Fleas!!!

[doubleshift]

The dog has fleas! I can't imagine where from - he doesn't see other dogs and only occasionally comes across one on a walk.

He has a seresto collar which is only a month or so old and I've put spot on on him. Combing is producing perhaps 10 a day over the past 6 days. I'd say the fleas seems smaller and less jumpy now.

It's horrible. How do we get rid of them - do I need vet strength meds? What about the house?
In all my many years of dog ownership I've never encountered fleas!

Help. What do I do next?

I don't envy you. I know someone who's DDog had them recently and it took weeks to rid their home of the little buggers.

They’re more likely to catch them from cats or wildlife such as hedgehogs than other dogs.

Talk to the vets. I was in vets last week and overheard someone saying normal treatment has stopped working for fleas

Vet. They will know what you need.
Dogs can pick up fleas from many sources - foxes are another one.

Vets, fleas are immune to all the over the counter treatments.

Bravecto seems to work well on my dog.

Contacted the vet who said they don't treat them unless absolutely infested and wouldn't offer an appointment! Are there online vets?

Try a different vets!!!

Agree over the counter doesn't work. We use Nexguard tablets hidden in cheese. This kills fleas on the dog within 24 hours I think.

Vet also provided spray to treat the house and soft furnishings -Virbac Indorex Defence Household Flea Spray.

Anything that could go in the washing machine did - all bedding, clothes, dog collars, harnesses, leads, toys. Everything. Hoovered every day. I sprayed loads. I re did the house treatment after a week but you're supposed to wait three - I did it again then.
Hoovered some more.

The seresto collar should take care of them on the dog, but you need to treat the house. Indorex is good - read the instructions properly, & ideally you need to hoover daily after using it to encourage any eggs to hatch so it can kill them.

I'm still struggling with the fleas. Combing him several times a day and almost always finding a flea or two. Then today found a bit batch of them. We've sprayed, vacuum constantly and he's largely confined to the open plan kitchen living with tiled floors.

Will try the vet again on Monday

So so frustrating.

Have sprayed with the indorex too

They need vet treatment and it will need to be prescribed in person.

The rules changed recently so that vets have to have seen your pet in person in the last six months in order to prescribe anything - they can't just do it over the phone or because you say the dog has fleas, if that makes sense.

If your usual vet won't do it then take them elsewhere - fleas are a welfare issue so really shouldn't be left.

We’ve just eradicated fleas. That was despite monthly prescription treatment. We indorexed the whole house plus both vehicles, hoovered daily for 7 days as suggested, washed all bedding at 60, retreated the dog and cat, combed them daily and finally we’ve seen the back of them as far as we can tell. They were causing big problems for our cat as he kept getting worms through ingestion and he’d lost 30% of his body weight! He’s on the up now with the help of high calorie food and probiotics.

Once they get hold they can be very hard to get rid of. This is the second time we’ve had to deal with them in the last 5 years despite regular treatment. Next year we’re considering using indorex as a preventative as I don’t think spot on is enough now alone.

We're dealing with them at the moment with our new rescue - they have defied Endectrid spot-ons, Capstar tablets, a Seresto collar and umpteen tins of Indorex. Vet tomorrow to ask for Nexgard Spectra. They're resilient little sods this year!

My dog was infested with them this autumn. I gave him 1 nexgard spectra tablet (he chewed it happily) and they were gone within 2 days. I hoovered the sofa. End of story. Nexgard spectra, people.

We went to the vet to ask for Nexguard Spectra but they gave us Simparica Trio instead - said that the flea killing agent is from the same drug class as Nexguard but it has a next-generation wormer in it, so they're using it because we're in a high lungworm area. She took it on Tuesday and she's still scratching - going to keep going with the Indorex and hoovering daily and hope we break the cycle. I've boil washed blooming everything this morning as well. Don't think I've ever known fleas this persistent.

ask vet for the oral flea tablet.
We use it because our dog like swimming and getting wet reduces effectiveness of flea treatment.
Give the oral tablet and shut dog in the kitchen.
Strip all beds and wash at 60 (keep in kitchen or in a bin bag until washed
hoover all carpets and sofas.
Spray all with Indorex, it says that it does a 3 bed house, but if you do sofas as well you will need 2 cans.
Any throws blankets etc that can be washed, wash.

Wash all dog beding, and spray the bed.

Wait a couple of hours and then hoover again. Empty hoover bag into a plastic bag and tie it up and put into outside bin.

If possible keep the dog in the kitchen all day to give the flea stuff a chance to work.

This works. But it is an enormous effort.

They can pick up fleas from the grass, and I tend to flea treat the dog regularly. After an infestation, rigorously every month, and then I relax a bit and do it every couple of months

good luck

We're pretty much going through the same. Trying tablets and spot on. Hoovering everyday, bathing and combing. Every now and again we think we're winning, then they rear their ugly little biting heads again.
In a way, it's nice to know that we're not alone! ( not that helps you any)
Good luck x