Dear Connie,

Thanks a lot. As you suggested we took a white sheet and combed for couple of minutes. As you said we found some pepper like small specs which turned red when we sprinkled some water to it.

Are these small flea eggs? What do you suggest? shall i apply Frontline immediately? Any other suggestions?

The Gunk in her years are dark brown in color and they are seen and to be cleaned every week. Is there any reason why this Gunk appears so fast.

Also advice what E? Fish oil and E?

Regards and thanks a lot.

Shailesh.

Dear Joyce,

Thanks for your help and knowledge given to me. As Connie said i took a white sheet and brushed her for few minutes. We found black pepper like specs in her body. This means she has fleas and the scratching was because of this. I am waiting for my answer from Connie to go ahead with frontline etc.

Thanks again for your time.

Shailesh.

Dear Dana,

Thanks for your help and knowledge given to me. As Connie said i took a white sheet and brushed her for few minutes. We found black pepper like specs in her body. This means she has fleas and the scratching was because of this. I am waiting for my answer from Connie to go ahead with frontline etc.

Thanks again for your time.

Shailesh.

 Quote: shailesh sheth

Dear Connie,

Thanks a lot. As you suggested we took a white sheet and combed for couple of minutes. As you said we found some pepper like small specs which turned red when we sprinkled some water to it.

Are these small flea eggs? What do you suggest? shall i apply Frontline immediately? Any other suggestions?

The Gunk in her years are dark brown in color and they are seen and to be cleaned every week. Is there any reason why this Gunk appears so fast.

Also advice what E? Fish oil and E?

Regards and thanks a lot.

Shailesh.

That's flea poop. The red is your dog's rehydrated blood. Good for you that you did the work to track this down. Many owners just can't believe that the absence of visible fleas hopping around means very little, particularly when classic flea-itch spots are bothering the dog. I applaud you.

Here is what I would do. I would get the Advantage or Frontline on the dog (follow the directions) after a good bath with a non-human shampoo and a thorough rinse (most important).

I would start fish oil and E immediately regardless, BTW. There is really almost no modern dog diet (including raw) that doesn't need long-chain 3s added (and the E to support that supplement).

I would watch the ear carefully, because there's a chance that flea hypersensitivity is contributing to that ear gunk. Did you answer us about whether the ear is pale pink or inflamed reddish under the debris when you remove it?


And again, good for you for getting past the common belief that "my dog can't have fleas." Even one exposure to a hypersensitive dog can wreak havoc.


eta

These flea meds are chemicals that I prefer not to use if I don't have to. But I don't think of it in those terms with a dog who is or may be hypersensitive, and a dog with ear debris like you describe (so often associated with allergies, whether flea bite dermatitis or atopy or even, but less likely, food) is a dog who I want to give an immune-response break to.

Allergic reactions are a kind of immune response, triggering the release of histamine (and other chemicals); histamine comes from granules in mast cells. Mast cells (IMO) are better off calm and not persistently triggered by the vasoactive histamine, which causes direct (and indirect) inflammation.

I'm not a health professional. All JMO.



Edited by Connie Sutherland (02/27/2011 12:18 PM)
Edit reason: eta

Connie, in your recommendation to use a non human shampoo do you mean a non flea shampoo?
Would/could there be a problem if the Advantage or Frontline was used in addition to a flea soap or shampoo?

 Quote: Bob Scott

Connie, in your recommendation to use a non human shampoo do you mean a non flea shampoo?

No, I think earlier the O.P. mentioned using Johnson's Baby Shampoo or some other shampoo for humans. Shampoos for people are not good for dogs because people's skin pH is different (the dog's being more alkaline; that is, the dog's acid mantle is less acid than ours). When the human-pH shampoo is used on the dog, the dog's acid mantle is damaged and bacteria and fungus are granted easier access. The skin might become itchy. The dog scratches at it. The skin is sloughed off like dandruff. The human uses more of the damaging shampoo on the dog. And so on.

It's not a nit-picky thing, but it's probably not a major cause of skin disorders unless there's a predisposition or it's used all the time. If I'm out of the right shampoo for the dog, I usually rinse only.

I think that effective flea shampoos probably contain pyrethrins, which I woudn't combine with Advantage or Frontline.

I don't know a lot about flea shampoos.

If you found fleas you need to do a deep clean on the house, vacuum EVERYTHING you possibly can, in crevices and under furniture, you will then need to seal the contents of the vaccuum and dispose of them immediately.

I would continue to vacuum daily for a while until you get it all under control.

Then I follow with a good mopping with soapy water.

I have been using an oatmeal soap for dogs that I actually found at walmart and it smells good and leaves the soft and shiny.

For really bad itching I use a Pramoxine shampoo from the pet supply store.

In a pinch I have used Dawn to wash the dogs, It is good for fleas as well because it cuts the oily secretion the exrete and is less toxic than flea shampoo. I dilute it in a jug of water and make sure I rinse, rinse, and then rinse some more.

Also you want to bathe before applying the topical flea meds, otherwise you end up washing a lot of them away with the shampoo.

Can you get Comfortis or other proven safer internal flea meds where you are?

Is it true that you need some natural oils present on the dog for products like Frontline to work?
I have heard that if the dog has just had a bath that you need to wait a few days for those natural oils to resume before applying the Frontline.

If I remember correctly it says on the packaing to wait 24 hours after bathing.

 Quote: Joyce Salazar

Is it true that you need some natural oils present on the dog for products like Frontline to work?
I have heard that if the dog has just had a bath that you need to wait a few days for those natural oils to resume before applying the Frontline.

Wow, the package doesn't say that, so I'm glad you brought it up!

 Quote: Jennifer Lee

If I remember correctly it says on the packaing to wait 24 hours after bathing.

It doesn't on my Frontline Plus package, but the directions are very un-detailed.

 Quote: Jennifer Lee

If you found fleas you need to do a deep clean on the house, vacuum EVERYTHING you possibly can, in crevices and under furniture, you will then need to seal the contents of the vaccuum and dispose of them immediately.

I would continue to vacuum daily for a while until you get it all under control.

Absolutely. Shame on me for not adding this!

When fleas got in here, I vacuumed more than once a day for a week, along with the dog-blanket laundry, etc., etc. It was an all-out assault.