Flea Question (not markets LOL)

[js]

I have a maltese dog that rarely goes outside although he was out over the weekend while my dh and I closed up the backyard.
I don't put on the flea and tic meds on his monthly since he really doesn't go out.
Today the groomer came to my house (it is a mobile van that is set up for grooming) and when she returned my dog to me, she informed my dh and me (and the kids) that she found 3 fleas on him
She said she gave him a fleabath (???) and that was all she found. I asked her prior to knowing this to please cut a lot of his hair short since he just seems to like it that way (now he looks like a little lamb ).
Anyway, I am sure he got them this past weekend?? But, would he only have 3 (he is small). Can you really only have 3 fleas???
He sleeps with us (or my dd) and has full use of the house.
Do I need to fumagate the beds and couches?
PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[lttlmc3]

Have you noticed any flea bites on yourself? You can look for fleas in your bedding and things. A good idea for if you have carpets is to put a flea collar in your carpet bag. That way, the fleas that are sucked up will be killed. Otherwise, they just climb out of your vaccum bag and get back on the floor. But even though your dog hardly goes out, you really need to keep him on flea preventative. Fleas aren't only outside, they will come in as well. Especially in cold months.

 

[js]

Have you noticed any flea bites on yourself? You can look for fleas in your bedding and things. A good idea for if you have carpets is to put a flea collar in your carpet bag. That way, the fleas that are sucked up will be killed. Otherwise, they just climb out of your vaccum bag and get back on the floor. But even though your dog hardly goes out, you really need to keep him on flea preventative. Fleas aren't only outside, they will come in as well. Especially in cold months.

Thank you. None of us have any bites although I am getting itchy typing about it
I have hardwood and tile, no rugs. I was going to have my cleaning girl vacuum the couches and chairs tomorrow (I know I should have done tonight but I was still busy doing other things) but NEVER thought about putting the flea collar in the bag. I don't have a flea collar and will be going to work in the morning. I'll ask her to throw the bag outside as soon as she is done.
Also, I never thought I would have to do the flea prevention on my dog if he doesn't go out, I never thought they would come inside. I've had my dog for 6 years and this is the first time he had fleas, I felt terrible.

 

[dyna]

It is also very possible that you an your family can bring fleas in on your clothing from outside.

 

[Dancemom03]

Just wondering how it is that he doesn't go out? You still have to walk him for him to relieve himself occassionally throughout the day, right?
We have a very large yard but still take the dogs out on leashes b/c nothing in our neighborhood is fenced... well except for the pastures maybe. Anyway, I hate walking dogs in the rain/snow. If you've managed to find a dog that doesn't need to piddle, then I definitely need the name of your breeder for the next time we're puppy shopping...

We spray the grass around the house where the dogs are walked for fleas. My dogs don't stay outside but that doesn't mean they couldn't pick something up from outside and bring it in.
Our collie can't wear a flea collar and doesn't have enough oil in her skin (or something like that) so the treatments that you put on their necks doesn't help her a bit. Instead we give her Capstar once a month. One tiny pill tucked into a piece of cheese and it's handled - I haven't seen a flea in years. It's also more reasonably priced than the advantage and others we tried back in the day. You could ask your vet about that option if you don't like putting chemicals on him. It's worked very well for us...

 

[onelilspark]

We found a single flea on our pup (after taking him for a walk in the park.) We figured we'd rather be safe than sorry, so we picked up some flea meds (Wegmans, our grocery store, had the best price-fyi.)

The one thing I will caution is that when I was younger, we put a flea collar on our dog and I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't breathe. I talked about it with the vet because I was nervous using the flea medicine on him in case it contained the same "stuff" that I had a reaction to. Turns out that you don't see as many flea collars because my reaction isn't uncommon. So if you've never been around flea collars, just be careful.

 

[js]

Just wondering how it is that he doesn't go out? You still have to walk him for him to relieve himself occassionally throughout the day, right?
...

You are correct of course my dog needs to relieve himself during the day and I would be most happy to give you the name of his breeder, as you asked.
My dog is 8 pounds and goes outside occasionally. He pees and poops on a pee-pee pad, I hope that helps with your being confused

 

[js]

Instead we give her Capstar once a month. One tiny pill tucked into a piece of cheese and it's handled - I haven't seen a flea in years. It's also more reasonably priced than the advantage and others we tried back in the day. You could ask your vet about that option if you don't like putting chemicals on him. It's worked very well for us...

I love the idea of the pill. The tic and flea cream makes his fur and skin look dirty and oily. I will most definately ask about the pill. Thanks so much!

We found a single flea on our pup (after taking him for a walk in the park.) We figured we'd rather be safe than sorry, so we picked up some flea meds (Wegmans, our grocery store, had the best price-fyi.)

The one thing I will caution is that when I was younger, we put a flea collar on our dog and I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't breathe. I talked about it with the vet because I was nervous using the flea medicine on him in case it contained the same "stuff" that I had a reaction to. Turns out that you don't see as many flea collars because my reaction isn't uncommon. So if you've never been around flea collars, just be careful.

Thank you. We have never been around a flea collar and I will either put the meds on him or ask the above poster said, talk to the Vet about a pill.
I didn't know they had them and I think it is a wonderful, easy idea.

Thanks to all for helping me!

 

[Dancemom03]

My dog is 8 pounds and goes outside occasionally. He pees and poops on a pee-pee pad, I hope that helps with your being confused

Thanks, I always wondered if those were worth the money. It sounds as though it must be working for you though so I may have to give them a second look. We have a collie (and a papillion) so it'd have to be a really large pee pad... multiple pads even.

I suspect it'd be easier if we'd started as a puppy. Did you have any issues training your dog to use it or do dogs just like them instinctively?

 

[taylor3297]

We have a Shih Tzu who stays in the house mostly, and never put the flea stuff on her and we don't have trouble with fleas at all.

Before putting a chemical on your pet, check first to see if your house has fleas. In a bowl put water and a drop of dish deteregent. Place the bowl on the floor by an eletrical outlet, put a night light in the outlet. Before bed turn the light on and check the bowl in the morning. If there are fleas in your house the fleas will be drawn to the bowl.

If you have a large or multi-story house, put the bowls and night light combination in several different rooms.

We learned this trick from an exterminator. We had moved into a brand new house that was full of fleas. Come to find out, when the house was being built, a worker was bringing his dog to the house while it was being constructed.

 

[beck0321]

I think they make flea/heartworm combo drugs now for dogs and cats (sorry if this was a PP). So the dog has to be on heartworm medicine right? Just get the combo instead maybe?
Whatever you do, DON'T use anything Hartz makes! That crap almost killed my cat!

I have found too that when my cats get fleas, a day or so after I put the medicine on them, the fleas throughout the house go away (if there are even any in the house; I've never noticed a whole bunch or anything).

Now, if you ever get a flea infestation in your house, that is another story. I have seen that in a friend's house and it was INSANE!

 

[Squirrel!!!]

Not trying to play know it all here, but come from the land of all fleas. (seriously, year around flea problems here on totally inside animals).

Capstar--the pill only kills fleas on the pet for about 24 hours. Works great, but for only 24 hours.

Comfortis--is the pill that lasts for a month.

There are about a million products on the market, and they are easily mixed up. The cheap ones really don't work. They just are made to look like the more expensive ones, but are still the same thing as the old sprays and dips that never used to work.

Good luck!!

 

[ChristaDeVil]

We had an issue like this a month or so ago. Two of my three had gone to my mom's house for a few days and came back with a few "hitchhikers". We bathed all of the dogs in flea and tick shampoo, vacuumed everything, washed their beds, and sprayed the areas that they hang out the most with a spray called Bio-Spot. We might have gone a little overboard, but my husband and I each got one bite and we started hosing everything down.

There's a difference between finding a couple of fleas and HAVING fleas. I had a flea infestation in my apartment in college and we had to bomb. It was not fun.

 

[Bilberry]

I had to deal with lots of fleas on my cat and around the place last summer. It was miserable! And the poor kitty had a terrible time of it. Don't know where the bugs came from, but kept telling my cat he needed to hang out with higher quality friends.

Basically to get rid of the fleas I hired a firm to spray. My cat also received an injection from the vet to kill fleas. I also vacuumed a couple times a day, and would shampoo clean the carpets a couple times a week. Even with all this, never could get rid of all the fleas in the warm months. Once it turned cold the fleas disappeared. Didn't see them this summer either, thankfully.