itching

Question
QUESTION: My puppy is 4 months old and she has been itching to where she bleeds and crys.I know she has fleas and i have tried products and they're still there.I cant take her to the vet because i have no one to take me and my mom works everyday.do you know what i can do for the meantime?

ANSWER: Sandy, your pup really should be seen by a qualified veterinarian as it's really not a good thing when a pup bleeds and cries like that.  In fact, it's very bad and that type of bleeding where the skin is broken can lead to a bad infection that will need to be treated with antibiotics and possibly a steroid.  Trust me, the longer this goes on, the worse it will get.

What products have you tried?  Have you treated the house?  Do you have other pets in the house?  Is there a veterinary clinic in your area that is open weekends or evenings?  

Get back to me with answers to the above questions and after you've checked the phone book and contacted vet offices to see who is open evenings and weekends.

Jo Ann

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I've tried flea shampoo,natrual defense flea and tick squeeze on,itch relief  spray. I'm caring for a baby bird right now, which i am going to release once its older.I found to vet offices.We haven't treated the house.
 
sandra

Answer
Hi Sandra...

You can't just treat the pup with flea shampoo and "itch spray relief". I want to highly advise you to stay away from the over the counter topicals and other flea/tick products. You can do far more harm than good to your pup with those. The news and the internet are full of stories right now about adverse conditions the over the counter products cause.  You have to treat the whole house and the yard, too.  You might want to look at treating the house with a flea bomb (but, please, use it safely) or something like Fleabusters.  Here's a link for that:  http://www.fleabuster.com/  You can spray the yard with a pesticide or you can use something that is safer like nematodes.  You can google that to see what they're about and how to order them.

You found two vet offices that will see you evenings or weekends?  Did you make an appointment?  I would rather see people use more natural and safer means to rid their homes and pets from fleas, but you may need to invest in Advantage (that's the only one that I, personally, feel comfortable with) while you treat the house and yard.  You then must work hard to keep it up.  Where do you live Sandra?  Is it a climate that is conducive to fleas?

Get back to me with answers to the above questions...

Jo Ann