New puppy has fleas!

Summerday_2

We picked up our 8 week Springer puppy on Sunday and when we took her home we noticed what we thought we're scabs where her litter mates had been over rough with her (she is the more timid one out of the pups).

Last night I was checking her over and looking again I noticed it was more like flea dirt, and sure enough I found a couple of fleas.

The family we got her from said she had been flead and wormed on Friday so obviously I'm hesitant to use any treatment, but gave her a wash with some mild puppy shampoo last night. Our vet is also getting a delivery of flea spray to treat the house tomorrow.

I was just wondering though if she had been flead would she still be able to catch them in such a short period of time after treatment? She lived with two dogs (her parents) and a cat prior to us bringing her home and obviously her litter mates too.

Katiehound

If there were fleas in the house they could easily develop from eggs - if you have a bad infestation and don't treat carpets, pet bedding etc and vacuum up all the eggs then fleas carry on the cycle. I think most flea treatments only kill fleas active then and there.
There are some flea treatments that provide protection for a few weeks.
It also depends on the product used- some are now very ineffective.
Too early to reapply spot-on.

I would ask the breeders what product was used and be guided by your vet.

teddysmum

Also, if you need further treatment , ask the vet's advice as some treatments are not suitable for puppies.


My cavaliers got fleas (first time I've seen them in over 40 years of dog owning) and one did still have a couple of crawlers, which I picked off, two days after treatment, but no sign since.

sheramber

Did the breeder tell you what she used?

Some treatments sold in pet shops are useless.

Fronltline is reported to have stopped working in sone areas.

Spot ons generally kill fleas once they bite so you can find fleas on a treated dog until they die. Fleas eggs can survive for months before hatching out, so unless the breeder house was treated there could be new fleas hatching out all the time.

I would ask the breeder what she used then take advice from your vet based on what she used.

You can use a flea comb to comb any fleas off the puppy. Have a bowl of hot, soapy water handy to put the fleas in.

thereisnot

As others have said, it depends a lot on the product that was used as to whether you should expect it to still be killing the fleas. If a topical (spot on) product was used, washing the puppy may decrease its effectiveness as it can wash the product off!


If you find out what product the breeder used and when, then you may be able to get another medication for your puppy from your vet. As long as the active ingredients aren't related you should be able to use another flea control product. I would try and sort ASAP, if fleas take hold in your house it can take months to get rid of them.