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Cocker Specific Discussion => Puppies => Topic started by: Tillymai on September 14, 2011, 07:53:22 PM

Title: Puppy fleas!
Post by: Tillymai on September 14, 2011, 07:53:22 PM

Bit shocked to discover that our new puppy who only arrived on Saturday appears to have fleas  ph34r. The breeder had said he'd been frontlined which I thought was meant to stop fleas? But we don't have any other pets and he hasn't been anywhere/come into contact with any other animals since we got him so I don't see how else he could have picked them up.

I rushed out to PAH this afternoon to arm myself for the war - I've given him Johnsons 4 fleas tablet, flea combed him (and drowned all the suckers I found). I've hoovered and Indorex-ed all the areas that he's been in, including the car. Oh and I've nit combed the kids and me - just OH to do when he gets home  :005:

Should I be doing anything else? Will this be enough?

Also, the Johnsons stuff said to give him a tablet any time I saw some fleas (just not more than one tablet a day) - does that mean I'm supposed to keep giving the tablets to him until they're completely gone?

Is there anything I can do to stop him getting fleas again?

Sorry for so many questions but the thought of it has literally been making my skin crawl all afternoon  :embarassed:

Thanks

E x

Title: Re: Puppy fleas!
Post by: Nicola on September 14, 2011, 09:44:16 PM

If you've found live fleas I would speak to the vet and get something stronger like Frontline or Advantage to treat him with; off the shelf flea tablets from Johnson's, Bob Martin etc. aren't all that effective. Frontline doesn't stop them getting fleas but it kills them when they bite (I think Advantage kills them on contact) so if he had been treated the fleas on him should have been 'got' but I would do him again if you're still finding live fleas on him; dog fleas don't live on people but they can bite. I would also boil wash his bedding and any soft furnishings he's been in contact with. There isn't really a failsafe way of stopping them getting fleas but other than the 'medical' preventatives like Frontline etc. some people find that adding a small amount of garlic to their food or using a herbal supplement like Billy No Mates from CSJ can help. I would re-do the household flea spray and hoovering just to be on the safe side. Sometimes they do pick up the odd 'passenger' or two but it sounds like you've got on top of it really quickly.