# Ugh, somebody tell me quick . . .



## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

what does a flea look like. I think I saw one on Ruby. I've never seen one before in my life. It was a light brown skinny little thing. At first I thought it was a bit of debris from the yard, but it moved when I went to take it off her.

Just in case, I threw her in a sink full of Dawn detergent, which they tell you will kill fleas and she had a dish detergent bath. When I dried her, I did see one similar looking thing on the counter -- muerte. I think I saw back legs on the carcass. I just threw the towel in a hot drier so hopefully it it was . . . it is no longer.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

totally sounds like a flea to me!!
I can't beleive you've never seen one before!!
They are kinda of a brown-ish, reddish color... so glad you got the sucker!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

OMG! I've had dogs all my adult life and I've (thankfully) never seen a flea before. All I can say is God bless Dawn detergent. The boys are both going to get baths when they come in. I'm not taking any chances.


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## shimpli (Mar 24, 2010)

OMG... Good luck. Tell me more about the Dawn bath in case I need it. ( how much Dawn, how much water, how long) I hate those fleas and tick... Ruby is beautiful, love the collage.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Teresita, I had heard about the Dawn detergent a few years ago when someone on the forum was looking for an alternative to typical flea treatments. I kind of filed it away in my head and just started using Dawn detergent for my dishes back then . . . just in case. What I remembered was filling the sink with water up to their necks and washing them with Dawn. What I did today was to squirt a lot of it into the filling sink, then I put her in, lathered her up a couple of times, then washing it out over and over again. I didn't use any of the usual sprays, fearing it would somehow neutralize the effect of the detergent.

Strangely enough, she's never come so clean and looked so shiny with all the expensive shampoos I have in the cabinet. I'm definitely going to do both boys with it today. Unfortunately I have to go out now for a couple of hours, but when I come back . . . we'll get to it.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

I think any dish detergent will get them. We used Joy for years on cats and farm dogs. A flea is a little less than the size of a sesame seed on a sesame seed bun.

The trouble with dish detergent is that you don't want to get it in their eyes, but fleas go to the eyes for moisture, and the head is typically where you find them.

Pam has some tearless flea shampoo. On a light colored dog, you can move the hair around and see them moving. They can move surpisingly fast, but I used to catch them and pop their hard shells in between two fingernails.

I've been winning the war here for years now with spraying the yard with d-limonene citrus extract, and other more toxic stuff around the outside of the yards. 

The last fleas we saw came back from a show. Now any dog coming back from a show goes right into a bath before they hit the floor in the house.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tom King said:


> They can move surpisingly fast, but I used to catch them and pop their hard shells in between two fingernails.


Eeeww Tom! TMI!ound:


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Geri:

Even if you don't see any fleas, dogs may have one or more in their fur. A sign yoou can look for, besides scratching, is "flea dirt." This is not actually dirt, but is black, dried up blood. It is on the skin near where they flea has bitten the poor dog.

If you see this, there have been fleas there since the dog's last bath. Unfortunately, fleas have a habit of jumping on and jumping off a dog and so may still be in the dog's bedding or on a rug - OR, if you are lucky, it has jumped onto another animal while your dog was on a walk or at a dogpark.

Good luck. Flea season is just beginning. I hope you can get rid of all of them. I put my two on Comfortis last month, and it is working, and they seem to have no health issues because of it.


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## shimpli (Mar 24, 2010)

pjewel said:


> Teresita, I had heard about the Dawn detergent a few years ago when someone on the forum was looking for an alternative to typical flea treatments. I kind of filed it away in my head and just started using Dawn detergent for my dishes back then . . . just in case. What I remembered was filling the sink with water up to their necks and washing them with Dawn. What I did today was to squirt a lot of it into the filling sink, then I put her in, lathered her up a couple of times, then washing it out over and over again. I didn't use any of the usual sprays, fearing it would somehow neutralize the effect of the detergent.
> 
> Strangely enough, she's never come so clean and looked so shiny with all the expensive shampoos I have in the cabinet. I'm definitely going to do both boys with it today. Unfortunately I have to go out now for a couple of hours, but when I come back . . . we'll get to it.


Oh... Thanks. I am buying a couple of bottles, just in case.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Now I'm not sure what I saw was a flea. I didn't see any hard shell. It seemed to be the size of a skinny, tiny worm, straight and light brown. I suppose it could have been any kind of bug from the yard. In any case, Ruby is squeaky clean and shiny. Guess she needed a degreasing.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Here is a picture of a flea! Hope it was just a bug from the garden


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Suzi said:


> Here is a picture of a flea! Hope it was just a bug from the garden


I saw those photos online and it didn't look anything like that.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

It may have been a little carpet beetle, those sort of kinda could look like fleas if you haven't seen a flea, the fleas move FAST. they just slither really quick.

I haven't heard about the dawn tip, thanks! I have been using some organic citronella shampoo and also doing the apple cider rinse like LilyMyLove recommended and it seems to be keeping the buggers off.

Funny how cheap dawn detergent can leave them prettier than the expensive IOD and others, lol...typical.

She's SO beautiful! She can get away with murder, ehh? 

Kara


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## Divaskychick (May 18, 2011)

Do we not use Frontline on Havs? I haven't had a dog in six years but back then my big pound mutt got Frontline squeezed between her shoulder blades and fleas disappeared.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Food-grade diatomaceous earth! Also, 'good' nemotodes in the yard! We still do the monthly flea treatment (Advantage) but the combo of those first two (both non-toxic) things at least keep the fleas from infesting the house/bedding/etc if and when he does carry the occasional flea inside.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Thumper said:


> It may have been a little carpet beetle, those sort of kinda could look like fleas if you haven't seen a flea, the fleas move FAST. they just slither really quick.
> 
> I haven't heard about the dawn tip, thanks! I have been using some organic citronella shampoo and also doing the apple cider rinse like LilyMyLove recommended and it seems to be keeping the buggers off.
> 
> ...


You want a good laugh? I've never seen any of mine look as squeaky clean from any of the the expensive shampoos I've used at home. She looks incredible -- shiny.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Divaskychick said:


> Do we not use Frontline on Havs? I haven't had a dog in six years but back then my big pound mutt got Frontline squeezed between her shoulder blades and fleas disappeared.


Some of us do, some of us don't. We actually use Advantix, because we live in an area rife with ticks, and they simply laugh at Frontline.

There are a lot of people on this board who prefer to use natural methods of flea and tick control if at all possible. You have to decide what is best for your dog based on where you live, the pest load they are likely to come in contact with, and whether or not they've shown sensitivities to various products in the past.

YMMV


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

I use frontline plus. my prob I've never had a dog with hair that gets bathed every week, so I don't know how long the frontline stays in the folicle. frontline can last up to 3 months, which is why I use it.

and +1 to flea dirt. a flea looks like a brown to dark brown, raw - long grain piece of rice, and a juvenile is 1/2 the length of the rice. they also 'amble' across the pet's body, when exposed, unlike a tick.

One summer when I was in college our family cat, **** tabby, had a bad case of fleas. so my sis and I spent the summer flea catching. the kitty had a white furred belly making it easy to see when a flea would scamper across. we'd catch them b/t our fingertips, and pinch the head off. put the dead body on a paper towel. ok I probably shared too much.

frontline is awesome stuff!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

sprorchid said:


> I use frontline plus. my prob I've never had a dog with hair that gets bathed every week, so I don't know how long the frontline stays in the folicle. frontline can last up to 3 months, which is why I use it.
> 
> and +1 to flea dirt. a flea looks like a brown to dark brown, raw - long grain piece of rice, and a juvenile is 1/2 the length of the rice. they also 'amble' across the pet's body, when exposed, unlike a tick.
> 
> ...


Ugh! Definitely TMI. However, now that you brought it up, does the flea have a distinct separation between head and body? The thing I saw looked like a very skinny light brown line that you might make with a fine point pen.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Geri, I haven't seen a flea since we started using Comfortis but I'll never forget what they look like! South GA is the flea capital of the world, I think.....haha They're like Tom said about the size and shape of a sesame seed but dark brown. If there is a distinction between head and body you can't really see it with the naked eye. The only way to kill one you've caught is to smash it with your fingernail and they make a cracking sound when they get smashed! Once they are off the dog they hop really fast and far so are hard to get. My daughter used to pick them off our other dogs years ago and she was really good at it.......lol 

I have a feeling what you had probably wasn't a flea but at least now you have clean shiny dogs!

BTW, Ruby has changed from an adorable puppy to a beautiful young lady! Love the pictures!


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I strongly suspect that it was NOT a flea that you saw on her Any time I have ever seen a flea on an animal it jumps way faster than you could ever catch it or get a close view of it!! 
But, like everyone said - you at least have a wonderfully clean little girl!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I will definitely not use this as our regular shampoo, but I have to tell you, I will do it maybe every third or fourth. She is the softest she's ever been and downright shiny. Who'da thought?


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## shimpli (Mar 24, 2010)

pjewel said:


> I will definitely not use this as our regular shampoo, but I have to tell you, I will do it maybe every third or fourth. She is the softest she's ever been and downright shiny. Who'da thought?


I was just going to ask you that. Did you use conditioner after the Dawn? How is her coat now? Crazy, no?


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I didn't use conditioner but it was a new (old - under the sink but never used) bottle of Dawn (it mentions hand conditioner - Olay on it. Don't know if that has anything to do with it. Her coat is gorgeous. She seems very comfortable and I can't stop petting her, she's soooooo soft. She has a glow about her.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Kathie said:


> Geri, I haven't seen a flea since we started using Comfortis but I'll never forget what they look like! South GA is the flea capital of the world, I think.....haha They're like Tom said about the size and shape of a sesame seed but dark brown. If there is a distinction between head and body you can't really see it with the naked eye. The only way to kill one you've caught is to smash it with your fingernail and they make a cracking sound when they get smashed! Once they are off the dog they hop really fast and far so are hard to get. My daughter used to pick them off our other dogs years ago and she was really good at it.......lol
> 
> I have a feeling what you had probably wasn't a flea but at least now you have clean shiny dogs!
> 
> BTW, Ruby has changed from an adorable puppy to a beautiful young lady! Love the pictures!


 We are switching to Comfortis from front line I have been told it works better. I like that it is a pill and it works within 30 min.


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

I haven't read through the entire thread, so forgive me if I'm repeating information...

That definitely sounds like a flea.

Dish detergent will do the trick, but it's MUCH better to buy a flea shampoo. The way the dish soap works - fleas actually respirate (breathe) through their skin. The dish soap is really thick and slimy, so it clogs their pores and suffocates them.

There are two problems with this. One, you have to leave them in suds long enough to suffocate the little critters. Two, it doesn't affect the eggs at all. So you have to do the dish soap bath a lot - like weekly for an 8-10 week period. Really does a number on your pup's hair.

So my vote would be to spend the money on a flea shampoo, which is medicated and DOES get to the eggs, as well as kills fleas pretty much on contact.

Careful using that on dogs under the age of 2, though. They are way more sensitive than an adult dog!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

kudo2u said:


> I haven't read through the entire thread, so forgive me if I'm repeating information...
> 
> That definitely sounds like a flea.
> 
> ...


Thanks! It appears it might not have been a flea actually. I guess I'll know soon enough. None of the others have anything and nobody every scratched once.


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

Oh that would be great!

A sign of fleas - this actually comes about BEFORE the scratching and irritation, at least in my experience.

Check on top of their head - draw a square (well, a funny shaped square) between their eyes, from the outside corner of each eye back to each ear, and then from one ear to the other. Feel around against the skin in this area. Also feel at the base of their spine, where their tail connects.

You're feeling for little hard grains of dirt. When you pull them out of their fur, the dirt grains are a really dark brown.

That actually isn't dirt...it's....um....flea poop (sorry). In my experience, fleas will leave this nice little present long before the dogs start to get irritated and scratch.

And it doesn't really matter how often you bathe, it only takes a day or two for the dirt grains to start building back up. So check daily for a week or so if you're not sure that it was a flea. That will be a really good way to figure it out!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Great information. I'll do that. Thanks.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

BTW, they're not itching but from the moment I saw that thing, I feel itchy all the time.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Ya know, the Dawn probably removed alot of buildup that she may have had from the overpriced shampoos, lol
I'll have to give it a try, I've always thought it is good to switch up shampoos and conditioners every so often, anyways.

Kara


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

yes it could have been a juvenile flea and it may not have been. Scientifically there is a distinct separation b/t head and body, like a spider has the head and body, but visually you can't see it on a flea without magnification, or at least I can't.

since you didn't see flea dirt or any other fleas maybe not. also, from my personal flea hunting experience, fleas tend to run/walk on a pet's body. a few have jumped to avoid inevitable death...


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## Sivi (Jun 1, 2010)

I had to give Oscar a bath with Dawn yesterday. I was on vacation and my son took care of him while I was gone. During the day he stayed at a puppy day care. When I got home, he had lots of mats and fleas, even though the Lady that runs the day care is also a groomer and was instructed to bath him as needed. He was groomed just a few days before I came back and still had mats everywhere. Anyway, Oscar is on Sentinel and it will stop the flea from multiplying, so I gave him a bath with Dawn to kill the fleas and it seems to work. Now he is feeling much better, and I hope that they are gone for good.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I'm so glad it worked for you too. I'm loving my soft, albeit getting dirty again little girl. Milo's turn tonight. Don't tell him.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Friday night dogwashing...eace: this is what we've become!!ound: (right there with ya, girl!) 
Kara


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)




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