# Fleas???



## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Is this a flea? I saw Millie army crawling on the floor and looked closely to see that she was following a little bug. The bug jumped and hit me on the forehead. I got a picture of it a few minutes later. 

All 3 poodles are on Interceptor which has no flea birth control, but take Frontline in the summer for tick/flea protection. They used to take Sentinel, which did have flea birth control.

So, a) is this a flea? and, b) if it is, how are there fleas in my house if my dogs are on Frontline?


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

that's not a flea IMO, if it is... it's the first flea in my life i've ever seen like that :lol: 
this is what a typical flea looks like, but... this is extremely enlarged.










Thought i'd add... just in case you do see a flea it doesn't necesarily mean your dogs have them, it means that they may have just brought one or two in... if they are on flea prevention i wouldn't worry too much unless you see 10+ in a week or so. we don't use flea control, and we only use a flea product if we have an infestation on our pooch, we see 1-2 maybe in a month sometimes.


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## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

Brownie, that most definitely is NOT a flea. They're VERY VERY small and almost flat. You have to crush them between fingernails to kill them (you could just smoosh that bug you took a pic of)

Don't stress it... I'm sure you're fine. You only would want to worry if you suddenly discovered 10 or 20 fleas on one of the dogs. Even the random flea isn't something to concern yourself with.

Whatever you do, don't move to a hot & humid climate like Florida though... the fleas down there are insane


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

jdatwood said:


> Whatever you do, don't move to a hot & humid climate like Florida though... the fleas down there are insane


Phew. Okay. Glad it is not a flea, LOL!

Well, it is quite hot and humid in St. Louis too! Not QUITE as bad as Florida, but still in the running!


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

Looks like some sort of beetle to me?


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

jdatwood said:


> Whatever you do, don't move to a hot & humid climate like Florida though... the fleas down there are insane


We have MUTANT fleas!!!! However I am lucky enough to not have that problem, since the kiddos have been on raw I haven't had one outbreak. Not sure if I can blame the diet for that, but I'd like to...  

And yes, Brownie... that is definitely not a flea.


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## Jynical (Jun 22, 2011)

Yeah, that looks like a little beetle to me.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I can't believe you live in the south and have never had fleas!! Consider yourself very lucky. I agree that it looks like some kind of beetle.

My guys have not had any fleas since they've been eating raw. However, my MIL's dog just visited here and she found a dead flea on it (she uses comfortis) so I am hoping she hasn't brought any into the house.


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

I think those are called click beetles or clicking beetles. They jump and make a tiny popping sound. Creepy but harmless.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

chowder said:


> I can't believe you live in the south and have never had fleas!! Consider yourself very lucky. I agree that it looks like some kind of beetle.
> 
> My guys have not had any fleas since they've been eating raw. However, my MIL's dog just visited here and she found a dead flea on it (she uses comfortis) so I am hoping she hasn't brought any into the house.


before when he wasn't on raw... we had fleas all the time if we didn't use comfortis... now we have no problems so weird you mentioned that! and he is outside all the time! and ticks.. sigh... ticks...


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

We are super lucky because Mol doesn't seem to get flea's either. Don't know why because her mates do and she hangs out with them in the grass, fields and at the dog park. She does swim alot, so that might make a difference. If she does scratch, I run a flea comb through her fur - in 2 years I've only caught 2 fleas. (I'm touching wood like hell here!)
I don't use the flea treatments as there is something in them that doesn't agree with her.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Tobi said:


> before when he wasn't on raw... we had fleas all the time if we didn't use comfortis... now we have no problems so weird you mentioned that! and he is outside all the time! and ticks.. sigh... ticks...


Yeah, ticks are a constant problem still. Apparently fleas don't like raw fed dogs but ticks still think they are yummy. They think I'm yummy, too!


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## tuckersmom20 (Dec 12, 2010)

Lucky you guys!!!

Someone brought fleas into the house so I'm dealing with a mild outbreak.
Scratchy dogs and flea baths are not fun!
I got them a dose of revolution each which they'll now stay on till end of season.
I managed to miss the flea boat last year.... This year they got me!


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I've never had fleas but the thought of them skeeves me out beyond belief :-X


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## DoglovingSenior (Jun 26, 2011)

One day back in about 1998 ? I called the pest control man he did the yard and the house. Meanwhile the dogs were all at the groomers-bathing, dipping and getting their NEW Frontline put on. From that day until a year ago I saw NO fleas. Then Horror of horrors I doing my nightly "go -over" and found a FLEA on KO!!! I could not believe it. What had changed. I went over Apollo's coat & didn't see anything-though with him it is more difficult-dense black coat. By the AM, KO had bare spots on his tail & paws where he had chewed. Rushed him to the vet-and found that he is allergic to fleas & just one can do this to him. Ok, why? He is treated with Frontline Plus every month. " The fleas can eventually become resistant to the Frontline, Advantage or whatever has been used for a long time in the area in which you live." If this is not true-the vet said it not me. I changed to a pill and had to practically kill him to get it down his throat. I didn't realize how *long *one sweet APBT could go without breathing, with peanut butter etc and still cough up a %#*% pill Tail still wagging. We are back on a topical for the last 7 months and things seem to be ok.


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

chowder said:


> Yeah, ticks are a constant problem still. Apparently fleas don't like raw fed dogs but ticks still think they are yummy. They think I'm yummy, too!


Yeah, I don't think ticks care who they bite, ha. Even the tick repellants for humans barely work on them. Ticks are really my only reason for using topicals on the dogs =/.


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## DoglovingSenior (Jun 26, 2011)

PS Savannah's fleas are NOT prejudiced against Raw fed dogs!


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