[Emma Rose]

I have been using the best Giarcidia Defender to control the fleas in my dog. This has been life-saving and easy to use, without any side effects.

[Apollo T]

To anyone seeking information, I was able to tend to this issue.
When the dogs skin becomes damaged is when certain bacteria may turn into infection. In the case of double coat dogs, if you do not properly rake the undercoat out, it can clump up, causing moisture to get captured against the skin. This moisture will damage the skins barrier, and the bacteria will begin to cause infection.
My understanding is that many of the types of bacterias that will cause these lesions are normally on the skin, but won’t cause breakouts unless the skin barrier is disturbed.
With this scenario, antibiotics may assist with dialing back the bacteria, but unless the cause for damaged skin is addressed, infections will probably still show up. And who knows what natural biome the antibiotics are disrupting.

Allergies in food can cause inflammation that will cause breakages in skin.
Fleas, ticks, mites, etc can also cause these breaks in the skin barrier.
Stress can exacerbate these or even cause these issues as well.
Improper grooming may lead to infections too.
Anything that may cause damage to the skin will cause this to happen.
Vets have comprehensive allergy testing. You can also feed the dog whole foods and add doggy vitamins.
For grooming a double coat, I recommend carding knives, grip chalk, and a slicker brush with a rubber band.

If your dog is having extreme an extreme case that won’t stop, you can ask for an oral steroid to give the body time to recuperate.

[Christina G]

Can anyone give me a good flea/tick alternative?
One of our dogs has a seizure 2 days after each frontline application. The vet says it’s not related but we believe it is. I have read all kinds of articles but can’t find something that really works… the link from above doesn’t work.

[Patricia A]

Thank you for sharing your interactions with the company. I understand your lose of confidence when such a big discrepancy is not acknowledged by the company.
My three little dogs’ do well with Primal in certain proteins. I stay away from the higher in fat to protein ones since causes diarrhea in one. I just really wanted one other freeze dried for rotation with one just comprised of meat and organs vs. Primal with the added veggies.
I loves the ingredients in Small Batch and was on the Susan Thixton list of transparency if you’re familiar with her work.. However, just VERY nervous about the added garlic. If some of the reasoning for adding is builds up in coat for flea protection, then worried with my very small dogs will also build up to cause damage to red blood cells. Don’t want to take the chance.
Funny you mention Steve’s. Thixton has that one this year on her list also. So was looking into that company also for rotation List is a starter for me at least, although don’t NOT feed a brand necessary because it’s not recommended by her. However, when looking at reviews on this site DFA someone just recently wrote about contaminated food (bugs?) and very poor customer service. UHHH always something that turns me off. lol
Yes, this forum is not very active as it once was. If you look under my posts there is a lady AIMEE who has been VERY helpful and informative and is active on this forum . Maybe she will read and chime in here with her take on Vital Essentials. I’ve been waiting patiently for her to say “Patricia these are the two freeze dried foods to rotate with.” “Their customer service is excellent, they are transparent, their analysis lines up what’s on the bag and online for each recipe, they have the perfect nutritional levels with no risky or inferior ingredients AND it’s affordable.” lol Is that too much to ask??? All I get is which one is the lesser of two evils. lol
Have a Happy New Year.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

Hi Aimee,
I believe we two are the only ones who frequents forum anymore. Remember few years ago when very active? I for one appreciate feedback when it comes to questions on dog nutrition.
I’m afraid I don’t put much credence in AFFCO standards as much as I used to.
“Many holistic vets, pet owners and smaller manufacturers do not place great priority on AAFCO standards because their nutritional profiles are different from those established by the NRC (National Research Council) and do not reflect the newest research on the nutritional needs of pets.

Many pet owners and smaller pet product companies are dubious of AAFCO because it is partly made up of major manufacturers within the industry who have an incredibly large influence on how the regulations for their own industry are established, and in determining the feed ingredient definitions that allow by-products, 4-D meats (dead, diseased, decaying and disabled) and other non edible ingredients to be used in pet food.”

Just wondering if there have ever been studies over long period of time if even small amounts of garlic in food can have a potential to cause red blood cell destruction over time I’m sure answer is no. I mean garlic is added in the belief it is a natural flea/tick repellant. “garlic in your dog builds up over the course of a few weeks and seeps into the oil of his coat)” So THAT is what concerns me of the “build up”. Is there a dog food around for decades which used garlic with no problems. Otherwise I would use Small Batch in rotation as topper.

What dog breed do you have Aimee? What do you feed? Do you switch around and notice any differences in dogs well let’s say poo, coat, energy or blood work/health?

I could attest that since they have been on the Vital Essentials for few weeks now, my Loli has a lot more energy. Not in imagination. Walk the track she would start lagging and now her little legs go like crazy. I have a bag of Primal Turkey/sardine freeze dried. So after done with the Vital Essentials will start again with the Primal and be aware if switch truly did make a difference.

[Patricia A]

Hi Aimee. Just confusing to me that all these studies led pet owners to believe grain free was primary causation of DCM in pets. Possibly legumes in grain free causing enzyme inhibitions and interfering with digestion causing taurine and other amino acid deficiencies .
I personally don’t trust how much protein comes from meat and how much is from pea protein on grain free. However, I also don’t trust grain inclusive. Due to below.

A recall on pet food has been expanded after 70 dogs have died and another 80 or more were sickened due to mold in a popular pet and cat food brand.
Midwestern Pet Foods is expanding an earlier recall of some of its Sportmix products to other dry dog and cat foods with an expiration date on or before July 9, 2022 that were manufactured in its Oklahoma kitchen. The recall includes all dog and cat pet food products made with corn products because they might contain elevated levels of aflatoxin, which is produce from a mold that can grow on corn and other ingredients used in pet food.

So below is the food that Science Diet grain free. Why if it’s so bad?
Ingredients in Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Grain Free Chicken & Potato Recipe dog food are peas second ingredient.

I like Stella n Chewys however they use synthetic vitamin pack. Freeze dried should be getting all necessary minerals and vitamins from natural sources. Synthetic vitamin packs are always added to highly processed dog food because nutrients are cooked out due to the high heat. My dogs do well with most of their proteins but if mistakes are made with amount in pack the results are lethal . As in below.

The FDA has become aware of reports of vitamin D toxicity in dogs that ate certain canned dog foods manufactured by Hill’s Pet Nutrition and marketed under the Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet brands. This is a developing situation, and the FDA will update this page with additional information as it becomes available.

I can only HOPE I’m making an educated choice in feeding my dogs a diet of good nutrition and food that is not slowly poisoning them. I have inherited my mom’s dog now that she is living with me after my dad passed. So I have three now. My Tia always gains weight easily even with exercise and string beans as treats. Loli gets growling stomach if given too much fat. If I have lean steak as treat one day I only give for that day. Two days in row and loose stools. Then there is my mom’s . Can’t eat the Primal Turkey n Salmon but the others do fine with it. UHHH I recently tried Small Batch turkey freeze dried. Trust company and love all the ingredients but ONE. They have garlic. Now way down on list of ingredients. Some say natural flea repellent. Great stools and none had stomach trouble. Been on the bag of the small sliders for a week. But I can’t continue not trusting that the garlic could build up to cause red blood cell destruction. They are all Chihuahuas’. Just would like to make it easy for me and get a brand I trust to be healthy and all three do well with. Guess for now I’ll stick to primal freeze dried. However, I do like to rotate between at least two brands just in case. Sorry for this being so long, Just hard to trust what’s in your dog food when I have to keep up with all the human food recalls making people sick. lol

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

What are symptoms that he is displaying? If it is digestive, such as diarrhea, then possibility of too much fat in diet. If skin issue then first look into irritants such as flea bites or even something as overlooked as bedding washed with scented detergent?
I never found any validation that allergy tests work . Hope link works below.

Research Update: Testing for Food Allergies

So hard to actually do elimination diet. There are so many ingredients in dog food that might cause sensitivity other then just the protein. If you take a look at the ingredient list on the average kibble you’ll see what I mean.
Possibly try a one protein food without added supplements. Freeze dried such as Vital Essentials just the protein/flavor with no extras’ I believe. Very expensive to feed however. I believe it also comes in frozen which is more cost saving. I use Primal, small batch, Bixbi Rawbbles, and at times Stella Chewys.
Just go VERY, VERY, VERY slowly with switch. Also if you look at reviews on DA you’ll see the 5* rated foods in these brands. I ONLY use the proteins DA rates in the brand with 5*’s. The ones that rate lower are too much fat to protein. This can cause loose stools and stomach upset all the way to pancreatitis in some dogs.
I use a SMALL amount of kibble as base to stretch the freeze dried. This being Stella Chewys raw coated grain free.. If you look at their f/b page there are many who had trouble with diet and most do well on this kibble.
Hope this helps. Again any change in diet much go so slowly.

[Alice L]

2 years back, my lil furr was caught with flea and tick infection. That time, I consulted with my vet, and he recommended Nexgard for small dogs. After this treatment, he felt very relaxed and active. This product is monthly chews and comes in tasty flavor. It is easy to administer and helpful for my pup. I recommended this product proudly. Thanks to listen!

[budget V]

I tried bravecto flea and tick for dogs. it helps a lot on my dog and it is recommended by my vet. It destroys newly arriving fleas for 12 weeks and only one chew protects the dog for 12 weeks against deadly ticks. After using that, my dog can roam easily anywhere without any tension.

[Andrea R]

The flea/tick medication was Fluralaner. It was given as a single dose in September and we really didn’t see a complete improvement until January since it is a time released formula . Our vet did give him a shot for nausea/diarrhea initially , and recommended the specific diet modifications I mentioned earlier. Another post recommended multiple feeding times/ smaller quantities, I think that is important as well. We keep with 3-4 small meals, almost snack size for our guy and he does well with that schedule.
If you have any other questions feel free to reach me directly at [email protected]. Good luck I hope this start to improve soon🙂

[Charlie L]

@ Andrea thank you for the response. We did give him a dose of flea/tick medication a month ago and the symptoms started about 3 weeks ago. I wonder…. What was the medication that your pup had issues with?

[Andrea R]

Had a similar experience with our golden pup. He had a reaction to a popular flea/tick medication… our vet said it would take 3-6 months to get out of his system, hopefully without long term systemic damage. We used vetri probiotic bd and royal canine for gi (prescription only) and an antihistamine shot initially. He responded well, diarrhea stopped, and his appetite improved…. Would not recommend corn in any form… too harsh for an already up set gi tract… but what worked for us was a vetri science vitamin supplement to improve his appetite, as well as fresh foods ( only organic blue berries, apple slices w/o skin no seeds!, cucumber, banana, carrots, boiled chicken, boiled turkey and of course peanut (crazy Richard’s brand) only peanuts no additives. In addition to his Royal canin kibble. So far so good…. He was 2yrs in July’21 and about 90 lbs… hope this helps…

[Patricia A]

Is it possible that the groomer is using a shampoo or conditioner which irritates her skin? Perfumes in these can be causing this. Also my groomer had put a powder perfumed scented after her cut. She scratched like crazy after that. I request NO powder now and I always shampoo her myself before grooming with a mild shampoo which contain NO perfumes.
Don’t forget to investigate any cleaners/shampoos you use on floors and rugs. Flea bites my also be causing the chewing of her tail.
Please let us know if you find any solutions.

[Patricia A]

Get her off the flea/tick . Make sure there is no cleaners on floors or carpets that could cause reaction. Go natural. Wash body/paws if you do pesticides on your lawn after applying. Next SLOWLY, SLOWLY change her food. A little boiled chicken and string beans maybe mixed in with VERY LITTLE of a new kibble until she gets used to.
Give oatmeal/aloe shampoo baths with no PERFUMES/scents added to soothe skin.
Hope she feels better.

[Robert G]

Hi, I have a GSD and she is having her second episode with belly hot spots which she licks and bits and which also cause crusty side lips and has her licking her lips all the time and at same time she is lethargic. Vet says allergies. But to what? We have fed her home made chicken and Zignature High Protein Kibble her entire 5 years of life so far with no problems. And once you start down the road of Allergies and food it gets crazy and you get crazy reading about it all. Our breeder says it is the NexGard Flea and tick pills. She forbids them and says they are killing our dog. Pesticide that never leaves the system and just builds up.
So what am I to think.
I did notice Zignature Kibble size change recently. And I wonder if it has coincided. I contacted them and they said no change to formula, that it is just a machine change. Then I read on your forum about Zignature problems and someone mentioned they don’t make food themselves….. oh boy.

Any advice on my dogs situation and how to solve?

[Alam W]

Appreciate you chiming in from the recipient’s point of view. you can try Bravecto for dogs an effective flea and tick treatment for dogs that treats Lyme Disease to know more visit: budgetpetcare.com

[Hemmyngs K]

Hi, Hilla! you can consult your vet and he will recommend the best food for your cat. And if your cat likes it, then you will understand it. Besides, I found various articles with reviews of the best cat food for 2021 on Google, you can see them. I feed the cat Rachael Ray Nutrish super premium food for cats that is made with simple, natural ingredients with added vitamins and minerals. This high-quality product helps in maintaining healthy organs and muscles. It contains no ground corn, wheat, soy, poultry by-product meal, fillers, artificial flavors, or preservatives and that’s great! Also, the cat food contains B vitamins, proteins, Biotin, and Zinc, which help support healthy skin and coat and reduce shedding and dry skin. I sometimes feel like I feed my cat better than I feed myself. By the way, my vet said that I should do prevention from worms and parasites for my cat and advised me to order and add to cat food Diatomaceous Earth food grade to get rid of parasites and various pests. You can find the review here https://catademy.com/diatomaceous-earth-for-fleas/ . I hope this is a natural remedy that is safe for cats. If you know anything about this product, please let me know.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Hemmyngs K.

[weezerweeks]

My yorkie takes Interceptor and I give him milk thistle after nine days for a week. Should I do this every month? He gets no other medications for fleas and ticks. Just seems like a lot to give him this every month for a week

[kim M]

I recommend reading this interesting article about your question https://pawsnose.com/best-flea-shampoo

• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by kim M.

[kim M]

Once I bought flea shampoo in amazon. Seems quality!

[WondrousPups]

Wow! You really tried e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! Hats off to you for your dedication. There is no doubt you’ve extended your pup’s life. I didn’t know “Pet Health and Nutrition” website. I just now checked out the two tincture blends you’ve mentioned. I’m happy to say that I was on a same track with the master herbalist who formulated these. I am doubtful though that Ashwagandha in the adrenal blend is strong enough to be therapeutic. Ashwagandha and Astragalus are difficult to get therapeutic amount in tincture, and needs long term daily use to be effective. Eleuthero is very stimulating, so it would be counter productive to anxiety issue. Umm… I don’t know. This blend looks to me like formulated for very weakened animal who doesn’t have much energy or appetite. I remember you saying your pup tends to be always hungry. I agree with inclusion of Ashwagandha and Astragalus, but other ingredients might affect negatively as a whole for your particular situation with your pup.

Since you have been trying so many different remedies without real success, it might be good idea not to add anything new until evaluating other factors before. So, what factors do you think is most important in determining health?

A. Genetics
B. Medical care
C. Environmental factors and social circumstances
D. Life style (personal behavior)

The answer is – D! It counts for 40%! A (genetics) for 30% or less, C for 20%, and B (medical care) is 10%.

With that said, eating healing foods is a part of a healthy life style, so if you’d like to try turmeric (or any other herbs), I recommend whole foods approach. The way I started out for my pups are infusion into coconut cream and mixing it with kibble for every day at dinner time. I like this turmeric chai blend from Mountain Rose Herb: https://mountainroseherbs.com/turmeric-chai or you can do a simpler homemade – coconut milk/cream + 1 tsp turmeric powder + 1/2 tsp ginger powder + 1/8 freshly ground black pepper. Black pepper is not optional because perperine in black pepper make any nutrients from food more bio-available in general, but turmeric in particular, it makes curcumin (active component in turmeric) 2,000% more bio-available than without. The turmeric chai taste good with a touch of honey for me, but my dogs likes it savory with food. If your pup does not have any bad reaction to it, then you can increase potency of turmeric. The recommended safe dosage of curcumin is about 600 mg for 50 lb. dog. Curcumin in Turmeric is 3%. For maintenance dosage, even for people, 1 g/day of turmeric is theraputic. Unless you are dealing with a sever chronic pain, I don’t think mega dosing is necessary.

I hope this can get you started on turmeric!

As for aroma therapy, no, I haven’t tried it, but I do use essential oils for flea and tick control instead of putting pesticides on my pups. So not healthy! I do agree with what you said about dogs can sniff and choose what’s good for them. My dogs volunteer grazing young shoots of herbs by sniffing!

[Sam J]

Used Credelio Chew for my Dogs against flea and tick and happy with the product result fast-acting trusted flea and tick remover buy at low prices from pecareclub.com. Like to know what other people use ?

[Stephanie C]

Wow!! My pug had 6 seizures in the first 3 months I had him. But then it had been over a year since he had any, UNTIL 2 days ago. And it just so happens I put Frontline on him this week!!! 😡🤬😭…had I known any of this I would have NEVER!! I’m going to try cbd with him. He’s allergic to the flea bites so it makes it so much worse and more uncomfortable for my baby boy. Is there anything I can do to help make it go away?? He had a second one this morning. Both of them were only about 10 seconds, which compared to the minute to minute and a half they used to be its not as scary but still scary enough!! Omg I am so mad!!!!

[Patricia A]

Jake first off make sure your Goldie has no flea dirt on him. Just pull a fine comb through fur and shake on white paper. You’ll see little black specks that rehydrate in a bit of water turning red with the blood. Fleas can live year round I think. For allergies make sure there is nothing in your home causing the paw and eye itching. Maybe scented carpet cleaner, those scented plug ins or even scented detergent you wash where she beds.
Make sure you wash off all her paws thoroughly when coming in from walks or in your backyard so he doesn’t scratch at face with paws full of pollen etc. You can try the change in diet without going hydrolyzed . Maybe SLOWLY, SLOWLY as not to cause more problems with stomach upset, switching to a food with a novel protein. I use Stella Chewy’s. If you look at their f/b page many positive comments. I also use Primal freeze dried as toppers.
Here is many products that you can look through for the ones that people said worked and see which one fits for your dogs symptoms .
Hope this helps.

[Marion W]

Hi, I walk my disabled neighbour’s young male cockapoo and noticed he had a problem trying to urinate and by the end of the walk he appeared to be very uncomfortable. Short of it is the vet diagnosed struvite crystals by testing his urine. He did pass a catheter in but believe that was to ensure there was no blockage there. Gave him a week’s course of antibiotics and metacam and the dog has to go back in 9 days to see if they have dissolved. The owner has been told she he can have no other food other than prescription for life at the moment he is on Hill’s S/d which is very expensive. When he eventually goes onto Hill’s C/d if they have dissolved it will cost her £1300.00 pa without the boosters, grooming, de worming and flea care. She just hasn’t got this money and we are helping where we can but we are unable to keep paying.

I have read all the comments on the forum as regards the special dietary food and it will be a huge decision to eventually take him off it. The vet says these crystals can be life threatening in he gets a blockage.

My question is did you find out yours had struvite crystals in the same way I did, by the dog having difficulty passing urine?

We are very confused as to know what to do once we have confirmation of that the crystals have dissolved.

Many thanks

[Janny C]

In the clinic, we were advised to treat the dog with two types of drops with different compositions. 🙄The problem is that our Pekingese is incredibly harmful and cannot be combed out, and there probably were nits in the wool, even after a mega-bath, now they have grown. found one flea this morning.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by Janny C.

[Walter P]

Talk to your veterinarian about safe options for treating your puppy of fleas . Your vet may recommend collars, oil pouches, or other products during flea season. (Be sure to use these remedies only as frequently as the label instructs.)

[Walter P]

To extract blood from their host, fleas first “spit” into the place where they are going to bite to dilute the blood enough to suck it into their throats.

The saliva released during this process is what causes most allergic reactions in pets or people.

The allergic reactions, in turn, cause much of the itching leading to skin damage from the scratching.

Thus the bite of even one flea, for a sensitive person or pet, can result in severe skin problems that can last for weeks to months.

This sensitivity can be eliminated by returning the pet to health with holistic approaches.

Some dogs and cats are practically immune to flea bites, but there are others who develop flea allergy dermatitis which causes intense itchiness, pain and swelling etc.

Dog itching remedies

Vitamin E.
Just like it’s excellent for your skin, and help clear up wrinkles, Vitamin E also helps soothe the dog’s itchy skin and make it healthy.

Tea.
You can use chamomile tea and herbal tea.

Put it in a sprayer, then put it in the fridge and let it chill.

Oatmeal for dog itching.
Now you’ve probably heard of this one before, but it is one of the tops, and it works.

Oatmeal will soothe your dog’s itchy skin, so grind it up in a coffee grinder or a blender, and rub it into your dog’s skin.

Source: Natural Remedies To Cure Dog’s Itchy Skin

[Walter P]

Natural Cure of Fleas and Ticks

Naturally curing fleas and ticks could be the best solution for the health of your pet.

Every situation is different and some pets may respond to different methods.

Some useful tips are given as follows:

1. Essential Oil Sprays:

Essential oils can be great insect repellents for animals (and humans, too).

Naturally mild these oils will can help your dog’s coat health while working at a cellular level to boost the immune system. Basic instructions for a flea, tick or mosquito spray for dogs:

For any of these following essential oils use put about 15 drops in a 14 oz. spray bottle.

Mix well and mist on your pet daily.

Lavender: Studies have shown this sweet-smelling oil is an excellent tick deterrent and prevents tick eggs from hatching.

Citronella: Citronella oil naturally repels mosquitoes, black flies, fleas and ticks.
Lemongrass: This oil works great to deter fleas and ticks.

Lemongrass oil is also useful for various skin conditions making this a great all around spray for your animals.

2. Diatomaceous Earth:

(also known as D.E.) is natural, soft, off-white colored and sedimentary rock.

Diatomaceous earth kills insects physically, not chemically.

The microscopic diatoms cut the insect’s waxy coating and shells. Then insects then dehydrate and die. Food grade Diatomaceous earth can be used directly on your pet to kill insects crawling on them. Also it can be used around the pets living area to kill any pests.

3. Flea Combs:
Use a high flea comb to catch fleas. Comb the fur of your pet regularly and then drown the caught fleas in water.

Source: Home Remedies For Fleas On Dogs

[Walter P]

Use your knowledge of the flea existence cycle to cast off an infestation.
Treat the surroundings well with the aid of vacuum frequently for several weeks and carefully washing bedding and toys in warm soapy water to remove eggs, larvae, and pupae.

Bear in mind to seal and remove vacuum bags after a cleaning session.

You can even encourage quicker emergence of the remaining pupae with a humidifier and boom within the home temperature.

Once all the hibernating pupae have emerged, you may ensure they’re all destroyed.

The family may be cautiously treated with sprays and foggers. Deal with adults fleas living on your puppy with shampoos, sprays, dips, or spot-on medicinal drugs.

When you have any questions or worries, specifically in regard to your puppy’s health or age, your veterinarian will let you make the excellent choice of treating your pet.

Fleas can be hard to dispose of, but in case you are vigilant and use the proper chemical substances in a secure and powerful way, you will be victorious.

Just make certain to deal with all of the areas where your pet spends time, car and backyard inclusive.

Source: flea treatments for dogs

[Walter P]

Many “flea shampoos” are formulated with herbs or essential oils, or chemicals.

In truth, any good quality non‑medicated shampoo, lathered up well and left on 10 ‑ 15 minutes will remove fleas.
Using shampoos made for dogs is important if you have to repeat bathing frequently since there are differences in skin pH.

Do look for companies using environmentally sustainable packaging as their ingredients will usually be the safest.
For the rare flea shampoo, it is fine to use any mild soap or shampoo. Personally, I love the grapefruit and coconut shampoo (household cleaner) by Forever Green.

Flea comb and massage your dog or cat while the shampoo is smothering the fleas. Apply the shampoo to a dry dog for better effect.

Sing to your dog or cat, talk silly, laugh and make this fun for all. Rinse two to three times. Be sure to always
Check for any residual fleas or flea dirt after your pet is dry and remove it, or you will think you are re‑infested when you check the next few days.

Source: Best Anti-Flea Shampoos For dogs in 2020

[Walter P]

When it comes to flea treatments, Some people prefer effective topical solutions, while others prefer natural ones. With that been said, please keep in mind that both ways can be equally effective if applied correctly.

If your dog is suffering from a flea infestation, chances are you home and yard are also infested, so make sure to treat your house and yard also to prevent flea re-infestation.

Here are some of the best ways to get rid of fleas:

DRYNESS
Fleas hate very dry areas (so install a dehumidifier and a fan).

CARPET
Keep carpeted areas to a minimum. Most flea larvae coil themselves around carpet fibers and are not easily removed. Carpet is the perfect flea environment! If you do have carpeting, vacuum frequently.

CLEANING
Wash wood or stone floors frequently. Flea eggs, larvae, and pupae are attracted to cracks and joints in floors and will die when they are hit by simple soap and water or steam.

BAKING SODA AND SALT
Sprinkle baking soda and/or salt all over your floor and furniture. Work it into the fabric with a stiff brush or broom. Leave it for several hours. Keep your pets out of the room(s) while treating for fleas.

BATHING
Bathe your pet in salt water or plain old soap and water. Fleas can’t live in salt water, so periodic dips in the ocean (or a salt water rinse) can also help keep fleas under control.

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
Apply food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in places where fleas seem most prevalent: a light dusting on the pet’s bedding and the carpet or couch, under the baseboard heater, refrigerator and stove, near the sink, garbage or wherever you suspect fleas.

Vacuum
Vacuuming removes up to 30 percent of the larvae and up to 60 percent of flea eggs from a carpet, as well as the larvae’s food supply of dried blood. Vacuum under furniture, cushions, chairs, beds, and along walls. Discard vacuum cleaner bags at least once a week.

Source: The Complete Guide to Flea Treatment For Dogs In 2020

[Jerry R]

The cause of the most common of tapeworms is eating an infested flea.

[jenny B]

Hi nationalguard88,

Every year the threat of disease-ridden ticks and fleas becomes more ominous. My dog, Tiny, loves to roam our surroundings, but he’s brought unwelcome pests into our home. So I searched for preventative measures to rid Tiny of his (and our family’s) ongoing pest problem.

Here are some natural flea and tick prevention methods:

#1. Garlic
#2. Citrus Juice
#3. Apple Cider Vinegar
#4. Herbs
#5. Brewer’s Yeast

You can also take a look at the the website for more information about Natural Flea and Tick Prevention for Your Pet: https://naturesrevolution.com/2018/02/07/natural-flea-and-tick-prevention-for-your-pet/

Check this link as well guys, a video for natural flea and tick prevention for our pets. I found it really helpful 🙂

Of course If you want to protect your best friend against fleas and ticks without worrying about chemical formulations or unwanted side effects, you can try to read some articles in this website to see what’s the best flea and tick spray for your fur babies! https://www.thesprucepets.com/best-flea-and-tick-prevention-products-4167611

Hope this would help someone in this forum. 🙂

Thanks,
PetloverJenny

[Tray W]

Hi Bri. I saw two google reviews – one said they loved the products for fleas and gave 5 stars. The other review gave it 1 star due to a bad experience with their PayPal system and poor customer service . I’d say give it a try. I’d say try it out since fleas are a big deal and can really get out of hand if you don’t take control of it. Trust me I know from experience – get ahead of it sooner than later. If you’re nervous about the product, grab another that has more reviews and give you a better idea of customer experiences. I hope this helps you.
Have an awesome day!!

[Randy B]

I have 2 english goldens. (Cream) there bellys have red spots on them and then they like it and it gets worse. Not fleas. Vet (4 of them) say allergies. They take appoquil and if they get it every day it goes away. But the pills are pricey. Any recommendations? They have been on diamond lamb and rice. Tried grain free and same thing. Now switching to American Natural Premium legume free Turkey with pumpkin.

[Sidelle B]

Sentinel Spectrum is POISON Period
My Timba is 1/2 German Shepherd & 1/2 Huskie. Gave it to him for 3 yrs before he had a Seizure. He had it 2/25/19 Lasted a long time. He threw up out back 1st. He looked like a bug dying from being Sprayed. My Security Camera caught the whole thing. I posted it on FB. I researched EVERYWHERE. Did Elimination. Complete Blood Work Up. I was afraid it might be Vectra D. The FDA needs to step in & step up to checking these things out. People that buy these Meds only do it because they LOVE their FAM Members. It’s Not Cheap. His Bloodwork came back Normal. Called owner of the Timba’s father & no history of Seizure in either one. Was afraid to use Vectra again but if 1 flea is around it will find me. Natural Stuff doesn’t work. Used Vectra & he was Ok. I’m not diligent on Heartworm pills in off months but in April thought I better give it. So gave it to him. May 13th he came in & collapsed at my feet into a Seizure. This time seemed more like a Seizure & I tried to talk him thru it & pet him. Didn’t last as long as 1st one. Called my Vet. Took him in. Bought the Meds & asked what he would do. I said I didn’t want to put him on it yet. I had a dog years ago that was Epileptic. He ran into things etc. & flashing lights like Xmas would send him into one. Timba was Different. He said he’d do what I wanted to do. Buy the Meds to Have on hand & see if he has another Seizure. I wanted to find out the REASON & knew I wouldn’t if I put him on Meds. I Bought Purina Neurocare which he recommended.
Timba loved it at 1st. I think it’s Cleaned his system out along w Milk Thistle & pureed watermelon. So now it’s already June & I think I should give him the Pill. He liked it in the Beginning. But Lately didn’t want to take them. Dogs are Smart & KNOW things when WE don’t. I watched another video of someone’s dog having a seizure after some Flea stuff. I thought about it & decided I wouldn’t give it. Afterall How TOXIC does something have to be to KILL things like Fleas from inside. That is a GIVEN & NO ONE should Give any of that. I finally found a Blog of this lady w 3 GSDs & Wow. I knew this was why he had a SEIZURE.
Never gave SENTINEL SPECTRUM POISON Again. Even wrote them. It took 3 yrs. for this GARBAGE to manifest into a Seizure for My Baby. He has not had another one. I still use Vectra D . If I use any Heartworm med again it would be Interceptor since it seems Safest but I don’t know that I will. You can draw their blood for titers to catch the larvae before it’s a worm. I live in SoCal & my Vet said I probably don’t have to worry too much unless I take him to the Mtns or beach. It’s now been 4 months. No Seizures…………… SENTINEL SPECTRUM IS POISON
I had a dog get Heartworms years ago when I was in Okla for a couple years. Was Terrible but we treated him & he got better & lived another 7 yrs.
https://www.facebook.com/sidelle/videos/10216707066167999/UzpfSTEyMDE4MDA3MDM6Vks6NDA0NzA4MjcwMjMyNDM0/?comment_id=405162720186989&reply_comment_id=405170330186228&notif_id=1567985476776943&notif_t=group_comment

[anonymous]

Itchy Shih Tzu has allergies
By Dr. John De Jong | Ask the Vet
September 8, 2019 at 12:43 am

My 7-year-old Shih Tzu has just started itching a lot more so I took her to the vet. The itching just started a few weeks ago, seemed to come and go, and got worse recently.
My friend’s dog also started itching a lot and her vet gave the dog an injection that seemed to work and the dog got better. She also mentioned that there was an anti-itch pill available so I mentioned both. My vet gave me Apoquel pills and the dog is already improved so I’m grateful but I was also told that there is a distinct possibility that this itchiness was due to a seasonal allergy and that I could likely expect it every year from now on. Is that true?
The more I thought about it, I realized that my dog always seemed itchy in late August in the past few years. Is there any testing that could have given me a heads up and what can I do to prevent a recurrence next year?

It sounds as if your dog has a seasonal allergy that we refer to as atopy or atopic dermatitis.
These signs can appear at almost any time after the dog reaches about a year although occasionally it is seen earlier and indeed, it seems to get more problematic with each passing year. Caused often by pollens and airborne matter, it triggers a group of signs including pruritis or itchiness, oily skin, secondary focal infections, hair loss, changes in skin and hair color, and crusts.
These findings can occur in the ears, ventral abdomen and along the legs, often causing dogs to lick and chew at their feet and inside legs.One does need to rule out other causes, such as ectoparasites like fleas and mange mites, but the seasonality is often a dead giveaway.
Previous or current testing can be done to determine what your dog is allergic to and then allergy shots can be done to desensitize the dog. Speak with your veterinarian about these options as well as the possibility of using appropriate shampoos as the season approaches. Likely your friend’s dog was given an injection of Cytopoint, however Apoquel works very well and seems to be doing the trick. Both of these work for limited periods but are safe and can be used as needed to control the itch and keep the patient comfortable.
Often, breaking the itch cycle for a while resolves the problem along with the change of season and weather. Be ready for more of the same and slightly increased intensity next year.

Itchy Shih Tzu has allergies

[Bri K]

I recently came across a recommendation for Animal Lovers House LLC generic version of Capstar. I ordered some out of desperation to keep my current flea issue from getting out of control and stay on budget, but now I’m scared to use it. Has anyone had any recent experience with them or their products? All these bad flea meds and fake products have made me very nervous. Thanks for any input!

[KENNETH O]

Joanne, I’m reserving those techniques for the future if I still cannot get him to eat as I transition to the next food. I agree in that I believe the food is the root of most of his problems. Boston terriers have a history of excessive allergies, so I’m sticking with limited ingredient. My other boston is incredibly healthy on Acana, and I’m slowly moving into feeding him that. He seems to like it more at least. I chose Nulo due to it having a senior blend.

He is on bravecto now and flea free, and the vets all were quick to brush off all my concerns. Unfortunately, I am having a hard time trusting any available vets any longer. I’ve always had good ones before, but in my current location they dont seem to care.

[joanne l]

The food he was on was probably upsetting his stomach, and his skin is bad from flea bites and he can be allergic to the flea bites. Is he treated for fleas? And give him a better food, I would start to give him Holistic Select look on chewy.com It is a good food. Right now make him some boiled chicken and rice, than start mixing in new food but do it slowly. I think it all stems from his diet, also did the vet rule out anything? By mixing in chicken with the broth into his food will get him to eat. Also you can try baby food, but get the one for infants you can get chicken and it just has chicken and chicken broth. Read the ingredients on the baby food so you get the right one, you don’t want to get the ones that have added stuff in it. I read that it will make a sick dog eat. So you can mix the baby food with his dog food.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by joanne l.

[KENNETH O]

Gretchen, I’ve had his blood checked but the vets never mentioned checking his thyroid. The weight loss, I’m assuming, is from his recent diet change and unfortunate final weeks with my father who probably wasn’t able to monitor his eating. Now that I’m not allowing him to eat the garbage he had before, hes refusing to eat a lot and I can only assume that’s why hes losing weight. He was maintaining weight around 24 for years until right before my father passed.

I’m sure the fleas made him have a bad reaction, but doesn’t it seem like 2 months and beyond is too long for him to continue having reactions? I’m weekly bathing him with anti itch shampoos and hopefully its helping. Seems like a lot of trial and error ahead.

[Gretchen B]

Have you had his thyroid checked? And, bloodwork to check if he is diabetic. Both of those can cause excessive drinking and weight loss. He could also be allergic to the fleas. I had a dog that was allergic to flea bites and the vet gave him steroids, long story short, the steroids induced diabetes. The fleas were brought in by my mothers dog from the groomers. I also have a little long-haired chihuahua that is allergic to environmental things, such as mold and grass, she has to take cortisone pills for her allergies.

Just a few things for you to check on. There are also some good shampoos for itchy skin and dermatitis.

[KENNETH O]

I’m here as I’m having a lot of trouble finding solutions to many problems I’m having with a recently acquired dog. I have went to 3 different vets, spent countless hours researching online and tried several different strategies and continue having trouble.

Short backstory on the dog.. He is an 11 or 12 year old boston terrier who I gave to my father before I left for the Army. My father recently passed away and I was the only one willing or able to take him in. When I first saw him again in a long time, two months ago, he was in very bad shape. He was completely covered in hundreds of fleas, due to my father being unable to take care of him during his struggle with cancer in his final week or two. His skin was in bad shape and he was missing a lot of hair. He has, for at least several years, had an unusually bad time with allergies, inability to drink normal amounts of water without regurgitating it short after, and refuses to eat on a schedule. My 3 areas where I’m in need of help are those. I hope I’m not writing too much, but I want to be thorough, and it seems like most responses in here are very thought out and helpful in return.

I know he has always had trouble keeping water down, but I don’t know why. We have it counted out to literally 30 licks of water about every 1-3 hours without him throwing up. However, he is extremely driven to continue drinking. He will literally drink a gallon of water if its sitting in front if him, throw up, and still want more. I’ve tried using a rabbit bottle that he very slowly can drink from, but he will stand there for 30 minutes until he has drank too much. It’s usually just a clear or foamy liquid that comes up, which from what I gather online is “regurgitating” not “vomit.” It may be an esophagus problem, but the vets have offered me nothing other than “dont let him drink too much,” which feels like a copout answer. I’ve recently changed his diet to a limited ingredient, grain free diet (Nulo Senior) in Hope’s that his whole health would be better. Not sure if that could help at all.

His diet with my father was terrible. My dad would buy cheap dog food and mix it with some other cheap bag of treats and he would only pick the treats out and leave the rest, with the bowl left out all day. I’ve never seen him eat a whole bowl before. I’m trying to avoid doing wet food, due to his teeth not being great, however I spent the first month primarily putting water in his food to moisten it and motivate him to eat a whole serving since he really just wants the small amount if water. Since removing the water, he turns his nose up to the food usually once out of the two times hes fed daily. We tried picking up the bowl and just waiting until the next meal, which he will usually eat, but it isnt fixing the problem of not eating enough. Has clearly losing weight quickly as he went from 23-24 pounds a few months ago to about 20 pounds today. My only ideas now are to simply try a different food in Hope’s he likes it more, but I dont think he will.

His skin is continuing to be an issue, although it is significantly better than before. My father was having him get steroid shots roughly every month for years, which I think was just a bandaid for the awful food he ate. I’ve included coconut oil n most of his meals for about 2 months which may or may not be helping, but he doesn’t mind it usually. I’ve also put a lot (probably too much) coconut oil on his skin and recently reduced that to once a week. He constantly is gnawing at his paws and scratching. Again, hes visibly improved, which i think is do to the food change, but he clearly has serious allergy issues or something.

I’ve always been told to go the vet for these answers, but literally all of them seem to think my concerns are silly. I’m just looking for any help I can get to make his life better. Thanks!

[joanne l]

He started itching after you stopped the medication, Trifexis? If so than it could be fleas. I never used that medication but is it a monthly one?? The vet will know for sure if he has fleas or mange or mites. So I would get him checked by the vet for that first. It is hard to find fleas, if you have a fleas comb you can try to find some, but they are stubborn insects to find, that is why I say let the vet see if it is these things.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 4 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Take your dog to the vet and rule out fleas and mites and or mange. Other than that I don’t know, obviously he is allergic to something or many things. Or it is a skin condition. How old is he and when did you see this start? I did hear that Pits have skin problems. I have heard a few or more people say this that own Pits.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 4 months ago by joanne l.

[Patricia A]

Oh I feel so badly for your fur baby and also for you. I would have went to that breeders door and handed the bill for at least half of the vet expenses and never mind for the suffering you and this poor dog is going through most likely from poor breeding. I went through this with my Chloe years ago. I didn’t know any better and purchased from a large pet shop Yuppy Puppy. She had so many problems immediately and I knew if I took her back they would have euthanized her. The place ended closing down a few years later because of all the complaints about sickly pups and dogs. Now I realize they were all shipped from puppy mills. Chloe lived though to 13 with many vet visits through the years because of health problems.
Please keep in touch and let me know if anything was found to be causing her symptoms. Also I know many people who’s dogs get very ill from flea/ticks meds . Very toxic and he doesn’t need this causing other symptoms possibly.
I found this regarding common diseases in labs/doodles. Don’t know if it fits exact symptoms.
Addison’s Disease
Addison’s disease is found in poodles and Labradors and has been passed on to Australian and multigenerational Labradoodles. In this disease, the pituitary gland malfunctions and fails to create an important hormone called ACTH. This hormone regulates a steriod called cortisol. Without cortisol, a dog cannot manage stress or digest food correctly. Dogs with Addison’s disease may suffer from weakness, an abnormally fast heart rate, diarrhea and excessive thirst and urination. Your vet can test your ‘Doodle to detect the presence of the ACTH hormone.
Melissa keep me updated and I’m Praying they find out what is causing her symptoms and she gets healthy.

[Melissa D]

Hi Patricia
Sorry for the delay in reply, I have been busy with my sick dog, but value greatly your suggestions and input, because like I said after 2 vets and 1 specialist and food trials, 2 lots of blood tests, biopsies we are waiting on results, but I am fearing the worst, he has had flea treatments and worming but even those upset his tummy and he gets sloppy poo, we did a food trial for 6 weeks and nothing changed with him because during that 6 weeks period he still did his intermittent vomiting and soft poop / diahorrea he is also on a prescription diet for sensitive tummy and that too has not changed his poo and boiled chicken with rice is not helping either, even pumpkin in his diet would still see him with the intermittent vomiting and soft poop/ diahorrea, my furry baby has never had firm poop and for the last 2 and half years i have monitored and inspected his poops for worms and blood etc as I have too because he has ocassionally been passing watery and nothing but blood in his poop one day and also vomiting really bright red and watery blood. the only things that has showed up on his first blood tests, was mild pancreatitis, his neutrophils are really low, his Lipase was really low and under the chemistry tests it says, Mild haemolysis and on his second blood tests, it came back showing something wrong with his kidneys and they did not show up on the first test, also on the morning of my fur baby having his biopsies taken, the specialist vet had to abort half way through because when he put the scope down, my fur baby had all this undigested food in his tummy from the day before, so their is an issue their too because the vet said his tummy should have digested that food and it wasn’t normal, so he took lots of biopsies but in the mean time it’s causing me huge debt for all these vet bills and special food and it’s something I just don’t have a lot of being on a pension, the breeders I got my furry baby from, gave me a health guarantee stating if my boy was to get sick with anything serious, they would refund my money….BUT do you think they are answering my phone calls, texts or emails….not on your life because they don’t want to honor the health agreement now, because my boy is a Labradoodle he cost me thousands of dollars and I would not recommend a Labradoodle because of all the health issues, not just with my boy but with others who have had them and they too also have had health issues, but I think its the breeders just breeding bad stock and not taking care, because all the doodles I know that have been sick or had to be euthanised have all come from the same breeder.

[anonymous]

@ Charlotta G

I have had good results using the Seresto collar on my terrier.

I had a dog that was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy and lived a long happy life on a low dose of phenobarbital.
No side effects noted.

I suppose anything is possible but I would be inclined to agree with your vet. In my experience, side effects from topical flea/tick remedies tend to be a localized rash where the solution was applied.

[anonymous]

About a decade or so ago, I was using topical flea/tick preventives (less than the vet recommended) plus “natural” stuff that did nothing.
I ended up with 3 dogs testing positive for Lyme. Two remained asymptomatic and lived long lives and passed from unrelated causes.
One suffered greatly from kidney damage and neurological damage caused by this disease, she required frequent lab work and vet visits, this dog required medications, prescription food and subq fluids daily for 2 years until I could no longer keep her comfortable (uremia).
All received lots of antibiotics when first diagnosed, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Never want to go through this again
Homeopathic vets are dangerous in my opinion. I will never listen to one again.