I have never had a problem with fleas, so I don’t know what it is like. I have only heard the horror stories and treated them at the clinic.
If you have a monthly flea preventative, then you shouldn’t get fleas. If your dog does get fleas, with a monthly preventative, it keeps the ones on the dog from having little baby fleas, which is VERY important.
Second…GET A FLEA COMB for at home! That way you can check your dog before it gets really bad. Most over-the-counter flea shampoos do not do any good. Fleas collars are dangerous to dogs, so please do not use those. They have chemicals that are harmful to dogs and can actually burn the skin. Most over-the-counter flea sprays are either not concentrated enough or can be harmful after prolonged use.
Contact your vet about Capstar. Capstar is a one-time pill that will kill off the current fles on your dog. It begins working within 30 minutes! The good news is that it isn’t a prescription, so you can buy it from an online pet med website such as 1800-PetMeds. Your vet should be able to sell you some also. It is important that all dog owners have a supply of Capstar at home for emergency uses.
I can only hope that you DO use a monthly flea and heartworm preventative, as fleas not only cause itching and scratching, but they carry other diseases as well. You think you have it bad now…just wait until your dog becomes deathly ill from one of the diseases that fleas carry!
We use a flea preventative year round, even though the temps today are in the 20s. Fleas can reside anywhere, so if they are on your dog and you have bites, then they are all over your house. You will need to treat your house, bedding, furniture, etc. to kill them off. Fleas can live anywhere at anytime where it is warm and they can find blood.
You better get it under control NOW or you will never have it under control.
