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my dog has fleas, ahh! Help!

Last week I started noticing a tiny little bug bite here and there on my legs.  I didn't think much of it.  Saturday my dog went to the groomer to get his summer haircut, nice and short.  Saturday night I was sitting on the couch with him, with my legs under our throw blanket and I noticed that it seemed I got bit by a bug.  First thing Sunday morning I threw both of our throw blankets from the livingroom, and the towel on the dog's bed into the wash.  

Fast forward to today, I was sitting with the dog before work, and noticed on his nice short fur a flea!!!  I started to analyze the poor guy and found 2 or 3 more.  Then I saw a couple on the same throw blanket I mentioned earlier.  I killed every single one I came in contact with, and immediately threw that blanket back into the wash.

I am now at work, stressed about what to do.  I'm not really interested in having a flea infestation! 

I put Frontline or K9 Advantix on his back just over a month ago.  I am going at lunch to get him another dose of that (and putting it in my calendar to make sure i'm not off by even a day next time!).  I plan to wash the rest of the soft linens in the house tonight, starting with those in the rooms where he goes (he does not go upstairs in our bedroom (thank goodness!).  I was going to look for a flea and tick shampoo at lunch too so I can wash him before applying the medicine tonight.  I was going to vacuum and mop as well.

Any other suggestions?  What am I missing?  What else can I do?  I'm just afraid that if I am finding them it is too late and they already laid eggs and are everywhere.  Yuck!  Any tricks for getting rid of them if they are already there.  I would like to avoid bombing the house.

To Google I go............

Re: my dog has fleas, ahh! Help!

  • Sprinkle Borax all over your floors, let set for an hour and vacuum. Do this everyday. Borax is a natural bug killer. Just make sure that your dog doesn't ingest any of it.
  • kaos16kaos16 member
    Knottie Warrior 500 Love Its 1000 Comments First Answer
    Sprinkle Borax all over your floors, let set for an hour and vacuum. Do this everyday. Borax is a natural bug killer. Just make sure that your dog doesn't ingest any of it.
    oh, i failed to mention. . . . . the rooms where the dog hangs out have laminant flooring and one area rug.  We have carpeting in the office and bedroom where he usually doesn't go.  I'm not sure if that changes any advice.
  • Sprinkle Borax all over your floors, let set for an hour and vacuum. Do this everyday. Borax is a natural bug killer. Just make sure that your dog doesn't ingest any of it.
    This, but leave the Borax in some places.  Our dogs were both on flea medication from the vet a couple summers ago, but for some reason it was an AWFUL season for fleas and they got them anyway. Full-on infestation. 

    Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Do every room in the house, even if your dogs don't get in there, and then immediately take the vacuum bag straight outside to the garbage. 

    Wash bedding and anything else washable (like dog bed, pillows, etc) in hot water, often. 

    Places to leave the Borax: along base boards, under the couch, behind the couch, under the bed (pretty much under and behind any big piece of furniture where the vacuum may not reach as well) 

    The Borax is not toxic to dogs or humans (unless you eat a ton of it) but it scratches the fleas' exoskeleton when they walk through it so it penetrates their bodies and poisons them to death. Pretty soon you'll be seeing dead fleas in the vacuum bag, and then no fleas at all. 

    Our house was so bad we thought we would need to flea-bomb it but I hated the idea of putting all those toxins in our house, and it wasn't really plausible for us anyway (thanks to H's giant terrariums full of tree frogs and lizards). But the Borax (which you can find at Walmart in the laundry aisle) really did the trick and we've never had fleas again. 
    image
  • kaos16 said:
    Sprinkle Borax all over your floors, let set for an hour and vacuum. Do this everyday. Borax is a natural bug killer. Just make sure that your dog doesn't ingest any of it.
    oh, i failed to mention. . . . . the rooms where the dog hangs out have laminant flooring and one area rug.  We have carpeting in the office and bedroom where he usually doesn't go.  I'm not sure if that changes any advice.
    Nope, you can use Borax on any flooring. I've used it all over hardwood, laminate and carpeting. Just make sure you do a really good vacuuming.
  • I will thrid on the Borax suggestion! Also Dawn soap is a good shampoo for fleas on pets, it is really gentle also. 

  • kaos16kaos16 member
    Knottie Warrior 500 Love Its 1000 Comments First Answer
    Sprinkle Borax all over your floors, let set for an hour and vacuum. Do this everyday. Borax is a natural bug killer. Just make sure that your dog doesn't ingest any of it.
    This, but leave the Borax in some places.  Our dogs were both on flea medication from the vet a couple summers ago, but for some reason it was an AWFUL season for fleas and they got them anyway. Full-on infestation. 

    Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Do every room in the house, even if your dogs don't get in there, and then immediately take the vacuum bag straight outside to the garbage. 

    Wash bedding and anything else washable (like dog bed, pillows, etc) in hot water, often. 

    Places to leave the Borax: along base boards, under the couch, behind the couch, under the bed (pretty much under and behind any big piece of furniture where the vacuum may not reach as well) 

    The Borax is not toxic to dogs or humans (unless you eat a ton of it) but it scratches the fleas' exoskeleton when they walk through it so it penetrates their bodies and poisons them to death. Pretty soon you'll be seeing dead fleas in the vacuum bag, and then no fleas at all. 

    Our house was so bad we thought we would need to flea-bomb it but I hated the idea of putting all those toxins in our house, and it wasn't really plausible for us anyway (thanks to H's giant terrariums full of tree frogs and lizards). But the Borax (which you can find at Walmart in the laundry aisle) really did the trick and we've never had fleas again. 
    Our vacuum does not have a bag.  It just has a filter and a canister that you dump.  I guess i'd just dump the canister into a bag and take that outside immediately?
  • kaos16 said:
    Sprinkle Borax all over your floors, let set for an hour and vacuum. Do this everyday. Borax is a natural bug killer. Just make sure that your dog doesn't ingest any of it.
    This, but leave the Borax in some places.  Our dogs were both on flea medication from the vet a couple summers ago, but for some reason it was an AWFUL season for fleas and they got them anyway. Full-on infestation. 

    Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Do every room in the house, even if your dogs don't get in there, and then immediately take the vacuum bag straight outside to the garbage. 

    Wash bedding and anything else washable (like dog bed, pillows, etc) in hot water, often. 

    Places to leave the Borax: along base boards, under the couch, behind the couch, under the bed (pretty much under and behind any big piece of furniture where the vacuum may not reach as well) 

    The Borax is not toxic to dogs or humans (unless you eat a ton of it) but it scratches the fleas' exoskeleton when they walk through it so it penetrates their bodies and poisons them to death. Pretty soon you'll be seeing dead fleas in the vacuum bag, and then no fleas at all. 

    Our house was so bad we thought we would need to flea-bomb it but I hated the idea of putting all those toxins in our house, and it wasn't really plausible for us anyway (thanks to H's giant terrariums full of tree frogs and lizards). But the Borax (which you can find at Walmart in the laundry aisle) really did the trick and we've never had fleas again. 
    Our vacuum does not have a bag.  It just has a filter and a canister that you dump.  I guess i'd just dump the canister into a bag and take that outside immediately?
    Yep, ours just has a canister also. H would [very carefully] dump it into a plastic grocery bag, tie it in a tight knot right away, and run straight out the door with it. If you put it in the inside garbage or leave it in the vacuum, the fleas can just hop right back out so you've wasted your time. 
    image
  • kaos16kaos16 member
    Knottie Warrior 500 Love Its 1000 Comments First Answer
    edited June 2015
    So i'll sprinkle borax on the floors before I take the dog for a walk. . . .that'll give it a chance to set it without him trying to go near it.  When we come back i'll vacuum it up before he gets to laying about.

    This sucks!!
  • Oh, also want to add, keep doing the Borax and vacuuming routine for several weeks after you stop seeing fleas, just in case you missed any eggs that might hatch. We also gave our dogs flea baths every week and then combed them with a special comb, and the vet gave us a special lotion to put on them so their skin wouldn't get too irritated. 
    image
  • kaos16kaos16 member
    Knottie Warrior 500 Love Its 1000 Comments First Answer
    Oh, also want to add, keep doing the Borax and vacuuming routine for several weeks after you stop seeing fleas, just in case you missed any eggs that might hatch. We also gave our dogs flea baths every week and then combed them with a special comb, and the vet gave us a special lotion to put on them so their skin wouldn't get too irritated. 
    oh i am going to be on top of this shiznit now!!!  Looks like I am going to the pet store and target at lunch today!
  • kaos16 said:
    So i'll sprinkle borax on the floors before I take the dog for a walk. . . .that'll give it a chance to set it without him trying to go near it.  When we come back i'll vacuum it up before he gets to laying about.

    This sucks!!
    Just don't forget to get it under all the furniture, because if you don't then the fleas can just live under there and keep reproducing. Those little jerks are tricky. 
    image
  • kaos16kaos16 member
    Knottie Warrior 500 Love Its 1000 Comments First Answer
    kaos16 said:
    So i'll sprinkle borax on the floors before I take the dog for a walk. . . .that'll give it a chance to set it without him trying to go near it.  When we come back i'll vacuum it up before he gets to laying about.

    This sucks!!
    Just don't forget to get it under all the furniture, because if you don't then the fleas can just live under there and keep reproducing. Those little jerks are tricky. 
    i'm going to make DH lift up the couches and the bed!  That's the only real substantial furniture we have that goes to the floor, most everything else is pretty open underneath.
  • Oh no. Went through that with my dog a while back and it was awful. Give your dog a bath with original dawn dish soap. Do it at least three times and repeat as necessary if the fleas come back. Also get a flea spray and spray the furniture, rug, baseboards, etc. Make sure the package says that it kills/stops fleas at all stages of the life cycle. You may need to repeat this several times, too. Vacuum EVERYTHING and take the bags straight out to the trash. Wash all linens in hot water. While the linens are off the bed, either spray down the mattress with flea spray or sprinkle borax all over it and let it sit for a few hours, then vacuum it clean.
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  • Vinegar is also a natural flea repellant.  When my dog got fleas a few years ago, I made up a spray of half white vinegar and half water.  I sprayed that everywhere to keep the fleas from migrating.  It smells when its still wet, but when it dries, its fine.  It will also naturally remove any smells too!  I have never had a problem spraying it on fabrics either.

    Also, if you haven't, I might bring it up to your groomer.  They may not know they are causing a flea outbreak. 

  • kaos16kaos16 member
    Knottie Warrior 500 Love Its 1000 Comments First Answer

    Vinegar is also a natural flea repellant.  When my dog got fleas a few years ago, I made up a spray of half white vinegar and half water.  I sprayed that everywhere to keep the fleas from migrating.  It smells when its still wet, but when it dries, its fine.  It will also naturally remove any smells too!  I have never had a problem spraying it on fabrics either.

    Also, if you haven't, I might bring it up to your groomer.  They may not know they are causing a flea outbreak. 

    I don't know if it came from the groomer though, since I had a few little bug bites before he went. . . .  I don't want to accuse them of something that might not be true.
  • Please check with your vet before you use flea shampoo on your dog. It might not be compatable with frontline or advantix. Take a break tonight and wash the linens 24-48  hours after you've applied the drops to your dog to give it a chance to work. 
                       
  • Fleas have begun to develop a resistance to Frontline.  Switch to Advantix, but don't pay extra for the one that supposedly repels ticks. . . it doesn't.  You are going to need to treat your dog topically for fleas for the next 3-5 months in order to break the cycle, on top of cleaning and possibly bombing your house.

    You should also buy Capstar oral pills and give them to your dog.  Capstar is great and works within 30mins to start killing any adult fleas on your dog.  It can be used in conjunction with topical meds and can be used once every 24hrs, I believe, to help control an infestation, depending on how bad yours is.

    Borax might be all well and good, but you need to break out the big guns in order to break the fleas' rapid life cycle.  Go to your pet store and get a carpet and upholstery spray that has Methoprene and/NYLAR in it.  Those are Insect Growth Regulators that will stop any eggs that have been laid from hatching and will also stop the maturation of any hatched larvae.

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  • I recommend Comfortis, the flea pill. Many fleas are developing resistances to Frontline and even Advantage, but Comfortis kills them. Our pups are allergic to fleas, and Comfortis is all we use. No flea problems here. It's once a month and can't be washed off like topical applications can. 
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