8 week old chihuahua

Question
I called a lady that had chihuahuas for sale,and asked her if she had a female available, she said she would give me a female she had at her house that had been bitten on the head if i wanted it, because she did not know if it would "make it", well i went to the lady's house and there was a knot on the top of the lil ones head bout the size of a ball on the old paddle balls she was very alert it didn't slow her down, she's had her shots and is adjusting well with our family, i did put cool cloths on her head for the first 2 days and the swelling has went down immensely, but now the knot is very blue in color, she is a white chi with light tan markings, i've heard you don't put cool compresses on bruises so i have stopped the knot is now barely noticeable, and i believe she is healing nicely, but she has very dry skin, and i did spot a few fleas on her what is safe to use on a dog so young i have used boric acid in the home no fleas here now and i give my one year old male frontline, i'm sure thats too harsh could you suggest something i can use to rid her of the pest and relieve her discomfort?? and did i do the right thing by stopping the compresses? I consider her a rescue dog after seeing the conditions in which she was living!!!!

Answer
Hi Amanda...

I'm sorry, I'm not going to guess on what you should or should not do concerning an injury on the head of such a very young pup.  All Chihuahuas have a soft spot on their head called a molera.  It's very serious if they're injured in that area.  You need to have this pup seen by a qualified veterinarian for a proper diagnosis. No one can diagnose what's going on with that knot over the internet and I don't want you to get taken in by phony people who present themselves as experts when, all the while, they're giving you BAD information and just trying to sell you a supplement or vitamin that they make a commission off of.

Insofar as the flea problem goes, treating the house is very good!  Be sure to wash all of the pet bedding often and vacuum often.  When you vacuum, dispose of the vacuum bag afterwards so that the fleas don't escape back into the house.  You shouldn't have to use the stuff you've been using or any chemicals if you vacuum often and clean their bedding often.  You shouldn't need to treat this little girl for fleas if you keep the house and your other dog flea-free.  In fact, if you feed your other dog and this pup a good quality, premium pet food and keep them in good health, you shouldn't need to treat them at all with any toxins (and Frontline does contain toxins) as long as you keep the house flea-free and see to your yard (trim back weeds and bushes and apply something natural like nematodes to the soil that will take care of fleas and flea eggs).  It is often said that a healthy immune system will fight off fleas!!  Do you have a flea comb?  That should be all you need to get any fleas off of this puppy.  Take a glass and put a drop or two of Dawn dishwashing detergent in it and fill it with water.  When you find a flea on the pup, drop it in there and the detergent will coat it and kill it.  Dump the fleas and water in the toilet when you're done.

Dry skin doesn't necessarily have anything to do with fleas.  You need to have this pup examined by a vet, put her on a VERY good food and keep her in the house until you've had her fully vaccinated (which she isn't at 8 weeks old).

If I can be of any further help, please drop me a note and, trust me, you need to have the knot on this pup's head examined by a vet who is familiar with the breed.

Jo Ann