea comb is a metal one, plastic ones are worthless, I got mine at pet smart

GizzysMom · 02-09-2010, 09:09 PM

I just noticed that my post came out kind of odd, sorry about that.

02-07-2010, 09:44 PM	#1
YorkieKrazed YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: San Diego, California Posts: 8	FLEAS ?! Help! Hey everyone -- My 4 year old yorkie Tucker is chewing and scratching, he came and sat down in front of me 2 days ago and I looked down at the top of his head and there were these little black specks and a red spot. He was bleeding and right next to the blood was a HUGE fat flea -- boy I grabbed that sucker off his head and killed it with a vengence..but of course, there were more. I rushed to Petco and bought some 17 dollar Zodiac flea shampoo...now this has pesticides in it of course and fleas were dropping off in the tub. Now it is 2 days later and he is licking the side of his belly raw and keeps itching everywhere else...SO--- I ran to Target tonight and spent 60 dollars on Frontline Plus. NOW -- I am a worry wart, OCD-er and I want to make sure he isn't OVERDOSED on pesticides, do you think it is SAFE for me to give him the Frontline yet or? Also - any opinions on flea bombing the home? I have never had to deal with fleas...never thought he would get them but we moved down to San Diego from Seattle (where we never had a problem) and they thrive here I guess... HELP HELP HELP please -- any input is so appreciated- especially from fellow experienced yorkie owners. Thank you so much!

02-08-2010, 11:03 PM	#5
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. This stimulates the flea eggs and hatches them, so you can kill them all at once, rather than getting recurring infestations. Also, I've been told that small dogs tend to be allergic to flea bites, so that may be why he is still scratching so much. BTW -- isn't it creepy to find something living on your dog??? I've found one flea on Thor, but yeah, narsty. We used to get infestations all the time when I was a kid b/c our pets were indoor/outdoor. I will never put my family thru that. :P Last edited by QuickSilver; 02-08-2010 at 11:04 PM.

02-09-2010, 10:27 AM	#6
YorkieKrazed YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: San Diego, California Posts: 8	Thanks for the advice - Chestermama - I am from the South Hill, Puyallup area...born and raised! -- Thanks Quicksilver, what an absolute doll of a yorkie you have on your avatar!!! I have been vacuuming like a hurricane....and yes it is Creepy that there is a little nasty bit of bugs feasting on my yorkie. Last night my boyfriend was cuddling with Tucker on the floor and one jumped on his arm...he had never seen one before (not on a dog)..I told him to kill it between his finger nails...and he was screaming no you do it I dont have nails ( he was scared). LOL. I grew up with lots of cats so fleas arent uncharted territory to me but I NEVER thought Tucker would get them. POOR THING!!! He lives indoors with us and we only take him out on walks and to parks... I am going to get a flea comb, try the apple cider and vinegar, and also thinking about buying some clippers and cutting his hair...of course this happens right when we decided to let his hair grow out so it is super long!! Last edited by YorkieKrazed; 02-09-2010 at 10:28 AM.

02-09-2010, 11:29 AM	#7
kjc I♥PeekTinkySaph&Finny Donating Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 18,866	I wouldn't cut his hair, the Frontline should start working soon. Rather than bombing your house, you can sprinkle regular table salt on the carpets at night, it will cause the fleas to dehydrate and vacuum in the morning. I use Revolution topical Heartworm stuff on all my pets, as it does fleas, mites and ticks in addition to the HW, and it is one chemical, as opposed to 2 or more using other products. I would also get another kind of topical from my vet, and alternate on a monthly basis. Also talk to your vet, some products can be applied again sooner than 1 month to help with the initial knock out. I've used the products from the chain stores but never had much luck with them. The products from the vets always worked better. Also your pup may have an allergy to flea saliva, and your vet can give you something for that to make him less itchy until the fleas are gone. Most shampoos will knock out fleas at least temporarily, important to use a sink or tub sprayer to get them out of his coat when in the bath. Using a blow dryer on medium setting can aid in removal also as it will separate the hair for better visual inspection. __________________ Kat Chloe Lizzy PeekABooTinkerbell SapphireInfinity Last edited by kjc; 02-09-2010 at 11:31 AM.

02-08-2010, 12:35 PM	#2
GizzysMom YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Alaska Posts: 8	How much does Tucker weigh? Using too many flea products can be bad if he is very small, but also the fact that he is bleeding and has an open wound means that you should seriously not be putting anything on him with pesticides. I would recommend calling your vet and asking what you should do in the mean time. There are many all-natural remedy's to get rid of fleas on your pet which might be the best way to go since it sounds like his skin is in pretty bad shape. Here are some good site's: Home Remedies For Killing Fleas on Dogs Natural Flea Remedy As far as flea bombing your house the chemicals that they use are toxic to humans and animals as well as the fleas and if your home is badly infested site's: Home Remedies For Killing Fleas on Dogs Natural Flea Remedy As far as flea bombing your house the chemicals that they use are toxic to humans and animals as well as the fleas and if your home is badly infested to the point it needs to be flea bombed be sure that you have a hotel or some place for you and your boy to stay for a few days until your house can be ventilated. Before spending much time in your house after a flea bomb you should wash almost everything- your comforter on your bed, your dito the point it needs to be flea bombed be sure that you have a hotel or some place for you and your boy to stay for a few days until your house can be ventilated. Before spending much time in your house after a flea bomb you should wash almost everything- your comforter on your bed, your dishes, clothes, mop the floors etc... It seems like a lot to do but if the flea's are bad then it will be worth it! Also before you try to get rid of the fleas in your home make sure that Tucker is free from fleas. I wish you the best of luck & please be careful with all of the chemicals.

02-08-2010, 10:03 PM	#4
chestermama YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: washington Posts: 3,383 Blog Entries: 1	I live up tacoma way and I had my condo sprayed with kill em quick and an igr insect growth regulator, I have heard the flea bombing is not great ,just because it does not get under the places it needs to be, under the bed in my case just goes up into the air. Dawn dish soap is good for killing the fleas without using the shampoo with stuff in it. I have vacumed until the cows come home, I do not like these things, they say you can spray your dog with 50/50 apple cider vinegar and water the fleas do not like the taste

02-09-2010, 08:52 PM	#8
chestermama YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: washington Posts: 3,383 Blog Entries: 1	make sure you either get rid of your bag if you have one, they will jump out of a bag. I bought a flea collar and cut it up and put it in the bag, I also vacum up the mule team borax and that will dehydrate them, they also do not like cedar, peppermint, euculyptsus spelling is wrong, a flat dish of dish soap with a light at nite and they go towards the light jump into the soap and they are dead. I runa flea comb through chester every day and petroleum jelly they cant jump off the comb or have a thing of dish soap to dip it in they are jumpers

02-09-2010, 08:53 PM	#9
chestermama YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: washington Posts: 3,383 Blog Entries: 1	make sure the flea comb is a metal one, plastic ones are worthless, I got mine at pet smart

02-09-2010, 09:09 PM	#10
GizzysMom YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Alaska Posts: 8	I just noticed that my post came out kind of odd, sorry about that.