What Did I See?

[Guest ejw]

For about a week, I noticed Tansi, and only Tansi, scratching and nibbling herself more than "normal". It was not frantic scratching and nibbling: closer to grooming. She sleeps on my bed, as do the others, and shares dog beds and the couch, but no one else was itchy. I asked the vet how to detect fleas. He told me to look for flea poop: like pepper on the skin. I didn't see any, or evidence of bug bites. but she kept on scratching and nibbling.

 

Two weeks ago, I was massaging Tansi's bum and a bug scuttled across to the hair I hadn't lifted. It did not jump, as I expect a flea would. It was a bit elongated and black. I thought it looked beetle-ish with a hard outside (exodermic skeleton?). I thought fleas were roundish? I chased it around her butt for a while trying to catch/pinch it, but though it was very fast, it never jumped. There was no flea poop I could see but I gave the girls all a dose of Advantage. Tansi stopped nibbling and scratching that day; no one has been itchy since.

 

I have never dealt with fleas or ticks, so I have no idea what it was. Since the Advantage worked, I guess it might have been a flea. But if it was, wouldn't the other girls have been affected? Was I dealing with something different? I am assuming because it apparently never attached itself, it was not a tick.

 

Any ideas about what it might have been? Would a flea affect only one dog?

[Guest KennelMom]

In order for Advantage or Frontline (et al) to work, the flea has to bite your dog...so they won't repel fleas, they just kill the ones that hop on. So, it's entirely possible (probable) you saw a flea. Once they are on a host, they tend not to jump much, but will scurry across the dog's skin to evade you. If pressured enough or removed from the dog, they will start leaping.

 

eta: You typically see flea dirt (the black flecks) when a dog has many fleas for a long period of time. If you regularly apply topical flea killer (and it's working), you may get the occasional flea on the dog, but they won't live long enough to leave enough flea dirt for you to find.

Edited August 15, 2008 by KennelMom

[Hubcitypam]

In my world it seems if there are fleas they gravitate to the lightest colored dog.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

A flea has a VERY hard outter shell of a body. It is flat if you are looking at it from the top, if you look at it from the side, it is almost oval shaped. I grew up with cats and dogs and fleas dont really jump once they get onto an animal with hair. They can hold on to the hair and run around. Now if the flea gets on you (not much hair to grab onto) and you are trying to catch it, the flea will probably jump off. Try going to the store and getting a Lice Treatment pack at your local pharmacy. The reason for this is the comb that is in the box. It has a very small comb with tightly aligned teeth. Comb through your dog around the bum, neck and ears, making sure to scrape the skin gently. After you comb a few times (two or three times), take the comb and look at it through the light. If you see tiny white specks on the comb, you are probably looking at the eggs of fleas. You could also go to the vet and they will do the same thing. Fleas like to congregate around the orafaces of animals, ears, eyes, butt.

Edited August 15, 2008 by Greyt_dog_lover

[Guest ejw]

Thanks for all your replies. I really am clueless about these things. Winters that get below -30 are good for something, if only for killing off this kind of critter!

 

Hubcitypam, Tansi is the only one who is light coloured; the other two are black, so perhaps that is why she was the only one bothered. Weird.

 

Kennelmom, I guess I don't have a big problem with fleas then, if I couldn't find any flea dirt. But this is a strong warning to get on a regular schedule with Advantage before I do! It's good to know they don't necessarily jump. The fact that it didn't was the most confusing for me because I've always heard of fleas jumping. I remember too well the stories of "flea circuses"

 

Greyt_dog_lover, I am off to the pharmacy to get a lice treatment pack. I suspect since the flea was there for a while, there are probably eggs somewhere.

 

Again, thanks for the responses.

[Neighsayer]

You can buy a flea comb by itself.

[Saffron]

Almost certainly a flea, but they are very tiny. You did not give a measurement but the comb will tell.

 

Anyway, the Advantage will definitely help for the grey and will go a long way to solve the problem. It sounds like you caught it early. Good.

 

But, and I'm fairly obsessive, you'll need to treat the house too. Wash all bedding, people and dog. I'd also put a tick collar in the vacuum cleaner bag and vacuum everywhere but especially carpets like a maniac for a month or so disposing of the bag frequently outside. Note, I said put the flea collar in the vacuum bag not on the grey! Flea collars are not good for the grey and neither is flea bombing.

 

Fleas are small and tenacious but frequent vacuuming gets rid of them. Speaking from experience in a rental many years ago . . .

 

 

[Guest ejw]

Wash all bedding, people and dog.

 

I'd also put a tick collar in the vacuum cleaner bag and vacuum everywhere but especially carpets like a maniac for a month or so disposing of the bag frequently outside. Note, I said put the flea collar in the vacuum bag not on the grey! Flea collars are not good for the grey and neither is flea bombing.

 

It was big enough I could see legs. I'm no good at estimating size.

 

I did wash all bedding and vacuumed thoroughly just in case. Is it too late for bathing the dogs to do any good? Do I use regular dog shampoo?

 

I can't do a full vacuuming right now as the house is full of boxes and cupboards while the kitchen is being redone. Unfortunately, I have carpet almost everywhere. But I can put a flea collar in the vacuum cleaner bag. Thanks for the tip. About how long will a collar be effective, and should I replace it on a regular basis or just until I'm sure the little beasties are gone?

[Guest longdogs]

If it was small it was probably a flea. They normally don't jump when they are moving through fur and dog fleas are not as lively as cat fleas. If it was large, say 1/4 inch, it could have been something much more interesting, like a louse-fly. There are winged versions, collectively known as Hippoboscids,

and wingless versions usually called keds.

Both sorts have sometimes been found on dogs, especially where there are sheep / goats / deer about. I've not found sheep or deer keds on a dog but have often found Hippoboscids on birds, especially swallows, swifts and martins. Their nests are often infested and the adults usually carry a few travellers. These things are much larger than lice or fleas, are flattened, louse-like, have a strong grip and are extremely hard to crush. I first experienced one I picked up from a grounded swift. The young swift had crash-landed on a lawn and needed to be launched to get airborne (they have very long wings and very small legs so can't fly from a horizontal surface). The hippoboscid dropped off the swift onto a pavement. I put my foot on it then went to inspect this odd creature. Far from being crushed, the thing ran up my arm! That's when I found they are fast, amazingly grippy and extremely tough. My falcons would occasionally get one and preen frantically until they'd caught it, then there would be a big crunch as they executed it.

 

Re-reading your post, a boring flea sounds very much more likely. Oh well.

 

 

[Guest ejw]

Re-reading your post, a boring flea sounds very much more likely. Oh well.

 

I'm sure now that it was a "boring flea". I finally found images that were not textbook drawings. The drawings just didn't look like what I saw.

 

I found a video " Fleas On A Dog In ThePetCentercom" on Youtube, and that is exactly what I was seeing, both in appearance and behaviour.

 

Who'd a thunk Youtube could help anyone identify fleas?

 

Since this is my first experience with them, I am finding them anything but boring! After watching the video, NOW I am itchy!

 

This has definitely been a learning experience -- not one I wanted, but nevertheless....

[Saffron]

It was big enough I could see legs. I'm no good at estimating size.

 

I did wash all bedding and vacuumed thoroughly just in case. Is it too late for bathing the dogs to do any good? Do I use regular dog shampoo?

 

I can't do a full vacuuming right now as the house is full of boxes and cupboards while the kitchen is being redone. Unfortunately, I have carpet almost everywhere. But I can put a flea collar in the vacuum cleaner bag. Thanks for the tip. About how long will a collar be effective, and should I replace it on a regular basis or just until I'm sure the little beasties are gone?

 

Ooops, sorry, I just saw the followup question. Good luck on the kitchen reno. I remember that as being the most uncomfortable couple of months of my life but the end result was worth it.

 

I would not bother to wash the dogs -- the Advantage will kill the fleas on them fast. Give them a good brush outside every day or so.

 

The purpose of putting the flea collar in the vaccuum bag is to kill the little beggers before they crawl out again! To be a lot clearer: I bought one flea collar, cut it into two inch pieces, stretched each piece to activate just before putting it in the bag, and keep the rest well away from the dogs.

 

Hope this helps.