# I got the fleas! I got the fleas! EEEK!!!



## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

OK, I have the DE. I am sprinkling all my rugs and vacuuming the whole house, and washing all the dog bedding. then I am going to put DE in the dog beds and on the little rugs that they sit on. Dogs are in bed with me, so I guess I have to wash those also.

I am getting sevin dust. I have used it forever, and I'm sprinkling it around the oustide of the house. I'm not gonna put the DE on the dogs because people say it dries their skin so I guess i need to wash the little dogs in Dawn and figure out some way to wash Rebel. He hates the bathtub.

Anything else? Thank you. Hubby says he'd rather have roaches than fleas. I'm not sure sure I feel that way, BUT I have to admit being in Indiana for 17 years and not one sign of a flea has spoiled me. We are here six weeks and got em! I should have known.

I know for sure one is on Snorkels, and I couldn't catch the dang thing. It ran too fast.


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## cupybear (Apr 11, 2009)

I read where a vet said that due to the mild winter we had this year that fleas and ticks are already making a problem for alot of pet owners,i also seen tips on fighting off those fleas such as cutting up those flea and tick collars into small pieces and placing them under cushions and other areas to really run them off and let them know they are unwanted,but it sounds like you have everything covered as far as that goes.After all these years our girl still doesnt like the bath tube,but you can really tell she feels so much better afterwards,and most of the time i only see a flea or three.


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## tem_sat (Jun 20, 2010)

xellil said:


> ...so I guess i need to wash the little dogs in Dawn and figure out some way to wash Rebel. He hates the bathtub.


Any good quality shampoo will work. I would not use dish soap, although that is recommended all over the place. You are simply "drowning" the existing fleas. The only time I would use Dawn is if my dog were covered in tar.

Be sure to vacuum, vacuum, vacuum and vacuum some more. Daily, if possible, for about 14 consecutive days.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

You can put the DE around your house also. There was a gal on here Serenityfl (by the way what happened to that girl, I miss her) she use to live in FL and she swore by Flea Control Treatment Kills Dog Fleas and Cat Fleas - Fleabusters. She said it worked longer than it even say's. I don't have a flea problem here so I have never used it.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I am vacuuming, for sure. I'll do it for 14 days. It's pretty hard work, actually since my vacuum cleaner weighs a ton. And when you wash everything all at once there sure is alot of it! Poor dogs are looking for a spot to lay down.

I miss Serenity!! She said she was taking a break from here. I wish she would come back and I hope she's doing ok. i had totally forgotten about the Fleabusters. I'll check into it - I won't be able to use it right now but we aren't even in flea season yet so it sure will be helpful later on.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Yeah, SerenityFL recommended that Fleabusters company very, very highly indeed and I believe her.
I've often wondered about her too. You are right, she did say she was taking a break, but man, that must have been a year ago now. I hope she's ok and happy with life.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> Yeah, SerenityFL recommended that Fleabusters company very, very highly indeed and I believe her.
> I've often wondered about her too. You are right, she did say she was taking a break, but man, that must have been a year ago now. I hope she's ok and happy with life.


yep, it's looking less like a break and more like a retirement. it's funny how you miss people that leave and wonder if they are ok, especially when they leave during some kind of turmoil in their lives. Like northwoods10 - I was very glad to see her back here. 

Plus, when people like serenity leave we lose a bunch of knowledge.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

Oh did she, that could have been in Oct. or Nov. because I was not on here then much. Well I do miss things also so I guess I don't know when it was. How come was she going to take a break? Life I suppose. Isn't it strange when people are on here allot then just go away.


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

What I do-
I use borax on the floors and carpet. Iput DE food grade in their food. Being in Atlanta I do use frontline or advantage IF neccasary to prevent infestations. then everything else your doing. Good luck.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Herzo said:


> Oh did she, that could have been in Oct. or Nov. because I was not on here then much. Well I do miss things also so I guess I don't know when it was. How come was she going to take a break? Life I suppose. Isn't it strange when people are on here allot then just go away.


I think it was stress here on DFC that caused her to leave. But she had also recently had changes in her life. 

I think sometimes people just get tired of this place. Normally I don't stay anywhere longer than a few months before I get sick of it. But DFC has so much more information than most places and isn't the same old stuff all the time.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

brandypup said:


> What I do-
> I use borax on the floors and carpet. Iput DE food grade in their food. Being in Atlanta I do use frontline or advantage IF neccasary to prevent infestations. then everything else your doing. Good luck.


Thanks - I have tried borax for roaches and they seemed to thrive on it. In the end like you say, sometimes you just have to throw chemicals at them but I'm going to try not to. I sure will if I have to, though. 

I'm sitting here itching all over and I don't know if it's in my head or if there are fleas crawling all over me.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

there is a recent thread about DE and fleas....i think liz wrote all about it....if i remember correctly.

http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/general-dog-discussion/13815-diatomaceous-earth-2.html


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

Dog fleas don't live on humans but they certainly will bite if they are in the carpet. If you can and have the time I would certainly use a flea comb and comb out your dogs as much as you can concentrating around the butt tail end where they seem to congretate on my dog. I have been taking off 2 or 3 a day from Stanley. I have a small jug of hot water next to me with a bit of white vinegar and detergent in it and just quickly dunk the comb in there as it drowns them and then I can see how many of the little critters there are. They do move fast and jump. Also as mentioned above I think if you can shampoo the dog and leave the lather on for a few minutes and then comb out you will find quite a few. They are maddeningly quick little buggers though.


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## tem_sat (Jun 20, 2010)

One thing I forgot, make sure to check both doggies' stools for any evidence of tapeworms. They would contract this via ingestion of fleas.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

The only time that we had a bad flea infestation, we used a trick that worked wonders. 

Put a pan of water (like a cake pan) on the floor under a bright night light at night. The fleas hop towards the light and fall into the pan of water and drown. You will get up in the morning and the pan will be full of dead fleas. Make sure the dogs can't get to it and drink all the water!! Empty the pan and refill the next night. Do it every night before you go to bed and put one in every room that the dogs go into. 

It worked great and we haven't had a bad infestation since then. All natural and no flea products on the dogs or rugs.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

checked a poop. nothing that looked like worms although there was some white stuff in there. I am thinking it was the chicken heads from yesterday.

Hubby is going to town to get Sevin dust and I'll get him to pick up a flea comb.

I'll get the water and put it in the living room and the bedroom where the dogs mostly are. I can block those rooms off and we can sleep somewhere else.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

Thank goodness I don't have carpet. I use nematodes from fleabusters for the lawn. Haven't seen any fleas.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

malluver1005 said:


> Thank goodness I don't have carpet. I use nematodes from fleabusters for the lawn. Haven't seen any fleas.


I am glad I don't have carpet either - but I do have rugs. i saw a video in the vets office that showed flea eggs hatching in the cracks between the boards in wood floors, so I'm not too sure I'm safe there either.

I'm definitely gonna get the fleabusters.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I think I might try the cake pan with water. Although, my studio apartment means one room...and the nightlight would probably keep me up all night.


I don't have fleas on the dogs, at least, not that I can find. But I'm always so paranoid because they skeeve me out so much. Whenever I get a little itchy I'm like OH MY GOD I HAVE FLEAS.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

meggels said:


> I think I might try the cake pan with water. Although, my studio apartment means one room...and the nightlight would probably keep me up all night.
> 
> 
> I don't have fleas on the dogs, at least, not that I can find. But I'm always so paranoid because they skeeve me out so much. Whenever I get a little itchy I'm like OH MY GOD I HAVE FLEAS.


Yes, I am itching from head to toe. I'm gonna do the water - for one thing if the water pan is empty maybe that means they haven't moved in and set up housekeeping yet.


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## BeagleCountry (Jan 20, 2012)

Keep the grass mowed as short as possible throughout the year. It really helps. Also, beware of the grass near vet clinics. It can be a flea haven. 

Take a shower to remove your "fleas". You will feel much better afterward. Strange how the psyche works.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

Just to clarify - did you see a few fleas or a googolplexillion? Apparently, having a couple of fleas is ok, and only if there are a bunch do you have an infestation worthy of DE, fleabusters, etc.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

SpooOwner said:


> Just to clarify - did you see a few fleas or a googolplexillion? Apparently, having a couple of fleas is ok, and only if there are a bunch do you have an infestation worthy of DE, fleabusters, etc.


Well, I found a flea on Snorkels. I didn't catch it, either. It's out there somewhere. 

And all three dogs have been scratching lately. 

I think i do need to get started on this, though, because the dogs, especially Rebel, are out in 2 foot tall grass alot (well, until I finish getting the pastures mowed). I remember from my youth how horrible the ticks and fleas are out here. Maybe if I start now I can keep them from invading.

And if nothing else, i got my house all cleaned up and the dogs bathed.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

Better safe than sorry


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

I'm itching just reading this thread. I got the new dog in the bath as fast as I could. The dogs aren't scratching but I am. The very thought of fleas makes me itch. Can't wait to get Molly to a vet.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

bridget246 said:


> I'm itching just reading this thread. I got the new dog in the bath as fast as I could. The dogs aren't scratching but I am. The very thought of fleas makes me itch. Can't wait to get Molly to a vet.


Oh I know - did the bath kill off most of them? I read you also got a flea comb.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

xellil said:


> Oh I know - did the bath kill off most of them? I read you also got a flea comb.


I never found any. I threw her in the bath immediately when I brought her home. The owner said she probably had fleas so I took his word on it. I checked for them later and didn't see any. I was so paranoid. Brought a flea comb, throw my clothes and everything the dog touched into the washer. Bathed her really good. Checked the flea comb and didn't see anything. But, I never seen a flea before so I thought maybe I was missing it. The itching I was feeling went away when I closed this thread and the vet today confirmed that she didn't have fleas, at least not anymore. 

To tell you the truth I wasn't even worried about throwing the dog in the bath. After Bridget I figured any other dog would be easier, or, at least couldn't be as harder. I've gotten Bridget to the point where bathing her is a very enjoyable experience. I use to think that was impossible after the "experts" failed at it. Took Bridget into petsmart to be bathed a few weeks after I brought her. Nice looking lady took Bridget back to get washed. She had been working their for awhile, well dressed, loved her job, life was great. When I returned to get Bridget her hair was standing up, shirt was wrinkled with water spots all over it and she looked like was recently crying. The sad truth is it made me more worried about Bridget's safety. I wasn't concerned with the worker and choose not to use them ever again. She ignored her co-workers concern. I was so close to going off when she brought Bridget to me still wet, held the leash with a ton of tension and aggression as if she didn't want anything to do with my dog. They refused to dry her so I had to take home a wet dog.


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

Anyone know what is in that stuff?


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## dustinshaw98 (Feb 22, 2012)

tem_sat said:


> Any good quality shampoo will work. I would not use dish soap, although that is recommended all over the place. You are simply "drowning" the existing fleas. The only time I would use Dawn is if my dog were covered in tar.
> 
> Be sure to vacuum, vacuum, vacuum and vacuum some more. Daily, if possible, for about 14 consecutive days.



I agree. I'll go for topical solutions first (soaps and shampoos) instead of having my dog ingest medicine.


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