Lindsay asked 8 years ago
My dog went to our farm today and was outside in the trees exploring. She came back after a short time and was completely covered in fleas!! She has a coat like a lab and you could see the fleas crawling all over her without even moving her fur. We have another dog who didn’t go to the farm today and that dog doesn’t have any fleas. She has been on a regular flea treatment and hasn’t had any issues for over a year. We took her to the vet and she was given a pill that starts killing the fleas right away. Could she have been infested from a dead animal? We have never seen anything like this!
Adam Retzer Staff answered 8 years ago
Lindsay,
That sounds horrific! Luckily, there’s some good news. You caught the infestation exactly when it occurred, so it can’t progress unnoticed. You can nip it in the bud.
She could have gotten fleas from a dead animal. However, it’s more likely she ventured into territory that was frequented by an infested animal, such as under a porch or in an animal den. If the animal often rested there, then a large amount of eggs would have fallen and accumulated in the area. Upon reaching adulthood, fleas can stay quiescent within their cocoons while they wait to detect a host. When a host comes along, for example your dog, they rapidly emerge and jump onto the animal.
I got a little confused about which of your two dogs you were referring to towards the end of your description. However, I have some tips.
The fleas almost certainly laid eggs in your dog’s fur (each female lays around 25 a day). And if 100% of the adults aren’t killed, they may continue to do so. The eggs will fall from your dog’s fur a couple hours after being laid. As a result, the infestation may spread inside your home.
Vacuuming will help remove eggs that fall from her coat onto carpeting. Since you caught the fleas early, you can quarantine your dog to certain parts of your home (or outside). Then you only have to worry about vacuuming/treating that area of the house. It’s a good idea to vacuum every other day, as a precaution to ensure the infestation doesn’t spread.
It may also be a good idea to treat the environment they’re quarantined in with an insect growth regulator (IGR). For example, spraying the carpets. This type of compound prevents exposed eggs and larvae from developing into adults. And because it works by mimicking insect hormones, it’s considered less toxic than traditional insecticides.
Sorry to hear about your dog’s flea problem. I hope it all gets resolved quickly!
Adam
I’m deleting your comment on the “Where do fleas come from” page, as it’s a duplicate of this question.
