CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Health => Topic started by: trengoff on September 13, 2002, 10:24:25 PM
-
How common is it for young pups to have fleas ???? :-
(9 weeks)
-
Not common at all if the pup comes from a good breeder :) If you suspect your pup has fleas, then pop to your vets & buy some Frontline spray which is safe to use on young pups. You may need to treat your cat as well (indeed the cat could be the source of any fleas :))
-
We've been usin some 'BOB MARTIN PESTROY POWDER' on him. We are going to the vets on wednes day for his first set of injections!!! So we will probobly pick sumthin up then Are we correct in doing this???? how dangerous are fleas????
-
Have you checked the Bob Martin powder is safe to use on young puppies? If it is, I don't imagine it will be any where near as effective as the modern preparations like Frontline - these have the advantage that you only need to spray the dog every few months (ie long lasting protection) If your puppy does have fleas, then eggs will have been laid in your house, on carpets etc so you need also to buy a spray to treat the house eg Acclaim (again available from your vet) If you don't treat your carpets etc, the eggs will hatch out & the whole cycle will begin again.
Fleas aren't dangerous as such but they can cause dogs/cats intense irritation, resulting in frequent scratching which can lead to skin infections. Some dogs are also allergic to flea saliva which can result in severe skin problems. Fleas are also hosts for the tapeworm, another reason to make sure your puppy is treated for fleas & also wormed correctly (your vet will supply you with effective wormers)
-
Hi Trengoff, I agree with Jane in that the flea preperations from pet shops/supermarkets are not as effective as the ones available from the vets. Quite a lot of people phone up saying their pet has fleas and yet they have been treated with pet shop treatments. Whilst they may kill off some of the fleas, they won't kill them all and the problem remains. they then have to come in for Frontline in the end and they are well out of pocket. And don't even contemplate flea collars!!!!!! Again as Jane said, whenever a flea is seen(or even suspected) it is recommended to treat the enviroment. Pay particular attention to everywhere your pup and cat have access, wash their bedding etc. Also, most people don't think about treating the car if the pets have access to it - I think it's always best to be very thprough or there will be an infestation of the little blighters before you know it ;D Off to have a good scratch now ;D ;D
-
Hi Trengoff, I agree with Jane in that the flea preperations from pet shops/supermarkets are not as effective as the ones available from the vets.
the same is true of worms too, in my experience. If you rely on pet store products for either fleas or worms, you'll never get rid of either. It's so worth having this treated by the vet - it might be more expensive option in the short term, but you save so much time and trouble in the long run.
I think you said your pup has been out in the back garden this week, so that's where they came from. This is the time of year when they are rampant. You can always tell if they have come into the house as you'll find a nice ring of itchy red blotches (bites) around your ankle. Don't know what it is about human ankles, everywhere else seems safe ;)
-
We're not actually sure if it is fleas, because when we got the pup it had been treated with frontline, this was a bit strong so it went a dandruffy so it could be that. I think we will just wait till we go to the vets to see what he says!!!
-
Hi Trengoff.
Fleas are a black/brown colour and are quite visible if you have a good inspection of your pups coat, a give away of their presence is a very fine black 'dust' which is their droppings (sorry to put you off your dinner folks!)
-
OMG it says not to be used on pups under 12 weeks!!! IM A BAD OWNER SOMEBODY SHOOT ME!!!
:( :( :( :(:( :( :( :(:( :( :( :(:( :( :( :(:( :( :( :(:( :( :( :(:( :( :( :(:(
-
Sorry, I've edited your post as all those emoticons were making the page horribly slow to load!
Back to the flea problem, if your pup had already been Frontlined, then you really shouldn't have used any other insecticidal on him - not a good idea at all! Best to get your vet to check him out before you do anything else.
-
Trengoff, hope the pup sends you to bed without supper tonight ;D
-
Does this mean I am a bad owner!!!! OMG it does please don't be mad :-X, SORRY everyone. Im really scared he's not gonna be O.K
-
Trengoff, puppy will be just fine :) But you still have to go to bed with no supper ;D
-
Any News on this puppy and the suspected flea problem?
Has anyone ever used frontline spray on pregnant bitches?
-
Yes I have treated a pregnant bitch (after a close encounter with a hedghog :)) with Frontline spray with no problems, though I did use it quite sparingly. The spray is licensed for use in pregnant cats & dogs & also for nursing bitches apparently.
-
Phew - thanks for that Jane, you have put my mind at rest I have been worried sick, following veterinary advice i treated one of mine the other day who is expecting soon, that is after i read the label 60 billion times and phoned the vets at least 6 times! We have had a pup back who we think brought them into the house, or my dog puppy could have brought them back from a show or even the fields. I keep mine topped up with frontline spot on but Jazz missed her dose as i was planning to mate her, so she's the unlucky one.
Which household spray do you use? Have you ever tried Staykill? Think thats the one my vet recomended.
God I hate the things. First time i've actually seen one in real life - yuk! although 24 hours later no scratching, lots of eggs on flea comb though - eugh. Hopefully caught in time. How long can they live for the eggs?
Phew - feel much better now :-)
-
The frontline spray is excellent for nursing bitches as it acts as an umbrella for the pups and then it can be used on them from 2 weeks of age. Staykill is a good enviromental spray-I treated my flat with it before I moved in as the previous owners had a cat but now I use the Fleeguard spot-on enviromental control - lot less hassle
-
I know it says it's safe for nursing bitches but reading that it's safe & feeling that it's safe can be two different things - we breeders are terrible worry-guts :)
Haven't tried Staykill yet - we usually use Acclaim which I treat the carpets with a couple of times a year
I quite like catching fleas & squashing them between my nails - must have a sadistic streak in me ;D I unfortunately see quite a lot of them on some of my grooming clients whose owners haven't been converted to the benefits of Frontline :)
-
My Vet always prescribes the Frontline drops which you apply to the back of the neck other than the spray. Which in your opinion's gives the most effective treatment ?
-
I dont have any experience of the other remedies discussed, but those drops on the back of the neck (accompanied by tablets) have always worked perfectly well for my two. Not a single flea for several months afterwards.
-
I always use the spray having had one of our old dogs suffer an allergic reaction to the spot on drops a while ago (a large patch of wet eczema came up on the neck where the drops were applied) However, I know plenty of other people use the spot-on treatment without problems - it's just a matter of personal preference. The spray is very effective if applied properly so it gets down to the skin but it's admittedly easier to use the spot-on drops.
Jane
-
I prefer the drops myself but they are both equally as effective. I would say that the frontline spray seems to be more effective on ticks than the spot-on
-
Does anyone else give garlic capsules as a preventative measure? ??? Mine have one in their food every day, and either I'm just lucky or it works........they've not had any fleas for a long time :D
-
I've thought about trying it Michele but Brook gets all sorts put into his food every day so I would seem a bit mean :) And as he comes to work every day, that is the one place he probably would pick them up so don't know if I would want to chance it.
-
Yes I have treated a pregnant bitch (after a close encounter with a hedghog :)) with Frontline spray with no problems, though I did use it quite sparingly. The spray is licensed for use in pregnant cats & dogs & also for nursing bitches apparently.
just thought I would let you know Jane - we found our hedgehog ;D
-
Waaaaaaaaaah it's my turn :(
Jasper and Buddy are riddled :( :( :(
I found one on Buddy three weeks ago - it was just the one and there was no other evidence - no flea poo - eggs or owt. I treated them both with a Bob Martin Spot on - was cuddling Buddy on Saturday and felt some grit in his coat - had a good look and it was flea poo - lots of it. I got the flea comb on them yesterday and found loads of the little monsters - have vet-kem'd the house and have just got some Frontline Spray from the vets £25!!! :o
I am horrified - how can they not respond to the drops and then multiply so incredibly rapidly - they weren't there a few days ago - honest:( doesn't it make you feel so awful :-[ :(. Don't know where they came from - but they aint staying >:(- grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
-
It ain't cheap is it Pam :o but you'll see it will be well worth it when the little things are dead!
Thing I noticed though was, until they are dead they go on laying eggs and these will need to be removed from coat with a flea comb, even if the spray does kill 'em.
As soon as I sprayed with F-L they seemed to have a mass egg laying tournament!!!!!!!!!!
Good Luck - and booooooooo to Bob Martin!
(Don't know why it's on the shelf to be honest) ::)