Help Needed! Fleas! Need help getting rid of fleas on my Bruno, who is allergic!

[Bruno195]

Hi all, let me start off by saying I love this website! All of the wonderful advise I have got from everyone has been a true blessing. A little back history, we live in Florida. I have a one year old EBD named Bruno ( the love of my life outside of my 2 human children and my hubby). We got Bruno at 6wks old ( so we thought, vet believes he was only about 5 wks-turns out he was the runt of the litter) from a breeder that turned out to be a questionable breeder... Long story short, he had a few health issues at first but with the exception of having really bad allergies and a bad knee Bruno is very healthy and a very happy boy. We are an out doors family, my 13 y/o son races motocross and with that we travel a lot, which introduces Bruno to all kind of new and interesting things that he usually ends up being allergic to, lol..so needless to say we always have Benadryl on hand... He has been through several episodes of hives and flare ups but usually reacts very well to a quick visit to the vet (we have a wonderful vet ) and a couple of days of steroids. So now, my Bruno has picked up a few fleas while we were at a MX track this past weekend and now has little red bites/sores from them. We have never had a flea issue (I always check him every single night, it's our lil night time ritual:blush) I don't have him on any preventative because of his sensitivity to everything but i definitely will get him on something ASAP. Does anyone have any advise on what I should use? The fleas are primarily around his bottom and underbelly. I see a lot of people use apple cider vinegar which I am definitely considering just worried it won't kill the fleas, the eggs and might irritate his skin. Sorry for this being so long any advise is truly appreciated..

 

[Paulita89]

Welcome to the site.. It is a blessing. I have heard that dawn dish soap works great.


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[Manydogs]

@Bruno195 Dawn dish soap is good to bath him in,as it will kill the fleas-it removes their protective oil coating. It however will not keep the fleas off him. Something you might try is diatomeceous(sp?) earth. The one you would want to sprinkle on him is food grade.It is a natural substance-I have never had a dog allergic to it,but you might want to try it at home first-incase you have to bathe it off.You just don't want him to breathe it in, while you are dusting him. It is even safe if they lick it. The other type is what I sprinkle outside all around the house. I even dust their beds with the food grade-just "in case!"
P.S. If he gets a flea,while he has da on him,it will not die instantly-but it will die.

 

[2BullyMama]

@Bruno195 Dawn dish soap is good to bath him in,as it will kill the fleas-it removes their protective oil coating. It however will not keep the fleas off him. Something you might try is diatomeceous(sp?) earth. The one you would want to sprinkle on him is food grade.It is a natural substance-I have never had a dog allergic to it,but you might want to try it at home first-incase you have to bathe it off.You just don't want him to breathe it in, while you are dusting him. It is even safe if they lick it. The other type is what I sprinkle outside all around the house. I even dust their beds with the food grade-just "in case!"
P.S. If he gets a flea,while he has da on him,it will not die instantly-but it will die.

 

[tyree213]

Agree with the diatamaceous earth, it also works great for the yard and internally. Just make sure its food grade. I plan on trying this product called fleahex. It has great reviews for repelling fleas and I just started using their line of vitamins.

 

[KimDe]

I have never had fleas, but K9 Advantix is supposed to kill them on the dog.

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi Elaine, I'm sorry you're going through this. I don't have any experience with my guys having fleas,but we use Revolution for prevention, it covers fleas, ticks, Heart Worm, and Mange. We haven't had any problems or side affects with this product. It is used once a month for 6 months between June and November. There are many natural preventative products you can use as well once you get rid of them.



CHEMICAL FREE FLEA SPRAY. Its that time of year again! Flea season for animals (especially dogs who like to be OUTSIDE, in the DIRT.. ) Here is a chemical free preventive spray to use on your dogs. I also mix vinegar with my pups shampoo equal parts in my hand to help rid any that are lingering..How to prepare:1 C white distilled vinegar 32 Ounces water. A few drops of lemongrass or lavender essential oil (to smell good but also, fleas, like other bugs, do not like either of these plants/oils/scents- it'll help keep those buggers at bay!
You will also need a spray bottle large enough to hold this all together and use. Mix the vinegar and essential oil together then add to water in the spray bottle and gentle shake. You can mist your dog (please keep away from their eyes -- for hard to spray areas I suggest using a hand towel or cloth with mixture on it and rub on those areas) You can also spray your pets bedding and clothing, collars etc. You can do this weekly! Also I do mix white vinegar with her shampoo when bathing her now in case there are any buggers on her
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Homemade Flea Powder Recipe:



Ingredients:


1 cup Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (find HERE)


1/2 cup Neem Powder (find HERE)


1/2 cup Yarrow Powder (find HERE)


20 Drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil* (find HERE) *Leave out the essential oil if using for cats.



Directions:


Mix all ingredients together and put in a shaker top container. I used a mason jar with a shaker top lid (I got my mason jar shaker top lid at Christmas Tree Shop, but you could make your own by drilling holes in a regular mason jar lid).


Apply from head to tail along your pets spine in dry conditions. Brush your pets fur going the opposite direction so the powder comes in contact with the skin. Avoid the eyes and nose. Rub the powder on the belly and legs. Try to get the flea powder on as much skin as you can.


I have found that brushing the fur in the opposite direction and applying the flea powder with a cosmetic puff (like THIS) works really well. I also found the fleas seem to like the tail, the area right above the tail and the belly/groin area so I made sure to pay extra attention to those areas to get them well covered.


How often to apply flea powder?


To use this as a general repellent (with no serious flea infestation), applying once a month during active flea season (end of spring/summer) is sufficient. If the pet gets a bath or gets wet, it will need to be reapplied.


If you have a flea infestation:


You will need to apply more often, depending on how bad of an infestation you are dealing with. I applied every other day until I saw no more traces of fleas (now I’m just using it as maintenance). Some are successful with applying as little as once a week, but others need it more often — it just depends on the level of infestation. Also remember to reapply if your pet gets wet (important!).


If you have a flea infestation, you will also need to apply this flea powder to your floors, windowsills, door sills, pet bedding, sofa, etc. Focus your efforts where your pet spends the most amount of time, since fleas and their eggs will be the most concentrated in those areas. Just apply a light dusting to the areas in your house and leave it there overnight. Vacuum in the morning or sometime the next day. Do this once a week for 4 weeks if you have a flea infestation.


This flea powder works amazingly, BUT, it will not work overnight if you have a flea infestation. You must be diligent about applying it to your pet AND applying the powder to your home and vacuuming at least once per week for 4 weeks in a row to get rid of an infestation.


You can even use this flea powder it in your yard to repel and kill fleas, ticks, spiders, ants, mosquitos, etc!


I also leave a little bit of this flea powder in my door and window sills to prevent spiders, ants and other bugs from entering.


Based on my research and the advice of my holistic vet friend, I’ve learned some really great tips and other options about how to get rid of fleas naturally, including a few options that are holistic vet recommended that you can purchase if you are not a do it yourself-er. That is covered in PART 2 that you can read HERE (this post was already long enough ).



End Note: Is Diatomaceous Earth safe?


Somewhere along the line, a rumor was started that Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth was harmful to your lungs if breathed in. This is true for Crystallized or Filter Grade Diatomaceous Earth where it can cause a disease called silicoses if breathed in for very long periods of time. But this is NOT true for food grade Diatomaceous Earth, which we are using (it’s very important to make sure your DE is FOOD GRADE!). Food grade DE is processed and shaped differently than crystallized diatomaceous earth and is not harmful to pets or people. Food grade DE is recognized as safe for animal and human use, safe for consumption and even safe for those pregnant and nursing. Like any dusty product, you probably want to wear a dust mask if you will be breathing it in for a long period of time such as when dusting your yard.