OrangeSkin Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Hey all, maybe a bit of a weird topic, but I've often found the tailgate to be helpful on random stuff like this...so my fiancee and I spent the holidays with her folks in North Carolina, and our dog (a 15 lb mini Australian Shepherd) got fleas after a few days there. We went to a petstore and picked up some frontline, assuming we'd nip the problem in the bud. 24 hours later, still living fleas crawling on his belly. I called the vet and she gave us a fast acting pill called Capstar. I've given him a few thorough inspections today, and I can't find a flea on him. He's not scratching constantly or insanely to the point where I'm really concerned, but he is still scratching way more than he normally does, and trying to bite around the base of his tail. It's been at least 12 hours since all the fleas have been dead. For any dog people, could this just be residual irritation from flea bites? Are there fleas that I'm somehow missing? Or does he have some sort of allergy that will only get worse? Basically I'm wondering how concerned I should be and how much I should drop on a vet visit...thanks for any help guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jb4348 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Well my moms dog had fleas and we frontlined him and we also gave him a bath. You should def give him a bath if he is biting at the base of his tail then he probably still has them. That and the belly are the hot spots. Just because you inspect him and don't see anything doesn't mean they are not there. The fleas tend to move with the hair when you are looking through it. Go back to the pet store and get the tiny comb they use to look for the fleas and it removes them when they are dead or crawling. Also, get the powder to put down and vacuum up and vacuum your carpets and furniture with it. Wash all blankets and or pillows cause those things can move to them so your best off to kill them anyway you can. We did this and didn't see anymore. If you def don't see fleas then he might be just biting at the bite marks from the fleas cause they are bothering him. You can give up to 2 25mg of childs benedrly a day and it will help with the itching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosperity Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I've had cat flea issues, the medicine is absorbed into the skin, but I'm not sure if it kills the eggs, so new fleas could hatch (and then die when they try to feed on the host). I think some meds kill the eggs and some don't. Either way, I wouldn't be too worried. The cat I was taking care of (I don't, and will NOT own my own cat) had a massive flea infection and it was taken care of after a few days. Remember, there could be fleas in the areas that the dog frequents, so that even if the meds kill the eggs, the flea eggs elsewhere will still hatch. These other fleas will then jump on your pet and try to feed, but they'll be killed too. The eggs will hatch in waves, but after a week or so I really doubt you'll have an issue, because the dog is now an automatic flea killer. As for allergies, I have no idea, but I doubt it. My guess is eggs or new fleas or just irritation from previous wounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 As I understand it, the drops like frontline don't stop the fleas from biting, it just means that when the flea bites the dog, the flea dies. Capstar (which I use, works well) will kill all the live fleas on your dog, but only lasts about a half day. Next day, more eggs will hatch. (You can give the dog a Capstar a day, but they cost a fortune). It may take 2-3 weeks for the eggs to hatch, and then the fleas will die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Advantix or Frontline. These things don't kill the flea, but they cause a deficiency in their reproduction,, so when they're in the egg they don't develop the thing they need to get out, and they die. Put it on your dog at the base of his neck in the back where he can't get to it with his tongue.. make sure it rubs into the skin at that point. You don't have to spread it all over him. It'll be absorbed into his bloodstream and you should not see another flea in your house in a few days. Fleas breed like crazy, and you can have a full infestation in no time. The Advantix or Frontline disrupts their breeding and kills them off. 1 dose per month, 3 months costs about 45 bucks from the vet. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1311 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 The Frontline & Advantix advice is spot-on. To eliminate fleas for good, and to keep them from coming back, contact a local pest control company, (my wifes company charges around $200.00 to spray and bomb..so call a couple for comparison pricing) Schedule them to come in to spray and/or bomb* My wife told me that this is an atypical year for fleas in the area, (Baltimore/Annapolis), and they've been getting a lot of calls. *note that everyone will have to leave the house for at least 8hrs. Afterwards, thoroughly vacuum the entire house and throw away the bag, (as their may be unhatched eggs vacuumed up), if it's a bagless vacuum, empty it outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huly Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Also your dog might have what is called a flea allergy. It is allergic to the bites it has received. I would give him or her a bath in an oatmeal or aloe shampoo and conditioner. If that does not work you might need to call your vet and get a dosage amount for Benadryl to help calm the allergy. Benadryl will make your dog sleepy. Some vets use it to help a pet relax and sleep while it travels as it is better than a sedative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dockeryfan Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I also use K9 Advantix on my dogs. My first dog had fleas when we got her. When we took her to the vet he did not recommend a dip, but he did bathe her and start her on meds. We never had a problem with fleas propagating in the house. She also had every worm except heartworm, lol. We use Interceptor for that protection. But I wouldn't be overly worried if he's got some irritation from the bites. If it was an allergy, the skin would be red and raised and tender, just like a person's skin allergy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I agree with others that you need to work around the areas where the dog is and put down some stuff to kill the eggs. If you don't, it will spread and become a pain in the ass to get rid of. We had a flea problem so bad at one point that they were biting us, mostly because we didn't realize it until it was really bad. We had to use spray, because putting all three of our cats in carriers wasn't possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulane Skins Fan Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Is this bug day in the Tailgate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 My favorite and memorable experience with Flea occurred back in the 90's As far as regular fleas, Mrs ND had Midnite the Cat dipped while Samson had Advantix. I saw a lady buy some fruity smelling flea powder for her two toned chihuahua the other day, I'm guessing because it was inexpensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Have had several bad flea experiences with cats. There's this stuff called FleaBusters, you can order it online or get it from a vet. You put it in the carpet and leave it down for a week or so, vacuum, and you'll never see another flea. I swear that stuff is a miracle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrabR Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Frontline stopped working switched to Comfortis, seems to work. Fleas do not live on your pet 24/7. They jump on and off. You will find more eggs in the carpet and bedding than on the animal. Bomb the house if you can or at least spray the carpet and bedding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingGibbs Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Frontline works great based on our experience. It's not like Capstar and will take several days to kick in. Also, vacumn your house THOUROUGHLY every day until the flea problem is gone. If they are on your dog they are in your carpet, bed comforters, furniture etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Note, vacuuming doesn't kill the fleas, it just picks them up. (In fact, vacuuming will cause flea eggs to hatch, and then suck up the flea that was in the egg.) So, after you vacuum, empty the vacuum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duckus Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Yes . . . lots. Personally, I found Frontline and Spot-On to be horrendous and I would never put either on one of my dogs again. For almost a year my dog was getting "hot spots" on his neck area all the time. He likes to wrestle with other dogs and we figured he was just getting nicked and then it was getting dirty. But nope, it kept happening over and over again. We couldn't figure it out for the longest time and finally we realized it was Frontline. The chemicals in it were cause weird reactions on his skin. We ended up getting a prescription to a pill called Comfortis. It is absolutely amazing. The best part of the pill is that not only does it kill the fleas on him, it will kill every flea in your house. The pill works so damn well we dont even give it to him once a month. If I see him itching I use a flea comb. If I see a flea, I give him a pill. It is over in 10 mins. I end up giving him a pill every 5-6 months on average. I think each pill is $15 dollars and I buy them in a single dose directly from the vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grhqofb5 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I've found the best way to deal with this problem is to shave the dog bare, then rub paint remover on him with a paint brush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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