poodle nausea

Question
I have a 4 year old poodle who contracted fleas from his last grooming and before I realized it he and our home were infested with fleas.  I did the Advantage treatment, gave him 2 flea baths, did Advangate treatment again, then had pest control.  Now my poodle has had an upset stomach ever since and when I take him out he grazes on grass then throws up.  Could the flea treatment in our place be causing his nausea?  If so what can we do to help him.

Answer
Absolutely the fumigation of your home could be causing the nausea and vomiting.  How long ago was the treatment?  Many of these treatments use material which lingers in order to prevent recurrence of the infestation.  Be sure to get in touch with the people who did this treatment and find out what they used.

Did the people doing the treatment warn you to take precautions about your pets?  They should have, and if they didn't, you should complain to the department of health, the veterinary association, and the consumer protection offices.  

In many places, fumigators need a license.  Were these people licensed?  If so, complain to the licensing authority.  If not, complain to the police.

Talk to some expert fumigators and find out how to get your home cleaned of this material.

Meanwhile, ginger may help with the nausea and vomiting.  If your dog isn't allergic to wheat, you can cook up some treats containing ginger.  

There is also a Chinese herbal mix call Pinellia Combination, which contains pinellia, ginseng, ginger, jujube, coptis, and scute.  Use one gram of dried herbs, four grams of fresh herbs, or 5-10 drops of tincture per 20 pounds of your dog, 2-3 times a day.  Check with your vet, though, as the vomiting may be a necessary process for your poodle to clean the toxins out of his system.

You might also want to complain to the person in charge of the grooming.  

When the entire nightmare is over and you know how much it has cost you, you might want to sue the groomer and the fumigator for the damages.  Speak to a lawyer about whether you can prove a case.  Small claims courts exist so you don't actually need a lawyer with you in court.

If something like this ever happens again, you probably wouldn't need to treat your whole house by a fumigator.  A Scotty of mine once brought fleas home, and I got rid of them by just spraying regular flea spray into the upholstered furniture and around the rugs.

I can imagine what a nightmare this is for you.  I hope you and your poodle get through it soon.

Cordially,

Susan