kiesha09 Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 Just after I was thinking I was finally flea free after two months with no sign of the buggers I think they're back! A few times after Chip has come in from outside he has had these black things on him. Probably about 20 or so. But they are normally in just one spot Eg this morning he came in and had them all over his left ear. It almost looks like he has rubbed against a bush as he walked past and collected these little black bugs. The wierd thing is they are only in the one spot and not all over him. Also they seem to be really huge. I can see them on him half way across the room (may be because they are clumped together in one spot). Close up they range in size from really big to quite small. He has been itchy ever since he came back from the groomers on Saturday but I thought he might have had a reaction to the products they used but then Kiesha got itcy too. Yet I haven't actually seen one on her. SO I'm thinking there are fleas outside and they are being infested by them that way or these outside black bugs are not fleas at all but some other thing in the garden. Yet I can't tell, they look flea like bug are really big! When you squash them red (blood like guts) squires out I'm going to treat them like fleas just in case. THey are on regular monthly doses of sentinel spectrum and I frontlined them last night. I've also bought some comfortis to use going forward. On the weekend I'll completely clean the house from head to toe and flea bomb and wash everything. But how do I get rid of them in the back yard? Also is there some kind of spray you can use specifically for things you can't put in the wash eg the couch? Has anyone else found a magic cure yet? I can't even stand walking into my house with these little pests around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogs4Fun Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 Consider stick fast fleas or ticks. Perhaps take a few in a pot to your vet and they should be able to ID them for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiesha09 Posted June 1, 2010 Author Share Posted June 1, 2010 Thanks. Good idea re taking some to the vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DBT Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 (edited) they definitely sound like stick fleas or stick fast fleas to me. What area are you in.Do you live rural?? do you have poultry or cage birds?? I groomed for 16 yrs in Adelaide and never saw stick fast fleas.... as soon as i started grooming in our rural location, i maybe see 2 in 10 dogs with some stick fast fleas. Stick fast fleas will usually be around the dogs face,ears & feet(between toes) and they burrow into the dog .They don't run around like regular fleas. Depending on your location , they actually could be ticks too. You would probably have to live north of Pt.Augusta to see ticks regularly.I did have a couple of cases of ticks in my city salon , and it seems that they were picked up while the dogs were sniffing around in their local creek reserve.Unusual for Adelaide but not impossible. i would def. get the vet to identify the bug , and products from the vet clinic are most likely going to be the most effective for control. good luck and let us know what they are ! Edited June 1, 2010 by DBT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiesha09 Posted June 1, 2010 Author Share Posted June 1, 2010 (edited) No I'm in Adelaide so not rural but I do go to my parents place in the Barossa alot with the dogs although haven't been in a while. Do you get rid of these fleas the same way as normal fleas? No poultry here either. Are stick fast fleas black? THese 'things' are black. Edited June 1, 2010 by kiesha09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DBT Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 No I'm in Adelaide so not rural but I do go to my parents place in the Barossa alot with the dogs although haven't been in a while.Do you get rid of these fleas the same way as normal fleas? No poultry here either. Are stick fast fleas black? THese 'things' are black. stick fast fleas are about the same amber colour as regular fleas, perhaps a little bit darker.Because they usually burrow in groups, they may appear darker. Your dog may have picked them up in the Barossa and bought them home where they have set up a colony. Are you inner city, or in suburbs where foxes/rabbits/native critters frequent.That may be enough to get stick fast fleas.Cats are prone to moving them around too. First step would be to get a proper ID from a vet, then discuss treatment with the clinic staff. i do believe the topical pipette type treatments work on stick fleas, only problem is i think even once they are dead they hang in there !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiesha09 Posted June 1, 2010 Author Share Posted June 1, 2010 I just looked up some images on google and thats exactly what they look like. Although I'll take some to the vet asap. I'm in the inner suburbs so wouldn't think there would be foxes etc too close to me (especially in my back yard) although we do have cats that run through so who knows they could be bringing them in. Sounds like this isn't going to be such an easy fix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 It's either frontline or advantage that works for stickfast fleas - one product works and the other doesn't. I can never remember which one it is b/c we don't have them here. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiesha09 Posted June 1, 2010 Author Share Posted June 1, 2010 I did a quick google search and frontline appears to work for them which is good since this is what I used. I've also called the pest control man who is coming next Monday to spray the yard. In the meantime I'm just going to wash and wash and wash! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swizzlestick Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 I've spoken to Bayer about stick fast fleas. Both Advantage and Advocate will kill them. However they don't drop off the animal. You still have to pick them off once dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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