How do I know if Princess has fleas!?
 

I guess when it rains, it really does pour!

Princess was at the vet a couple times last month & had her food changed. Not long after, right away actually, she seemed to be a little itchy. I thought it was from the meds or maybe the food & it wasn't severe, just regular 'dog scratching' even though she hardly ever scratches under normal circumstances.

Well this week I have noticed her REALLY scratching. By her tail, her entire back, feet, basically any where she can reach. She's been growling when she tries to scratch like she is so frustrated. I called the vet this afternoon to see if she thought it was the i/d but they said she wont get back to me til tomorrow. I dug out my 'Yorkies for Dummies' & it says to check you can put your yorkie over a wet paper towel & scratch her to see if you see any 'flea dirt'. I did that & there is very little dirt or anything on it, but there is some. I don't know if it's regular dirt or what. I don't see any redness or anything but I did comb off a small scab tonight. She hasn't had Frontline since the end of June or so.

Should I go get a flea shampoo & see if it helps? I've tried Oatmeal shampoo in the past & that alone irritates her. She'll possibly going to the vet Friday depending on what the doc says but I'd like to help her in the meantime.

If you think she has fleas I would wash her in regular dawn dish detergent, rubbing the soap in very well- then put frontline on.

Mad & glad that I saw a flea last night. Mad that she has them & I didn't know, I looked & never saw those evil little things. But I'm glad it's that & not the food because I had no idea what I'd switch her to. Vet said Frontline now & I can bathe her with Dawn in two days if I want, but not before with the 2 day rule on Frontline. They said if she gets worse in the next couple days they'll add Capstar.

From my understanding you'll need to do a specialized cleaning of your house and yard to thoroughly get rid of the fleas. Even changing your vacuum bag is important. They lay eggs that hatch and can re-infect your dog. Here’s some more info on cleaning. Fleas in the House - Getting Rid of Fleas in the House

Yes- you need to be very careful to treat the house and yard as well, or it can become a vicious cycle. Interesting that they didn't let you bathe her first, I would want to get all the fleas, eggs, dirt, etc. off first to make my dog more comfortable.

She said the Frontline would/should kill them over the next 24 hours. I'll be laundering my bedding & hers later today as well as vacuuming the couch & floors. I guess I should vacuum the car out, too. I can't treat the yard since I live in a huge complex but the vet said if Princess is on the Frontline from here on out it will eventually kill them off (in our house). Thanks for the link, Nancy, I'm going to read it now to see what I can learn there.

The reason she wasn't on it this time is due to that first stupid vet who said I could just do it every other month. Made me think of how they tell you a vacc. is due sooner than it is so I opted out. Stupid me. She doesn't go inside any where but one house (flea free I believe) & in the yard here. It seriously started right after she was sick so I honestly believe it was from one of the vets offices.

Don't beat yourself up, vets like to be cautious and maybe that is enough for some dogs. My guess is since there are other dogs in your complex, it would be better to take it monthly. I guess most dogs get them outside, and you might even want to look for evidence of tapeworms, they get these from eating a flea. Here's more information on tapeworms, and what to look for, they're pretty easy to get rid of with the right medication, but you should check out Princess' poop for a few weeks. Tapeworms Lol, have fun!

Skin crawling bugs, dissecting poop & now she's vomited! Just once & she's acting fine, I'm waiting for the vet to call back with a plan of action. She just had Frontline in June & has had it many times before so I'd hope it wouldn't cause problems, but with her being sick before maybe things have changed, I don't know.

She has a spot underneath her that's really itchy & is turning red. I thought about putting a onsie on her, but would that be evil since she wont be able to itch well?:confused:

I wonder if she allergic to the flea bites? Do you have any Benadryl spray, it works pretty fast and safe to use on dogs. Stops itching almost immediately I would spray some of that on, and then cover her with a onsie.

I just have the Children's Liquid Benadryl. I can run & get her some after the vet calls. These things have gotten terrible just in the last 48 hours. Nasty things.:thumbdown

I'd ask the vet about giving her some liquid, but the good thing about the spray is you can use it as often as you like. I'm allergic to mosquito bites, and that stuff is amazing!

Thanks. I'm going to grab some now. The vet called & doesn't think the vomiting would be from the Frontline. If it happens again it looks like I'll be taking her in.

I wonder the stress of itching could upset her tummy? This site says that tapeworms could cause vomiting: Cause of Dog Vomiting, Cure Diarrhea in Dogs, Free Vet Advice

Tapeworm


Sometime referred to as tape worms, this parasite looks like an old fashioned tape measure and they are also known as Dipylidium Caninum. Tapeworms can measure anything fro six inches up to twenty feet and they live in the intestines of dogs. As the food is passed through your dog and passes the tapeworm, the tapeworm absorbs the nutrients through its skin.

Tapeworms are caused when your dogs eat fleas or flea larvae, either when they are grooming themselves. Tapeworms can also be a cause of dog vomiting.


Here are some of the symptoms of Tapeworms...

•Vomiting.•Weight loss.
•Itching around the anus.
•Discomfort around the abdomen.
•Anaemia.
•Apathy.
•Your dog may appear nervous.


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Knock on wood, it's only been the one time. I just sprayed her good with the benadryl & she's already relaxing a lot. The vet said it could've possibly been from the intense itching so maybe (hopefully) that's it! OMGsh, I should've NEVER watched Monsters Inside Me!!!:eek::rolleyes:

Oh dear that show is horrible isn't it? When this is all over, you should write a fairytale called, "The Princess and the Flea," I hope Princess lives happily ever after too!

Apple cider vinegar helps to keep the fleas away if you just put some in whatever shampoo you use on your baby

On that just make sure it's not the Dye Free/Sugar Free Childrens Benedryl. It has Sorbitol in it and that is in the same family more or less as Xylitol which can harm the liver.
I almost made that mistake, and am glad I read the ingred. list first. Threw it right away. Now I just use a pill splitter and cut the regular Benedryl in half or 1/4's.

The vet said the liquid probably wouldn't help & I didn't really want to give it to her anyways since her stomach was upset. I have the reg. kind, I had to give it to her before for itching after oatmeal shampoo. She stopped scratching almost instantly after I sprayed her. She's in this ugly dress, lol, to discourage scratching & she hasn't tried once. Woo hoo!

Took Princess to the Vet this evening. She started itching like crazy again & now has bumps & welts on her lady bits & every where in the vicinity from scratching. We got good news & bad news.

Good news: It's probably not fleas.

Bad news: She is being treated for allergies, either flea or environmental-the Vet is leaning towards environmental. Prendizone first, testing etc. later if needed.

Good news: She's gained 6oz. to put her at 8lbs. 6oz., her weight prior to the pancreatitis.

Bad news: She has grade one LP in her left knee that has never been diagnosed before. She said it's very mild & slipped right back into place but did move out with little pressure.

Good news: The bump on her back is almost gone. She said it is most likely a fluid pocket or cyst on one of her vertebrae that she's not worried about as long as it doesn't cause pain or grow at all.

Jeeze! I hope this is it, at least for a while if not for good!

Thanks for the update. Grade one isn't bad and many people suggest adding glucosamine to help prevent it from getting any worse. They don't suggest surgical repair for grades one and two, and even three sometimes. Main thing is try to keep her from jumping off furniture, keep steps or cushions by the couch and bed, and try to keep her a little underweight rather than any overweight as it's easier on the joints. I hope the itching gets under control, just wanted to remind you, when you shampoo, really do a thorough job of rinsing, many people overlook this step, and it can cause problems. Also, Joey's breeder recommended a good cream rinse/conditioner because you are not only conditioning the hair, but also the skin. We bath yorkies more than many breeds, so this step is important. We use Biogroom, and the company will mail you free trial samples if you email them and ask for some samples. Since the products are highly concentrated, don't forget to add water at least 4 to 1, Joey's breeder recommended 7 to 1. Bio-Groom - Exceptional Pet Care Products for Over 30 Years

Thanks, I'm going to email them now. I normally condition her & have been very careful about rinsing these last couple of baths hoping that was the problem. She's still itching like crazy but they said to give it a couple days. I think I might put her cone on her when I'm not around to try to distract her because some spots are really red now & I don't want her to make it worse.

Did he do a skin scraping or anything?

No. She actually said it could very well be ragweed, as it's really bad here right now I guess. I never even knew it'd affect dogs. She said give the prednisone about two days to work & if no improvement they will look further to see what it is. I understand dogs will bite their tails & butts for fleas, but she's biting underneath as well though not as bad.

Vet did say the meds would make her pee a lot & she was right. She even had an accident on the couch which I can't believe! Poor girl.

I wonder about the LP thing, she's 8.4lbs. but nicely rounded & proportioned. Even though that's above standard that doesn't indicate she's over weight does it?

Biogroom is going to send samples, thanks. :)

Poor little thing, I'm glad you understand about the pee thing, she probably feels terrible about it and doesn't comprehend why she couldn't control it better.


You have to go on what's the best weight for them, breed standard is just something you take into account when breeding, it has little to do with pet Yorkies, and they are all over the board on this, but there is a weight that it best for them. I had my vet give me a range, and I try to keep Joey in that range, even a few extra ounces can hurt their joints, but because of the pancreatitis, she may have been too underweight, so I just can’t say if that weight good for her or not. Yorkies are supposed to have a little sausage-like body, and they don't have the extreme waist that other breeds have, but they do have a waist.

I'd rather her pee all over this apt. than itch so I 100% do not care.:) The Vet said some people have to stop the med because of the side effects but I guess if I had to I'd diaper her since they said this is the best course of treatment at this time.'

She's "tucked" at the waist, I can feel her ribs & spine easily but not too easily. The new bag of I/D is in the trunk but I'm pretty sure it's low fat. Any treats that she does get are completely fat free (fruits/vegs.), maybe with the exception of some occasional chicken breast.

Love to read about mommies like you, you know the value of things! :D Sounds like you are feeding great, I know my son's dog lost a lot of weight after he was diagnosed with pancreatitis, and it took over a year to put some back on, for a while there, he was skin and bones. My dog Joey, on the other hand, tends to gain if we don't watch it.