Fleas on Puppies

Question
I have 2 week old lab puppies and they have fleas.  I was wondering if you knew how old they had to be to treat them.  Both parents of the pups are treated and show no signs of feas.  What can i do to help them?

Answer
Hi Jeanna,

You can use DeFlea Ready to Use Shampoo, or DeFlea Concentrated Shampoo. They're safe for use on all puppies, even nursing animals. It's the only product I was able to find that can be used in puppies as young as yours. Your veterinarian might be able to provide you with other products that can be used on 2 week old puppies.

I've read that you can treat a puppy under 6 weeks of age for fleas by bathing them using warm water and Dawn dish-washing detergent, and then to manually pick off remaining fleas. Dawn dish-washing soap is very effective and it kills fleas quickly.
Fill your sink or tub with warm water. (Test temperature as if you were giving a baby a bath). Using the kitchen sink is often easiest as you don't have to bend down and you are more in control. Immerse the puppy up to his neck and insure that he is saturated. Then lift him out and place him on a towel. Gently massage in the detergent.  Massage the soap all over his body and around his neck, ears, head and under his chin, being very careful not to get soap in his eyes. The fleas are not silly and will head for the high dry ground of the head area.
Then put him back in the water for a rinse. If he is not fighting and struggling too much try to keep him submerged for a few minutes. If he is distressed get the job over and done as quickly as possible. Having two people perform the operation is often easier. One to hold the puppy and one to massage and wash the the puppy. When finished wrap him up in a dry towel and dry him off. Try to do this in a warm atmosphere and don't let him get cold.

Flea combs are very inexpensive and usually quite effective in catching fleas that still remain on the puppy after his bath. While the puppy is still damp comb over his body with a flea comb or pick off the remaining live  fleas with you finger and thumb nails while they are struggling to get through the damp hair. Have a cup of boiling water ready to drop the fleas into as you catch them. Boiling water is more effective than cold water.

In addition to the bathing, keeping a flea trap near where the puppies are kept can help. You can probably find flea traps at larger pet stores and possibly lawn and garden stores, or you can make one. Here are instructions on how to make a flea trap:
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Flea-Trap

If the fleas continue to be a problem, Capstar flea treatment is safe for very young puppies that are still nursing. It can be given to puppies 4 weeks and older, weighing 2 pounds or more. You have to get Capstar from your vet. Defend is an over the counter product that kills and repels adult fleas, however like Capstar it can't be used on puppies younger than 4 weeks.

It is not sufficient to treat just the puppies for fleas, you must also treat your house. If you have an understanding of the flea cycle you will know that only 5% of fleas in your environment are actually living on the pet. The other 95% in the form of eggs, larvae and pupae are living in your house or/and yard. For example, if you catch 10 fleas on the puppies then at a rough estimate there are approximately 190 fleas developing and maturing in your house. Read about clearing your house of fleas here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_16644_rid-home-fleas.html
http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef602.asp

Best of luck!
Patti