Dog Community

Grandma's Golden is infested with fleas

Posted : 10/24/2008 2:29:06 PM

She is so upset now and stressed out. Sonny is my Dublin's best buddy. Dub plays over there a couple times a week with Sonny in and out of the house. My mother in law is 90 years old, can't drive, going blind and not in good health. My sister in law let her keep Sonny because she never took care of him, (no vet care etc) and Grandma needed a companion. He is about 7 and a wonderful dog. Okay so he started getting sores in the past two weeks that she mentioned to me. We do his grooming and keep his nail clipped. I clean up his poop, but I can't afford to have him at the vet. I do what I can to help out. He is eating Purina One for Seniors, not good, but better than the store brands that her daugher felt was good enough for him. At least I got him on meat first or any meat in a food. It is all she can afford. I am looking into improving that to at least a single protein/carb and no wheat and corn. If he will eat it. He was eating his tail up with this sore yesterday and my brother in law got him over to Banfields. We were so worried and it turns out he is badly infested with fleas. $300.00 later he is home and starting treatment. He had a shot I believe to kill the fleas and Advantix is being started today also. He had an ear infection too. That would have been fairly new since my husband did his nails and ears about 10 days ago and we saw no brown stuff at that time. So ear wash and meds for that too. So my concern is can Dublin have been exposed enough that we should worry. He is on Advantix year round and shows no problems now. Can he still visit Sonny or shall I wait a week till he is treated more and the house is being taken care of by an exterminator on Monday. Such an ordeal for this poor lady. All the bedding he was on etc we have clean and she has to leave her house all day on Monday with the dog and no one wants a flea infested dog in their house or car! We will have to put him in her garage for the half day they suggested because she can't afford to board him after all this expense. Any thoughts on how to best rid the house of this problem and tips for poor Sonny who is suffering big time?

Anonymous

Posted : 10/24/2008 2:37:10 PM

When JJ's brother moved out from living with us in the old trailor his room was infested with fleas from his aussie mix he had. All I did was sprinkle some of that smelly good carpet stuff made to kill fleas down once a day and vaccumed everyday till there was no more fleas. That stuff actually worked for us. You could try that?

And I would keep Dublin away till Sonny is treated. Even though my dogs are on frontline if I take Lillie or Kujo around dogs with fleas they will breakout just from one little flea and their spit.

JackieG

Posted : 10/24/2008 2:50:47 PM

Adams Flea and Tick spray is a good product, IMO, to use in her house. I'm not sure how expensive it is but I know they sell it in the grocery stores here. I am sending you a pm.

Liesje

Posted : 10/24/2008 2:52:46 PM

I've heard of people running to various stores to find home remedies and spending a lot of money on them....honestly if you want to KILL eggs you need a product with an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) like Nylar. I found the powder at my local grocery store and it was less than $10. It also protects the house for 365 days. You sprinkle it on the carpets and rub it down deep with a broom. Let it sit for several hours and vacuum. I also got a can of spray and sprayed the baseboards on my hard floors.

But if an exterminator is coming they will probably do this with their own products or bomb the house.

The dog should be given a Capstar tablet once a day for the next few days. These I get from the vet, super cheap. They actually KILL the adult fleas on the dog. Flea preventatives take a while to break the cycle and don't necessarily instantly kill adult fleas. Also, be ware that flea shampoos only stun fleas so you can brush them off, they do not kill them either. Fleas are really hard (literally) to kill. I smashed one until it crunched and the dang thing still jumped a foot in the air! The ones I picked off my dog I drowned in bleach water but ultimately it was the Capstar tablets and treating the house that broke the cycle for good.