Possible Fleas...help!

[Guest laurennf]

My hound has been on pet armor (like generic frontline) since we have had her. So a little over two months. She is due to get more on Friday. Every other day or so, however, I will see a flea on her (which I typically manage to pick off her and get rid of). Then in a panic i will comb her body searching for what seems like hours and usually don't find anymore. We live in a very woody/buggy area, so my bf hasn't been worried and is just attributing it to her picking one up outside now and again. I'm afraid we have an infestation and that we need to take action...but because it's only one at a time My bf doesn't think it's a big deal. Help! Opinions? If you think it is an infestation what steps should I take? This is my first hound so I am really nervous. Should we take her to the vet? She itches herself some, But not excessively...she hasn't seemed like she is very bothered. Also her fur is starting to thin around her neck (throat) and butt. Could this be related? Thanks

[Sambuca]

The hair thinning is pretty normal after 2 months.

If you're finding fleas every couple days you need to change flea meds at the very least. Talk to your vet about a good alternative. Revolution is good as is Nexguard. I can't remember what else is safe for greyhounds. You may or may not have an infestation.

[a_daerr]

A few fleas here and there isn't really a big deal. Most topical preventatives don't actually "repel" fleas- they work by killing the flea AFTER it bites. If you frequent heavily forested areas, it would make sense that you're occasionally seeing fleas. If you're really worried about it, you could switch to K9 Advantix (the only topical that repels). But unless you're seeing noticeable itching, scratching, and biting (fleas usually congregate on the lower back and base of tail), I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

BTW, the butt and neck hair loss you're describing sounds like typical greyhound alopecia. Many greys do not grow hair on their thighs. It's also very common to see hair loss on the neck due to collar rub. You might notice some improvement a few months post-retirement, but then again, you might not. It's not indicative of a more serious health problem... just one of those weird greyhound idiosyncrasies.

[Guest SaltiDawg]

I don't own a Greyhound - hopefully I will soon.

 

My experience agrees with that of a_daerr above.

 

I'd have your girl stand on a sheet of white news print and comb her with a flea comb... if you see a lot of dark/black spots it is an indicator of flea problems. If you see nothing or VERY little, it would seem the Frontline is doing its job of killing the critters.

[Guest Lygracilux]

Fleas happen.

If you were having a full on outbreak you would know it. You can see them jumping on the animals and furniture.

 

Like SaltiDawg said, if there is an abundance of them-try a new grey safe flea med, vacuum your whole place while putting a flea collar in the vacuum bag so they cant escape. wash all bedding ect.

If there is only the occasional one or two, dont worry. They will bite then die off.

[kikibean]

Hate fleas!

 

I have had several new dogs itch bald spots on their necks due to being new to wearing tags that hang down. I think they tickle their necks. I put Boomerang tags on new dogs. So, the neck itching could be tags instead of fleas.

 

I always make sure I have a white dog for flea checks!

[Banjoman]

If you have an infestation of fleas you will find the flea 'dirts' in the fur, you cannot miss them! The odd flea is removable with a pair of tweezers, make sure they 'crack' & die. I hate using chemicals on my animals & this is the method I use. Also use a household flea spray on bedding and floor just before you take the dog out for a walk then air the room out when you return.

 

Many years ago we had a kitten and found she had fleas but being so small we couldn't use much flea spray on her. A couple of weeks after she arrived we were due to go on holiday.

The day we went away I gave her a spray & brushed her out before taking her to spend the week with our next door neighbours. When we returned home we found the living room carpet full of fleas that jumped on to the children's socks & immediately returned to the kitten when we brought her back home. My in-laws were coming to visit the next day & I was horrified what my M-i-law was going to think! Thankfully the same thing had happened to her once and she spent her time with us going through the kitten's thick fur picking out the fleas, rolling them & 'cracking' them in her fingers or drowning them in a cup of water. I think our top total was 33 fleas in a single evening session of flea hunting! We beat them in the end!

[Guest laurennf]

What are some flea sprays that are greyhound safe?

[macoduck]

Adams flea spray, available at Walmart. You can use it as needed (within reason) on your dog as well as your furniture, carpet, dog beds. Check the formulas as one is oil-based and one is water-based. Both OK for your dog but water-based may be better for furniture.

 

I would not recommend any other Adams products if you come across the drops or flea collars.

 

I would not use Pet Armor, nor any generic stuff. No Vectra, even though Petsmart pushes it.

 

The Capstar pill will kill fleas within 30 minutes. The Comfortis pill will control them for a month. Trifexis will control for a month as well as provide heartworm prevention.