Found one flea...

Cuilean

As the title says, hubby found one single flea on the dog tonight. I'm not daft, and I know one flea is very rarely the only flea. We have combed the dog, and can't see any other "life" in there, but again, if there are eggs yet to hatch, they're not going to be easy to spot because of her colouring.

Dog had her last dose of Advantage 6 weeks ago, so is two weeks overdue. She's had a dose tonight, and I've put an alert on my phone to remind me she must have one monthly from now on. No excuses or lateness from now on! Ironically, I ordered some new Advantage from Amazon just yesterday.

What's the best thing to do next? I've hoovered like a fiend already and put everything I can into the washing machine on a boil wash. Flea foggers? I think I read something about a type of earth - diametus or something? We've been giving her garlic with her raw diet, but obviously that didn't work. Help!

elsien

You might get away with it - I did with Gitdog when he shared his solitary flea while sitting on my lap. Instant flea treatment, daily hoovering and a flea collar in the Hoover bag to kill off anything hatching seemed to do the trick. Or I might just have been lucky.

Arthog

I only have cats but I'd say Don't Panic. Just put on the flea stuff monthly - I actually wait until I see a flea before putting it on. Kill any fleas you may see of course.
We once paid several pounds for a can of stuff to spray on the carpet. Read the warnings about the chemicals it contained then put it straight in the bin!
It's quite normal for fleas to be about at this time of year, in the grass etc, as well as on mice and rabbits that our pets catch.
A friend (just once!) found a dead flea in her baby's nappy when her Health Visitor was there! The HV wasn't at all concerned as it was summer so the child was spending time outdoors.

trolleyrun

When Pipsqueak had acquired fleas from some doggy friends last year, there were quite a few around before I realised. I shampooed the dog, washed everything I could, got a flea tablet from the vet (worked really quickly), hoovered everywhere and bought a spray from PaH. That spray was stinky and probably full of chemicals, but I sprayed the whole flat, including sofa, bed, skirting boards, the lot. I went out just after I'd sprayed so I didn't have to sit in the fumes and by the time I came home, it had all settled. It worked a treat and I haven't had any problems since, thank goodness.
I'm still miffed at my "friend" who didn't tell me they knew their dogs had fleas after Pipsqueak had been for a visit.

fightingirishman

I've heard that diatomaceous earth (I think that's what you were getting at) works well, but have yet to try it. Of course, that's supposed to get rid of worms (which they get from biting fleas). Have you tried a flea bath?

owlet

My pup had fleas that we noticed a couple of days after we collected her. I dosed her with a spot on from the vet, sprayed the areas where she had been (downstairs at bed time & upstairs in the morning ) & washed her bedding. I've not seen another one since.

Keep an eye but don't worry!

Rebecca_Palmer

My pug had it but I went to the vet right away!

Oddjob

I won't use the spot on stuff, would you want some poison in your system that kills for a month? Would you want to put something on yourself that has been known to burn the spot its put on? Of course you wouldn't.
I noticed my dog had a few visitors on her last week.
I've been combing her three times a day with a flea/dust comb.
I sprayed her bedding and the house with Indorex so that any living ones won't breed properly.
Now, there is only an odd one when I comb and no dirt or eggs to be seen.
HTH

trolleyrun

Oddjob wrote: »

I won't use the spot on stuff, would you want some poison in your system that kills for a month? Would you want to put something on yourself that has been known to burn the spot its put on? Of course you wouldn't.
I noticed my dog had a few visitors on her last week.
I've been combing her three times a day with a flea/dust comb.
I sprayed her bedding and the house with Indorex so that any living ones won't breed properly.
Now, there is only an odd one when I comb and no dirt or eggs to be seen.
HTH

I swap between spot-on and tablets and my dog's skin has never burned. Having had a (small) infestation last year, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. I got bitten as well and was very embarrassed about it all - I had to pretend it was mosquitoes even though it happened in mid-winter. I will not have another infestation, the discomfort to my dog and I was hideous enough the first time. Sometimes, chemicals is the only way to deal with it. There's a big possibility that there are flea eggs/larvae in places you haven't discovered yet. I hope they're not, but experience tells me otherwise.

Oddjob

The Indorex will take care of those luckily.